City to Raise Visibility of Narrow Road

Dear Traffic Talk:

Traveling westbound on Burbank Boulevard just after you pass under the Hollywood Freeway, the road narrows suddenly from three lanes to two. I have lived in this area for 10 years, and I can’t tell you how many times people have been nearly killed or narrowly averted a serious accident due to this narrowing of the road.

It would be good if there were some cones or signs that let people know that the right lane is about to disappear and that they should merge into the remaining two lanes.

Alan Gelman North Hollywood Dear Alan:

According to city transportation engineer Irwin Chodash, Burbank Boulevard was widened from two to three lanes in both directions between Morella and Troost avenues--which flank the Hollywood Freeway on its west and east side, respectively--to improve traffic flow onto the Hollywood Freeway.

Chodash said the city will relocate a sign alerting westbound Burbank motorists about the street narrowing so that they will have 300 feet to react. Currently, drivers see the sign only 100 feet before the lane ends. In the near future, Chodash said, the city plans to re-stripe the road so that the right lane will drop at the freeway, which should cause less confusion for motorists.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I have a question about the cement pads that were laid recently next to all bus stops in the Valley. The pads are too small for the buses, so they must have put them in for some reason other than for support of the buses. I would like to know what the reason was. Every one of the bus loading zones had the pavement ripped up.

Rick Marquesee

Chatsworth

Dear Rick:

The city lays cement pads in bus loading zones to protect the road against the wear and tear of buses using the zones. In most cases, according to Gregory Scott, assistant director of the city Bureau of Street Maintenance, the city puts in “bus wheel pads” that are roughly 40 feet long and half a lane wide.

It is usually adequate to put in these pads, which support only the bus’ right wheels, because most of the weight falls to the vehicles’ right side, Scott said. The reason for this is that most roads descend toward the curb for drainage purposes. Sometimes the city puts in full-width pads if the site’s soil conditions, asphalt thickness and road damage merit it, according to Scott.

Dear Traffic Talk:

Are bicycle riders allowed to ride on sidewalks and in crosswalks?

Roger V. Wing Reseda Dear Roger:

Generally, bicyclists operate under many of the same rules of the road as cars, such as having to travel in the same direction of traffic. However, according to Officer John Nesbit of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Traffic Safety Unit, cyclists may ride in crosswalks and they may ride on sidewalks as long as they do not interfere with pedestrians.

Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers are invited to submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley. Please write to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth, Calif. 91311. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385.