Questions and Answers About Your Commute : LAPD May Increase Its Valley Patrols

Dear Traffic Talk:

I understand that the Valley Traffic Division of the Los Angeles Police Department is seriously understaffed. For example, in my area--the West Valley--there are only one to three traffic enforcement units patrolling in any eight-hour shift covering 60 square miles.

If there is a major traffic accident or the officers are arresting someone, there are probably no traffic units available to enforce traffic laws. I have heard that more people are killed in traffic accidents than from gangs or violent criminals, and yet we have so few traffic officers to protect the public. What can be done to get more traffic cops on the street?

Don McLeod

Woodland Hills

Dear Don:

You bring up a good point; there is a shortage of traffic police in the Valley. Regarding your statistics, they are probably accurate, but they are somewhat misleading. According to Sgt. Paul Modrell, watch commander for the Valley Traffic Division, there are two to five traffic units patrolling the entire Valley (total area: 212 square miles) from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, there are 18 motorcycle officers who cruise the Valley, enforcing traffic laws and dealing with accidents.

According to Councilwoman Laura Chick, who represents the West Valley and chairs the Public Safety Committee, all West Valley patrol officers--even those not assigned to traffic duty--enforce traffic laws. Chick said the commanding officer of the LAPD West Valley Division has even had nontraffic officers focus on traffic control.

It is her understanding, Chick said, that the LAPD will soon increase the number of traffic police out on the streets, by “moving bodies around.”

Dear Traffic Talk:

Some friends of mine recently moved to Burbank, and to get to their house, one must exit at Buena Vista Street from the westbound Ventura Freeway, then turn left onto Riverside Drive. The first time I did it, I almost got into an accident. The second time I was more careful, but still narrowly missed getting hit because I still didn’t understand what was happening.

I asked others if they had the same problem, and they said that they no longer use that exit for the same reason. After driving back and watching the intersection, I discovered the problem: a green light is given to traffic exiting the freeway as well as to cross traffic on Buena Vista.

Either the lights need to be reprogrammed or signs need to warn traffic exiting the freeway that the green light does not mean they can go!

Laurena Petta

Sunland

Dear Laurena:

Burbank traffic engineer Ron Morris said that changes would be made to that intersection starting this week. He estimated that the reconfiguration would take six weeks to complete. Here’s the scoop: a left-turn signal for cars exiting the freeway will be added, allowing cars to make protected left turns. The offramp will be widened from two to three lanes.

Morris said that he has known about the problem for nine years but maintained that cars exiting the freeway should have known to yield to oncoming traffic, just as left-turning cars at any other intersection do.

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 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.