New Traffic Light to Be Activated Today

After eight years of lobbying for a traffic light at a tricky intersection, Father Kevin Larkin of St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church will have his prayers answered today.

As of this morning, a traffic light with a left-turn arrow will be operational at the T-shaped intersection of Dixie Canyon Avenue and Moorpark Street, where Larkin thinks three fatal accidents have occurred over the years.

The site is home to Larkin’s church, Dixie Canyon Elementary School and the St. Francis de Sales School.

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer, who worked to get the light installed, will flip the signal’s switch.

“We are absolutely delighted for the children’s sake and the families’ sake because we’ve had quite a few accidents there over the years,” said Sister Ellen Marie McGovern, principal of the parochial school. “I think it will be much safer.”

Irwin Chodash, a city transportation engineer, said the traffic light was installed on the basis of high traffic volume, not accidents. The intersection, first approved for a traffic light in December 1993, was busy during peak hours, and traffic on Dixie Canyon exceeded a preset limit--80 cars an hour--for four or more hours a day, he said.

“The accidents may have occurred 10 years ago,” Chodash said. “But our records only go back five years.”

Because of a backlog of about 60 lights waiting to be installed, he said it typically takes two or three years to get a traffic light in place. The City Council generally funds about 15 light installations yearly, but federal money allowed the city to double that number this year.