Landscaping Project to End in Mid-1997

Dear Traffic Talk:

I live two blocks off the Hollywood Freeway between the Lankershim Boulevard and Vineland Avenue exits.

In the last year almost all the trees along the freeway have been removed.

Since their removal the noise level has increased and the area looks unsightly.

When will the trees be put back?

Chuck Rosin

Toluca Lake

Dear Chuck:

Caltrans workers have removed the trees as part of a landscaping project, according to the agency.

The project is around the Ventura and Hollywood freeways interchange, said Pat Reid, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

As part of the project, landscapers will remove all the old vegetation and replace it with newer, younger trees.

The project will cost $673,000 and is scheduled for completion in June, Reid said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I believe there are laws that restrict raising trucks high off the ground.

These trucks are a great danger to most other cars on the road.

If this is true, why are there still so many of these vehicles on the road?

How can we get these dangerous trucks to comply with current height regulation?

Kerry Leiman

Woodland Hills

Dear Kerry:

There are a number of laws that regulate trucks, and offenders are often cited, authorities said.

The violations involve the placement of lights, width of loads, spacing between the tires and body and the height from the frames to the ground, according to the California Vehicle Code.

It is not certain how much of a priority patrol officers give to violators--but tickets are not uncommon at the Hill Street Courthouse, where Deputy City Atty. Ellen Farmiento handles some infraction cases.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I’m a vanpool rider on the San Diego Freeway between the San Fernando Valley and El Segundo.

The new carpool lane is great but we really can’t use it: We get on and off at Nordhoff Street.

There is no southbound entrance to the lane until Victory Boulevard and no northbound exit until Devonshire Street.

What would it take to get a mid-Valley entry/exit point somewhere between Sherman Way and Roscoe Boulevard?

Daniel Faigin

North Hills

Dear Daniel:

Caltrans engineers are monitoring how well the new lanes work and in the future will take public input into consideration when deciding whether to add new entry and exit points in the San Fernando Valley, said Pat Reid, an agency spokeswoman.

However, the carpool lanes in question were designed mainly for traffic going between the Golden State, Simi Valley and Ventura freeways, Reid said. Diamond lanes are also generally designed for long hauls--not short trips--and engineers take this into consideration when placing the entrance/exit points.

In this particular area, the exits and entrances are typically about three miles apart. The breaks are spaced out partly to limit weaving in and out of the diamond lanes, she said.

Traffic Talk appears Fridays in The Times Valley Edition. Readers may submit comments and questions about traffic in the Valley to Traffic Talk, Los Angeles Times, 20000 Prairie St., Chatsworth 91311. Include your name, address and phone number. 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. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com