Carpool Lane Construction Is Slow Going

Dear Traffic Talk:

It was recently reported that the San Diego Freeway’s carpool lane from the Ventura Freeway to Wilshire Boulevard would be extended. This project is due to begin by the end of 1998 and be completed by 2002.

The emergency lanes of the freeway were closed during the creation of the present carpool lane, creating a major safety hazard when cars and trucks broke down. Those lanes also provide a vital refuge for cars traveling too fast when they suddenly encounter stalled traffic.

Given the safety hazard, four years seemed way too long for adding an eight-mile carpool lane. Can’t these projects be done quicker.

How is Caltrans addressing the safety problems? And why does it take so long to complete these jobs?

Dan O’Connell

Encino

Dear Dan:

Building a carpool lane does take an extended period of time in which the inside shoulders are safely closed off, said Pat Reid, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

Although Caltrans generally does close the inside emergency lanes during construction, many freeways have minimal inside shoulders even without construction, she said, adding that studies have concluded that accidents do not occur any more frequently on the inside than any other lanes.

She said the duration of projects is controlled by how much daily work time is available.

For instance, to minimize congestion due to construction, almost all contracts awarded by Caltrans in Los Angeles County--including carpool construction--do not allow the contractor to work during the day. This means the bulk of the work is done during a five-hour window between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., Reid said.

Also, the construction of carpool lanes is more complex than people realize.

For example, because water no longer can stand on the shoulder, the freeway’s entire drainage system has to be replaced to allow for drainage through the inside of the concrete barrier, Reid said.

Crews also have to relocate electrical boxes in the median to the outside shoulder.

These are just a few examples of work unseen by commuters, Reid said.

Also, she said, the Freeway Service Patrol--sponsored by the MTA, CHP and Caltrans--provides a free, roaming tow service that on the average spots stalled vehicles within five minutes.

Dear Traffic Talk:

To quote one of your replies: “A red curb, everybody is supposed to know that.”

Well, you need to check out the curbs in the 12100 block of Sylvan Street off Laurel Canyon Boulevard in North Hollywood and tell me why cars are allowed to park alongside the red curbs in that block.

Frank Pellegrino

North Hollywood

Dear Frank:

It is against the law to park near a red curb.

However, the area in question is a private driveway to a mall and consequently is out of city law enforcers’ jurisdiction, said T.K. Prime, senior transportation engineer in the Parking Regulation Division of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

He said it is the responsibility of mall authorities to request the removal of such vehicles.

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