Write City Hall to Smooth Out Speed Humps

Dear Traffic Talk:

A recent Traffic Talk column merely shills for the city agencies in regard to the speed bumps on Highlander Road (Bumpy Rides Raise Anger of the Disabled, May 2). It leaves out the fact that no other traffic-mitigation measures were tried prior to installing the bumps.

Today, there are no caution signs for either the park or the private school along Highlander.

City engineer David Roseman simply dismisses the petition from 105 residents requesting removal of the speed bumps because most of them don’t live on Highlander Road.

The speed bumps were installed in response to a petition from 12 property owners along the street directly adjacent to where speed bumps are located.

Apparently we now, individually, own the roads that pass in front of our properties. I object to this unreasonable restriction of public property on behalf of a dozen people.

Michael Thompson

West Hills

Dear Michael:

Indeed, there has been significant opposition to the installation of six speed “humps” or “bumps” on Highlander Road between Pomelo Drive and Darnoch Way.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation’s speed-hump program stands by its policies as long as they are supported by the City Council, said David Roseman, an engineer with the department. However, residents in the Highlander neighborhood have the same liberty to lobby their representatives regarding this program as they do with any other matter of public policy.

At one point Councilwoman Laura Chick requested a halt to the installment of the last three humps pending a community meeting with transportation officials.

At that meeting Chick and the Fire Department expressed support for the humps on Highlander and the residents who had requested them did not change their minds.

There were also a number of community members who still opposed the three humps scheduled to be constructed and preferred the removal of the first three.

The speed-hump program has installed dozens of the humps throughout the city, Roseman said. It has a series of criteria, including that 75% of the property owners on the block in question request the humps.

This is the first time some residents have opposed humps in their neighborhood, Roseman said.

Presently, the Department of Transportation is implementing a speed-reduction program that has been approved by the City Council, Roseman said.

The proper method to amend the program is, indeed, to lobby the council.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I seem to recall that after the Northridge earthquake, when several temporary carpool lanes were instituted, that signs were posted informing potential scofflaws of the fines for carpool-lane violators.

Since people seem to ignore the double-yellow lines in the carpool lanes of the San Diego Freeway, isn’t it time to reinstate those signs?

Gary Bolen

Valencia

Dear Gary

A Caltrans study has shown that the “$271 Minimum” sign is a deterrent for potential carpool violators, said Pat Reid, a spokeswoman for the agency. The agency plans to install those signs on all area carpool lanes about five miles apart.

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. To record your comments, call (818) 772-3303. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley@latimes.com