The Long and Short of Those Green Arrows

Dear Traffic Talk:

When you have a green arrow to turn left, after the arrow goes off and you still have a green light, you can make a left if no traffic is coming in the opposite direction.

Why do some drivers stay in back of the crosswalk when they can ease into the intersection and give the car behind them a chance to make a left if conditions permit?

Some arrows stay on only long enough to let one car make the arrow.

Mary Leist

Lancaster

Dear Mary:

Drivers should not enter an intersection, even when the light is green, unless there is plenty of space to cross before the light turns red, said California Highway Patrol Officer Evan Robinson.

Blocking a crosswalk can force pedestrians to walk around a vehicle and into the street, which can be dangerous.

Robinson said drivers can be given tickets for blocking an intersection. The fine is determined in court.

As for the quick changes of some green lights, Brian Gallagher, a traffic engineer for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, said some intersections have green arrows timed for a shorter duration to discourage high-volume traffic.

Many surface streets are used as connectors from one highway to another and often are in residential areas.

A briefer green arrow sometimes encourages drivers to find another route. A shorter arrow also helps to reduce the number of vehicles entering a road, lessening possible gridlock.

Dear Traffic Talk:

Why are there no painted white lines on the San Diego Freeway between the Ronald Reagan Freeway and the Ventura Freeway?

For years now I have been using the San Diego Freeway to get to work.

The last construction job to add a car pool lane was completed some time ago.

In order to do this, the traffic lanes were all reconfigured. However, there are NO painted white lines between any of the lanes. The small raised domes are present, but are barely visible.

Could this simply be an oversight?

Sari Rynew

Granada Hills

Dear Sari:

Caltrans, when resurfacing freeways, finds it more cost-effective to first repair roads damaged by weather and accidents, to build new roads and to repair worn roads before applying striping to otherwise working roadways, said Pat Reid, a spokeswoman.

Reid also said the department doesn’t have sufficient funds to repaint all roadways.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I take the westbound Foothill Freeway to the westbound Ronald Reagan Freeway, where there is a big space at the exchange.

What is the space for?

Betty FitzGerald

La Crescenta

Dear Betty:

According to Pat Reid, the extra space at the interchange is for future traffic growth.

There are now two marked lanes from the westbound Foothill Freeway onto the westbound Ronald Reagan Freeway, and drivers should stay within the markings.

Traffic planners may eventually use the space to add a third lane.

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