Fix Should Cut Tie-Ups at Offramp

Dear Traffic Talk:

I have a big pet traffic peeve to share with you. If you could look into a possible change in this situation, I would be very happy.

The southbound Hollywood Freeway offramp at Sherman Way has two left-turn lanes and one right-turn lane. The offramp traffic signals often are poorly synchronized with the nearby Sherman Way-Whitsett intersection lights.

At times the Whitsett light cycles to red, bottling up westbound Sherman Way traffic and blocking the offramp’s right-turn lane just as the offramp gets the green light.

With only a 10-second green light for the cars waiting at the offramp, very few cars--often only one--can turn right onto Sherman Way when westbound traffic gets bottled up while cars in the other two lanes sail right through, turning east onto Sherman Way.

Can the city synchronize the lights more precisely to alleviate the backup effect on westbound Sherman Way at the Whitsett intersection? And isn’t it possible to redesignate the three offramp lanes, making the middle lane a left / right turn combination lane such as the one on the Victory Boulevard offramp from the northbound San Diego Freeway?

Carl E. Lindgron

Van Nuys

Dear Carl:

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation worked quickly to fulfill your request and has already adjusted the timing to better synchronize the signals on that Hollywood Freeway offramp.

Transportation Engineer Brian Gallagher says the change will allow more cars along Sherman Way to arrive during the green light, rather than red, so that when the signals turn green for the southbound offramp, there will be fewer westbound cars backed up from the signal at Whitsett Avenue.

As for redesignating the middle lane, Gallagher says it’s not possible.

“The raised median island and the angle of the offramp do not allow for the middle offramp lane to be changed to provide a second right-turn lane,” he said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

If you are at an intersection that has a left-turn arrow, is it legal to make a left turn if the traffic light is green as long as there is no sign that says “Left turn on green arrow only” and there’s no oncoming traffic?

Or must you wait for the green arrow?

Robyn O’Hara

North Hills

Dear Robyn:

You’re right about the sign. If it’s posted, don’t make the turn. Also, if there is no sign, but the green arrow turns red, it’s illegal to make the left turn.

“The only time you can do it is if the green arrow disappears and there’s no sign prohibiting [left turns],” said Officer Bill Preciado of the California Highway Patrol.

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