Street Swept or Not, Ticket for Parking Stands

Dear Traffic Talk:

In my area there are signs posted: “No Parking, Street Cleaning between 8 and 10 a.m. on Monday and Tuesday.”

The sweeper passes at approximately 8:20 a.m. every week.

The parking patrol comes by a little later, but I have seen them come by again and give tickets as late as 9:45 a.m. even though they know the street has been cleaned and the cars they issue tickets to weren’t there the first time they went through.

Is this legal?

Michael J. Ramsey

Woodland Hills

Dear Michael:

According to the Los Angeles Police Department’s office of parking enforcement, the traffic laws have to be enforced in a uniform manner.

The officers cannot make assumptions about whether sanitation street cleaners have come by, Officer Bernie Beckham said.

It would be legal to cite a vehicle parked during the posted time period, according to Beckham.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

I travel the Antelope Valley Freeway on my daily commute, driving down the San Diego Freeway into West Los Angeles. Regarding the carpool lanes, I’ve made note of a subtle but significant difference in the striping that separates the diamond lane from the others.

On the Antelope Valley Freeway, the lane is more clearly separated by a double yellow line with lots of orange Botts dots.

On the San Diego Freeway, however, the markings are not nearly as clear.

Are there any plans to upgrade the striping on the San Diego Freeway’s carpool lane?

Barry Cook

Newhall

Dear Barry:

According to Caltrans spokeswoman Pat Reid, there are no immediate plans to lay new striping down on carpool lanes on the San Diego Freeway.

Reid said much of what Caltrans has concentrated on this year has been repairing roads damaged by winter storms.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

Twenty years ago my wife and I bought a home in the quiet foothills on the edge of Tujunga.

Bellclaire, a private road with 12 homes, has a dogleg street pattern ending into the regular street system at both ends.

For many years most residents made their own minor street repairs on the roadway in front of their homes, but over the years as the residential area of the city expanded, more nonresidents have used our street as a short cut from their homes to the freeway and shopping areas.

This increased traffic has caused extensive damage to our street, and some residents are reluctant to repair it since they feel they are not responsible for damage done by outsiders.

The street is now used more by nonresidents than owners. Is the city obligated for the repairs?

Everett F. Meyer

Tujunga

Dear Everett:

According to Michael Briceno, acting supervisor with the city’s Bureau of Street Maintenance, if a street is dedicated to the city, then it should be repaired by the city. If a road is private, then it is the responsibility of the landowners to repair the road.

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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