‘Protected’ Status for Left Turn

Dear Traffic Talk:

Green and red arrows control the left- turn lane going westbound onto Rinaldi from northbound Tampa Avenue. Is there anything that can be changed to make it legal to turn left or westbound onto Rinaldi from northbound Tampa Avenue without the green arrow while the north/south light is green?

The southbound traffic on Tampa is very light and the north left-turn lane gets quite crowded.

Jason Rubel

Northridge

Dear Jason:

This intersection has a “protected” left turn, meaning drivers can turn only during a green arrow because there had been many accidents there, said Ken Firoozmand, a transportation engineer with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

The left turn will remain protected because there is also a plan to construct a double left-turn lane for northbound Tampa traffic going west onto Rinaldi in about six months, Firoozmand said. Double left-turn lanes are always protected, he said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

We have lived for 25 years on Tujunga Avenue, two blocks south of Victory Boulevard. During this time, we have never seen a repaving of Tujunga; this main avenue is full of potholes, dips and cracks.

Even though we don’t live in an upper-class neighborhood, we deserve to have our main avenues repaired.

Jens and Frances Ipsen

North Hollywood

Dear Jens and Frances:

The city is scheduled to fix this area when it repaves Tujunga from Vanowen Street to Oxnard Street, but the project is not funded, said Dolores Lovric, a public works street services coordinator.

The area is on the “B list,” meaning it may be resurfaced sooner if another funded location is put on hold, Lovric said. For now, the soonest it will be repaved is next year, she said.

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. Fax letters to (818) 772-3385. E-mail questions to valley.news@latimes.com.