Arrow Urged for Drivers in Chatsworth

Dear Traffic Talk:

The intersection at Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Devonshire Street poses a dangerous situation.

Eastbound motorists on Devonshire turning left (north) onto Topanga do not have a left-turn arrow and do not know if westbound vehicles on Devonshire are going to yield to traffic, make a left turn to go south or continue west. Only residents who use the intersection are aware of the westbound delay.

There are also some lights on the northwest corner signal that are covered. There is an elementary school on that corner, to make matters worse.

Many accidents occur at this corner. Please help to make this a safe corner by providing a left-turn arrow for both sides of Devonshire traffic. Two left-turn lanes going south on Topanga are a mistake.

--Walt Collins

Chatsworth

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Dear Walt:

Left-turn arrows cannot be provided for both directions of Devonshire traffic because they would conflict with pedestrian traffic, said Ken Firoozmand, West Valley District engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Eastbound traffic on Devonshire gets a green signal, and pedestrians on the north side of the intersection get a walk signal at the same time, Firoozmand said. Because of this, a left-turn arrow cannot be provided to eastbound drivers on Devonshire who want to go north on Topanga, he said.

Westbound signals had been covered while resurfacing work was done in the intersection, and the signals are now operating normally, Firoozmand said.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

It’s difficult for southbound drivers on Foothill Boulevard to make a left onto Hubbard Street and the Foothill Freeway in Sylmar.

Also, between 5 and 6:30 p.m., few westbound drivers on Hubbard can turn left onto Foothill. Usually, a maximum of four motorists are able to turn left on the yellow light. These drivers take turning time away from southbound Foothill drivers who are trying to turn left onto Hubbard and the 210 Freeway.

A traffic signal that provides only a green or red arrow for drivers on Foothill to turn left onto Hubbard and the 210 Freeway was installed here. Is it possible to allow these drivers to turn left during a green light, too?

Also, are there plans to construct a right-turning lane and left-turn lane on eastbound Hubbard between Foothill and the 210 onramp for motorists to get on the north and south freeway onramps?

--Mary Ann Traba

Sylmar

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Dear Mary Ann:

Southbound drivers on Foothill already get an arrow and green light to ease left turns onto Hubbard and the Foothill Freeway, said transportation engineer Bill J. Shao at the city Department of Transportation. Engineers will study whether westbound drivers on Hubbard would benefit from a left-turn arrow, he said.

There were many accidents when Foothill drivers could turn left onto Hubbard with a green light, Shao said, and these motorists will continue to turn left only with an arrow. Although there is extra road width for a future right-turn lane to access the freeway, there is no plan for one in the works, officials said.

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