City to Press for Interchange Work

The Los Angeles City Council stepped up pressure on Caltrans on Wednesday to ease the traffic bottleneck at the 101-405 freeway interchange.

The council directed the city Transportation Department to pursue funding and design studies with Caltrans for more than a dozen short-term projects, from adding offramp lanes to building more park-and-ride lots along the Ventura Freeway corridor in the Valley.

In addition, the council ordered its transportation officials to investigate whether the city should take control of Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the Valley floor from the state. City street design rules are more flexible than state rules, so the city could add lanes that could smooth traffic flow on the boulevard that runs parallel to the 405 Freeway.

Council members Laura Chick and Joel Wachs said the city and state must find ways to relieve congestion on the Ventura Freeway. Wachs cited a recent study indicating that millions of dollars are lost when commuters are stuck in traffic.

“It’s not just a matter of convenience,” Wachs said. “It’s also a matter of economics.”