8 Valley Intersections Among Most Dangerous

Amid concerns about an increase in traffic accidents, Los Angeles officials proposed Friday to fix 19 city intersections with the worst accident records, eight of which are in the San Fernando Valley.

The focus on dangerous intersections stems from concern over a 4% increase in accidents from 1997 to 1999, reversing an earlier downward trend.

“Every time you turn the ignition and start your car in this city, you are putting your life and safety at risk,” said Councilwoman Laura Chick, whose West Valley district includes some of the worst intersections. “We have too many people being injured and killed in accidents.”

Last December, the council directed planners to identify the intersections with the greatest number of accidents and propose ways to make them safer.

The planners’ report, released Friday, proposes specific projects for 39 intersections and shows patterns of problems.

Fixes range from installing left-turn signals and adjusting the timing of traffic lights to trimming trees, re-striping cross walks and installing new signs. Some of the intersections are being considered for cameras that photograph motorists running red lights.

Councilman Hal Bernson welcomed the plan but also said the Los Angeles Police Department has to increase ticket-writing to reduce accidents.

Bernson’s district includes the Valley intersection with the most accidents--the corner of Parthenia Street and Reseda Boulevard in Northridge.

“I am very concerned, because people do not obey traffic laws anymore. We are just not enforcing those laws like we should,” Bernson said.

The Northridge intersection was the site of 22 accidents in the 12-month period ending July 31, 1999.

Walter Prince, who has a business nearby, offered suggestions for improving safety at the corner.

“The lights are too short, and they ought to put in left-turn signals,” Prince said.

Only two other Los Angeles intersections had more accidents--the corner of Adams Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in the Mid-City area, with 28, and the corner of Highland Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, with 24.

“All of these intersections have high volumes of traffic,” said John Fisher of the city Department of Transportation. “You would expect to have more accidents at intersections with greater volume.”

City officials said they were not surprised that the Valley has so many dangerous intersections, because it has larger streets with longer distances between stop lights and drivers often approach intersections at higher speeds.

Fisher said other intersections have a higher accident rate per vehicles passing through, but council members asked his agency to focus on sites where the greatest number of accidents occur.

For the Valley and Hollywood intersections, Fisher proposed the installation of protected left-turn signals. The Valley intersection will also get right-turn signals on the eastbound approach and more red curbs leading up on the eastbound approach.

For the Mid-City intersection, proposals include removing a portion of a raised median island, realigning the left turn pockets and increasing the time that all signals stay red between signal changes.

Councilman Nate Holden suggested the city also consider stationing a traffic control officer in the intersection during peak usage times.

“I go home that way every day,” Holden said. “I have seen an accident there periodically. It is heavily congested. It’s right by the freeway.”

Officers are aggressively enforcing traffic laws, but engineering fixes can often do a lot to reduce wrecks, according to LAPD Sgt. Bob Rieboldt.

“If you have engineering improvements so the flow of traffic is more perfect, you can cut down on the number of accidents,” Rieboldt said.

Fisher said because turn signal installation projects are labor intensive, there is a three-year backlog in designing and constructing new signals.

“It’s going to mean a couple of years of work for our crews to get to all of these,” Fisher said.

The Transportation Department is looking at ways to expedite the projects identified in the new report.

Holden and Chick said they will insist on it.

“If there is a major problem there, they ought to correct it immediately,” the councilman said.

In addition to the corner of Parthenia and Reseda, other Valley intersections that made the list are Canoga Avenue at Roscoe Boulevard, Reseda Boulevard at Sherman Way, Sherman Way at Winnetka Avenue, Van Nuys Boulevard at Victory Boulevard, Canoga Avenue at Victory Boulevard, Coldwater Canyon Avenue at Sherman Way and Roscoe Boulevard at Winnetka Avenue.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Dangerous Intersections

Eight intersections in the Valley had 15 or more accidents each in the period from Aug. 1, 1998, to July 31, 1999.

*--*

INTERSECTION NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS 1. Parthenia St. and Reseda Blvd. 22 2. Canoga Ave. and Roscoe Blvd. 18 3. Reseda Blvd. and Sherman Way 17 4. Sherman Way and Winnetka Ave. 17 5. Van Nuys Blvd. and Victory Blvd. 17 6. Canoga Ave. and Victory Blvd. 16 7. Coldwater Cyn. Ave. and Sherman Way 15 8. Roscoe Blvd. and Winnetka Ave. 15

*--*

Source: City of Los Angeles