City Says Left Turn Not the Right Option

Dear Traffic Talk:

The northbound lanes on Laurel Canyon Boulevard at Mulholland Drive have no left-turn lane onto Mulholland.

I suppose the traffic department believes there is not enough room to make a valid left-turn lane. I believe traffic would not get backed up, particularly during the evening rush hour, if a legitimate left-turn lane were added.

Because Laurel Canyon is one of the most heavily traveled canyon routes, a left-turn lane would help motorists who are caught behind cars waiting to turn left and blocking the free movement of the left lane. Also, less gas would be wasted, easing pollution.

Janet Cupples

Sherman Oaks

Dear Janet:

The northbound lanes of Laurel Canyon Boulevard at Mulholland Drive are too narrow to safely add a left-turn pocket, said Irwin L. Chodash, an East Valley District transportation engineer at the city Department of Transportation.

Workers could only put in a left-turn pocket by converting a through lane into a left-only lane, he said, which would increase congestion on Laurel Canyon.

Dear Traffic Talk:

Recent Times articles have discussed the gasoline consumption and pollution associated with sport utility vehicles. SUVs’ lower mileage is allowed because they are placed in the same category as light trucks.

Why don’t SUV license plates have the same alphanumeric characters used by trucks?

Chuck Mont

Burbank

Dear Chuck:

Cars and SUVs use the same license plate configurations because both primarily haul people and not items, Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Evan Nossoff said.

Under California law, if a vehicle hauls mainly objects, it’s considered a truck, he said. Although SUVs can transport goods, they basically transport people, Nossoff added.

According to Nossoff, the license plates of autos and SUVs feature a number, three letters and three numbers. Truck plates use a number, a letter and five numbers.

Two series of plates allow the state more possible orders to issue, he 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.