4-Way Stop Near School Is a No-Go

Dear Traffic Talk:

Is there any chance a four-way stop sign could be installed at Sunnyslope Street and Addison Street in North Hollywood? Morning school traffic on Sunnyslope makes it hard to cross if you’re waiting at the stop on Addison.

Theresa Glenn

North Hollywood

Dear Theresa:

An all-way stop will not be installed because it would create congestion and unsafe conditions, said Irwin L. Chodash, East Valley district engineer at the city transportation department.

Addison already has a stop sign and placing another stop at Sunnyslope would increase traffic on Sunnyslope at the beginning and end of the school day, Chodash said. Because there is a four-way stop nearby at Hesby Street and Sunnyslope, another all-way stop would worsen the amount of cut-through traffic by parents seeking alternate routes.

According to Chodash, Sunnyslope has about three times the traffic of Addison and a four-way stop would unnecessarily stop Sunnyslope drivers, who outnumber Addison motorists the majority of the time. This would prove unsafe because Sunnyslope drivers would begin to ignore their stop, he said.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

I travel west on Foothill Boulevard and need to turn left, or south, onto Balboa Boulevard. The problem is there are only two lanes on this stretch of Foothill. Usually only two to three cars get to turn left onto Balboa for each green light and 20 to 30 cars get backed up. (Construction nearby also causes some delay.)

Is it possible to provide a left-turn arrow for those turning left onto Balboa from Foothill? Also can additional lanes be built for those going west on Foothill here?

Tammy Guzman

Lake View Terrace

Dear Tammy:

Engineers, who have studied that intersection in the past, have found that the intersection needs a left-turn signal for those turning left from Foothill onto Balboa. The signal and more lanes will be installed sometime this year, said Bill J. Shao, a transportation engineer at the city transportation department.

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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.