No Sign of 4-Way Stops on This Road

Dear Traffic Talk:

Could four stop signs--two at Willis Avenue and two at Cedros Avenue--be installed along Otsego Street in Sherman Oaks? Speed humps and other such devices were installed on nearby Huston Street, causing speeding motorists to use nearby Otsego as a shortcut.

--Rex Haynes

Sherman Oaks

Dear Rex:

The installation of all-way stop signs at either Cedros and Otsego or Willis and Otsego cannot be justified, said Irwin L. Chodash, East Valley district engineer for the city Department of Transportation.

Stop signs control north- and southbound traffic at these two intersections. Engineers analyzed figures on reported accidents and counted vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area and determined none of the guidelines for installing four-way stops were met, Chodash said.

Drainage dips along Otsego Street cause vehicles to slow before entering either intersection, he said. But he added the city will install “Dips” signs on Otsego to better warn motorists. Most of this area lacks sidewalks, and pedestrians have to walk on the street. In such situations, pedestrians are responsible for being cautious and yielding to vehicle traffic, Chodash said.

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Dear Traffic Talk:

I have three questions regarding Langdon Avenue between Devonshire and Lassen streets in Mission Hills:

The northeast corner parcel of Langdon Avenue and Lassen Street has piles of dirt that extend onto Langdon. This makes Langdon a one-lane street for an entire neighborhood block and makes driving there unsafe. What can neighbors do to get Langdon widened at this location?

Can you provide us an update as to when Langdon will be repaved?

Finally, how can sidewalks be added? The three blocks of Langdon immediately south of Devonshire have no sidewalks on either side of the street, and pedestrian traffic is heavy at times. Can neighbors petition to get this work done?

--Thomas Carlile

Mission Hills

Dear Thomas:

To try to widen Langdon and install sidewalks there, call the city bureau of street services at (800) 996-2489. According to Bill Robertson, general superintendent in charge of the city’s special projects division, this year the City Council will consider a proposal to fund the first sidewalk program in 25 years. For now, if residents want sidewalks on their street they must go through a process in which the city assesses them the costs of the project during a number of years, he said.

This portion of Langdon is scheduled to be repaved sometime between this July and June 2001, said Robert Reed, a spokesman at the city Department of Public Works.

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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.