Officers Assess Busway Safety

Two veteran LAPD traffic officers rode the Orange Line on Tuesday trying to figure out ways to make the busway safer in the wake of five accidents.

They came away with seemingly contradictory conclusions. On the one hand, they were struck by how wantonly some motorists ignored the rules when driving around the San Fernando Valley busway, notably running red lights.

On the other hand, they also believe the Metropolitan Transportation Authority might have gone too far with some of the warning signs and lighting at bus crossings.

Det. William Bustos and Capt. Ronald Marbrey said some drivers are confused by the number of signals and signs at busway intersections. After earlier accidents on the route, the MTA added more signals and repositioned signs at some intersections to make the crossings more visible.

“We don’t want to create Las Vegas here,” Marbrey said. “I’m very suspect of additional lights because it becomes sensory overload. I’m not saying no more ever, but it needs to be evaluated very carefully.”

Marbrey and Bustos decided to examine the Orange Line amid a larger effort by city and county officials to improve safety.

The line, a dedicated bus roadway that runs between Woodland Hills and North Hollywood, opened in October. But a series of accidents have caused more than 20 mostly minor injuries.

It didn’t take the officers long Tuesday to gather evidence.

One problem occurred in Woodland Hills when a van pulled out in front of their bus in a mad dash to get across Oxnard Street before they did.

Fortunately for the van driver, he made it across the busway, saving himself a few seconds of waiting at the light. And he was lucky the officers were inside the bus and not sitting outside with their citation books in hand.

“Too bad we can’t cite them,” Bustos said. “But we’re in here.”

“And there’s no officers around,” added Marbrey, peering out the bus windows to see if any motorcycle officers were posted at the intersection.

Bustos and Marbrey rode from Woodland Hills to Van Nuys and back to get a first-hand look at the traffic situation along the route. Their boss, Deputy Chief Michel R. Moore, accompanied them part of the way.

All five accidents on the Orange Line were the result of motorists running red lights and hitting buses, authorities say. Moore was quick to point out that transportation officials can only do so much to make the route less accident-prone, and much depends on the awareness of drivers to heed signals and signs.

“There’s a level of inattention,” Moore said. “These systems can only go so far. People have to pay attention and keep their heads out of the radio, their phones off their ears, and their makeup -- wait until they get to where they’re going to put in on.”

Although traffic conditions were relatively calm mid-morning Tuesday, the officers witnessed two infractions along the line: the van in Woodland Hills as well as a car that ran a red light at Lindley Avenue in Reseda. The latter driver also got away without a ticket.

Another problem the officers found was sign and signal fatigue. They said that cars crossing the busway contend with at least two sets of signals: one directed at them, the other for the bus drivers. They think some busway crossings could have too much clutter between the various sign and signals.

Marbrey said police would recommend that the MTA change its signals to make them less confusing.

He suggested that traffic signals have forward arrows so that motorists know they must go straight and cannot turn into the busway itself.

The LAPD also wants to add “smart crosswalks” at some intersections, where lights embedded in the street at crosswalks blink when a bus approaches to warn motorists and pedestrians.

He said the MTA’s recent addition of flashing lights to Orange Line buses was helpful because they draw attention to the vehicles without adding more signs.

Although the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is primarily responsible for traffic enforcement along the 14-mile route, the Los Angeles Police Department patrols surface streets around the busway, and officers issue traffic tickets when they see a violation, Marbrey said.

The LAPD has written 100 citations along the line since it opened Oct. 29, and the Sheriff’s Department has issued 700 to 800, he said.

Bustos said the LAPD has cited pedestrians and motorists.

Valley traffic officers have found that four intersections appear to be prone to violations, Bustos said. They are Balboa Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard and Hazeltine Avenue.

The discussion of safety comes as the Orange Line continues to draw more riders. About 16,300 people ride the Orange Line each weekday, MTA officials said Tuesday.

That’s a jump from the 10,000 to 12,000 passengers riding a few weeks ago and well above the MTA’s original estimates.

“It’s safe. It’s a good line,” Deputy Chief Moore said. “But all the public education we’re doing today and any improvements that are made won’t make a difference if the public doesn’t pay attention. The driver who ran a red light today, that was woeful disregard for the signal. When we see those types of people, we cite them and they have to face the consequences of their decision.”