Signals Change Near Universal

Dear Traffic Talk:

Could you check the signal timing at the entrance to Universal Studios on Lankershim Boulevard? Traffic backs up to Cahuenga [Boulevard] and the Ventura (134) Freeway. The drive from the freeway exit to Universal City used to be about 10 minutes; now it’s about 35 minutes.

--James J. Flynn

North Hollywood

Dear James:

Discussions among officials and nearby property owners are underway to widen Lankershim and to install a second southbound left-turn lane there, which would alleviate the backups, said Bill J. Shao, a transportation engineer at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

In June, the opening of a new roadway--west of Lankershim at Universal Terrace Parkway and leading to the new MTA Universal City Metro Red Line station--forced engineers to alter the signal’s timing. The signal was modified to allow northbound left turns and eastbound traffic to enter and exit the MTA bus transfer facility, the station parking lot and the temporary northbound onramp to the Hollywood (101) Freeway, Shao said.

Because of the high demand of southbound left-turn traffic entering Universal Studios during the morning rush hour, signal timing adjustments have been made continually to accommodate motorists, he said.

Dear Traffic Talk:

I live on a hill overlooking the westbound Reseda [Boulevard] offramp on the Ronald Reagan Freeway. There are frequent crashes, and I think it’s because the offramp signal turns green at the same time traffic is coming south on Amigo Avenue and getting on Reseda’s westbound entrance.

People getting off the freeway and turning left don’t seem to notice or stop for onramp traffic. Can the signals be timed to let the freeway traffic get off before Amigo traffic gets on the freeway?

--Linda Mantarakis

Northridge

Dear Linda:

Following an investigation, engineers determined that there is no need to modify the traffic signals because they did not find a pattern of north- or southbound left-turn accidents that needed correction, Shao said.

After checking police records of reported accidents between January 1996 and February of this year, engineers found only one northbound left-turn accident for traffic coming from the Reseda westbound offramp while southbound traffic was coming from Amigo.

There were no reported accidents related to southbound left-turn traffic from Amigo and few unrelated turning accidents for east and west traffic on Rinaldi Street, Shao said.

Engineers also found no visibility problems for north- or southbound left-turn traffic on Amigo and the freeway offramp, and no need to improve the turning path for either, he said.

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