The City of West Hollywood is going to step up efforts to stop drivers from blocking traffic by implementing “anti-gridlock” measures.
‘Beginning in February 2019, the city’s contracted Parking Enforcement personnel will begin monitoring major intersections during commute hours and will issue citations to drivers that block intersections or crosswalk areas,” the city has announced. “The aim is to help ease bottlenecks at intersections during rush-hour traffic and to increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety. “
A state law, the Anti-Gridlock Act of 1987, prohibits drivers from entering an intersection, even if the light is green, if there is not sufficient space on the other side of the intersection or marked crosswalk to allow the vehicle to completely pass through without causing interference with through traffic and pedestrian crossing. Drivers whose vehicles block crosswalks or are stopped in an intersection are subject to a citation of $118.
While traffic laws and moving violations in West Hollywood are under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, anti-gridlock measures in the city are monitored and enforced by Parking Enforcement personnel, overseen by the city’s Parking Services Division.
During the past five years, the City of West Hollywood has implemented a variety of improvements as part of comprehensive plan with three unique areas to improve pedestrian safety: Engineering, Enforcement, and Education.
As part of this, the city has added five new high-visibility striped crosswalks along Fountain Avenue, which feature small refuge islands in the center of the road to reduce the exposure of pedestrians crossing and to increase motorist awareness of pedestrians crossing.
The city has installed several new signalized pedestrian crosswalks along Santa Monica Boulevard and has installed solar-powered radar speed indicator signs along major corridors in order to remind drivers to drive within the speed limit.
In addition, trailer-mounted electronic message signs have been placed at key locations within the city to encourage drivers to slow down and abide by posted speed limits.
While I think the anti gridlock measures is a great step in the right direction, I’d ask if City Council and staff could also consider: Ride share vehicles that rather than pulling over, just stop in the middle of the street. On more major streets—SM, Sunset, etc, that grinds traffic to a halt. On residential side streets that are barely wide enough for 2 cars, again, traffic comes to a halt. WhatI I term “aggressive pedestrians”—those that ignore all of the new crosswalks that The City had installed and cross in the middle of the street, darting through traffic, or… Read more »
Couldn’t agree more! Uber and Lyft are a huge problem on SMB and Melrose.
Nothing will change. There are too many licensed drivers who are unqualified to drive .Until the state stops letting anyone with the correct cash get a license you will have driver too stupid to follow simple driving instructions and not block intersections
How about addressing the Lyft and Uber’s that stop where ever they feel like ; which means in the middle of traffic. It’s so dangerous to be driving on SM and the car just stops or the slow the figure out their destination ! Come on WeHo and Sheriff department , do something !
Uber & Lyft by and large undistinguishable from old fashioned Gypsy Cabs with an unwitting focus on newer vehicles that appear hip and happening. An opportunist lifestyle for many causing passengers to ride at their own risk surrounding vehicles to be imperiled. Might not be a bad idea to require them to obtain a different type of drivers license and driving test as they lack awareness for the dangerous circumstances they propel .
Honestly its not the drivers, its the unrealistic expectation that the passengers have of where the driver should stop to pick them up.
When I request a lyft i always go to an area where the driver can stop, like a side street like Larabee instead of right in front of the bars.
Stepping up efforts to stop scooters from careening down sidewalks and going the wrong way in bike lanes would be a more relevant and better use of enforcement resources.
Oh wait here come the old people complaining about scooters In a completely unrelated thread…
What does this have to do with gridlock?