What is the worst street/intersection on your daily drive?

[fast_admin]

Please let us know where the worst trouble spots are!

[jbro15]

Well, I use my car sparingly these days since I take Metro more often (local/rapid bus and rail). Anyways, when I did drive frequently, I had several bad intersections. In fact, I've narrowed them to 5...

1. Valley Blvd/Fremont Ave in Alhambra was the worst (it's like that because the 710 doesn't reach Pasadena yet, and I dont think it ever will. I think city officials synchronize the lights in such a way to get back at South Pasadena and Alhambra residents who didn't want that 710 going through their neighborhoods. For example, there'd be short green lights on some and long red lights on other streets, It's a conspiracy I tell you!).

2. All intersections involving Wilshire Blvd. from Santa Monica to Wilshire/La Brea (BOTH ways). The Purple Line doesn't go far enough, so what do people do? Go on the 720/920. But the Wilshire Corridor (as Metro calls it) is a nightmare, and that subway needs to be built like, right now.

3. Lankershim Blvd./Camarillo St./Vineland Ave in North Hollywood is so bad. It takes about 2-3 for a light to green if you're on any of those streets trying to cross that intersection.

4. Foothill Blvd./Madre St. and Foothill Blvd./Santa Anita Ave in Pasadena/Arcadia, respectively. That's only because the synchronizing lighting is obsolete, despite the fact it's been there a couple years!

5. Washington Blvd from Flower St to Long Beach Ave (Where the Metro Blue Line goes on). That can be a pain ANYTIME you're on it. Especially when you reach Grand Ave, where LA Trade Tech is. When I take the Blue Line, I don't stress about the traffic on Washington b/c Metro has somewhat of an advantage on Washington Blvd.

If only the Pacific Electric Railway and Los Angeles Railway (LARy) were still active today...and we're trying to build 'em up again.

[victoriadurant]

The worst intersection in my daily commute is trying to make a left turn every morning from Olive Avenue onto Forest Lawn Blvd (in the Burbank/Toluca Lake area). There is no other way to get onto Forest Lawn Blvd because of a miles-long stretch of unbridged LA river, and at this intersection there is a left-turn arrow that is lit only long enough to allow two or three cars to make the turn every few minutes (of the dozens of cars that are habitually waiting). Oh, FAST, please help me!

[joehatestraffic]

Where the 14 and 5 freeways meet. In the Newhall Pass, right near where Las Lomas would have been.

[JeffryCarpenter]

In my experience, the worst intersection in the "east of La Brea" realm is Third Street's crossing of Vermont, followed closely (or tied with) Beverly Boulevard's crossing of Vermont. In both cases, the westbound afternoon traffic is worse than the morning traffic.

A close third in my experience is 5th Street in Downtown, from Main Street to the I-110 (Harbor Freeway) ramps. The backup queue on those ramps extends Figueroa east past Broadway in the afternoon peak periods.

[vthilo]

Making a right turn on Sunset Boulevard off either Barrington Avenue or Barrington Place in Brentwood. If the light on the Sunset Boulevard/405 Fwy onramp (northbound) is off, it alleviates 80% of the traffic gridlock down Sunset Boulevard and into Brentwood Village. As soon as they turn it back on, GRIDLOCK!!

[creativeeusa]

Los Feliz Boulevard is a nightmare to drive everyday.

[Trans-Port+Station]

Intersections in general create gridlock. You can not have a working transportation system with intersections controlling the flow of traffic. A system that controls the flow of traffic more fluidly through "intersections" (integrated intersection) is imperative to lessening congestion. Roundabouts are a plus and should be at any intersection that has over 4 points of contact.
Stop signs and Traffic lights were created because there was no other option at the time. That they are still with us today shows a how far we have to go to cure "gridlock". . If you are a bike rider or use a small scooter or skate you quickly realize how the intersection is only needed for automobiles and that small transport vehicles do not need to full stop, but just slow down to manage other vehicles in an intersection. Cars would need to have collision avoidance systems and IT to manage the cars through an intersection. Much to be said and done about intersections and glad that it is on this forum.
John Breza

[ChopperDoc]

I agree with vthil, Sunset blvd and the two "Barringtons" in Brentwood.
This is caused by the Caltran's meter one mile away on the Sunset to north 405 onramp which allows only one car every 6 to 8 seconds. That is less then 10 cars each minute and hampers every driver along this route and along Barrington, even those just trying to travel east on Sunset and innocently passing this area. Recently, it took 12 minutes to move along the two blocks on the sunset bridge and onramp before entering the freeway.

Multiply the 11 plus minutes ( should take 30 seconds with no traffic) by 600 drivers each hour and you get over 110 person-hours; that is more the two and a half wasted DAYS during just that one peak hour.

Hopefully FASTLA and all of us working together can solve these problems.

[frozeninplace]

I suppose I can think of many. Often I do not notice too much due to the fact that I am not doing the driving and I read if it during a trip to or from work. However, San Vicente/Olympic/Fairfax must rate in the worst top three. I saw someone posting about Vineland/Lankershim/Camarillo. I do not know the valley's routes too well but do know Vineland & Lankershim has a three way signal, maybe that is the Camarillo spot.

San Vicente/Olympic/Fairfax involves

a 3 car length on San Vicente

a 5 car length on Olympic, and

2 cars on Fairfax

People remain in the intersection as the multi signal operates and they do not want to lose a chance to advance. I do not even know how many signals are involved, certainly more than 3, perhaps 6. During peak hours it often takes about 3 signal changes of each direction for a vehicle to advance.