Villaraigosa unveils traffic plan for Pico and Olympic
In a move that could be a preview of future traffic-busting efforts, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a plan today that aides say would significantly reduce travel times on Pico and Olympic boulevards while keeping them two-way streets.
The plan, however, is to make them behave more like one-way streets, which are far more prevalent in other cities but have not been used much in Los Angeles outside downtown. In this case, the plan is to give a decided time advantage to those traveling east on Pico and west on Olympic.
"This is a new way, a smart way and a safe way to reduce traffic congestion," Villaraigosa said in a statement. "We are going to prove that it works here at L.A.'s gridlock epicenter, and then we are going to take this model citywide."
The move comes as part of an attempt by the city to more efficiently get people to jobs on the congested Westside in the morning and help them get out in the afternoon. City officials say travel time could be cut by as much as 45%.
The first step in the mayor's plan would be to immediately begin to eliminate parking on both streets during rush hour. Then, beginning next year, traffic lights would be re-timed so that those traveling west on Olympic and east on Pico would be rewarded with longer green lights. Those driving in the other direction might see their rides take longer.
If those two steps speed up traffic, mayoral aides say the city might take an additional step and restripe both streets, so most lanes on Pico would be for eastbound motorists, while westbound lanes would predominate on Olympic.
Villaraigosa announced the plan at a news conference held this morning at the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Overland Avenue, where traffic was flowing smoothly. Though traffic congestion is a major problem, Westside Neighborhood Council member Barbara Broide said, more residents should have been aware and involved in the creation of the traffic plan.
"My beef at the moment is the process," said Broide, who attended the news conference. "We know there is a serious problem and we want to be part of the solution. But there hasn't [been] any conversation with the public" about this specific plan.
City officials said that neighbors had been consulted about an earlier one-way proposal and that their input would continue to be sought as the project went forward.
