Headlines About California Highways – September 2024

[cahwyguy]

It's the end of the month, and you know what that means: It is time for the monthly posting of headlines related to California Highways. As always, enjoy and discuss.

Link to headlines: https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=16989

[Max Rockatansky]

Glad to hear the governor used some last-minute common sense to veto 10 MPH speed limit alert vehicles.  I'm not exactly sure how a distracting chime is supposed to enhance safety?  I've never found loud audible chimes for stuff like lane departure to be anything more than an unnecessary nuisance in rental cars.

The states really need to stay out of something like vehicle safety standards, that should be Federal domain exclusively.  I'd argue the same about vehicle emissions standards...

[pderocco]

WRT CA-14 safety, I've always thought the problem with that road, at least over the mountains, is that they can't make up their mind how many lanes it should have. So there are several lane drops, which cause the obvious problems in rush hour. They should, over time, widen the two-lane bits to have three lanes.

Edit: This was a reaction to the first item mentioning 14. Two more items indicate that they're thinking along the same lines. Good news.

[RZF]

The majority of drivers on PCH drive at a reasonable speed, and the curves naturally slow everyone down anyway. Artificially lowering the speed limit with cameras will only hurt the flow of traffic.

Also, identifying Santa Barbara and CA 192 as part of the Central Coast is definitely a stretch. Everything north of the Los Padres Forest and Point Conception is Central Coast. Everything south of Los Padres is Southern California.

[Plutonic Panda]

Hopefully CA-14 can become a 4 lane road with HOV lanes so 5 lanes total each way. But even 3 GP lanes each way with an HOV lane would be great. That bullet train is not happening anytime soon and this could be done much faster. I will eventually start its own thread if no one else does. This is the only road I can think of where HOV rules are only active during certain hours. Otherwise anyone can use them. I go around 100+ on this road when traffic is light and it is fun as hell. I still don't think traffic congestion has gotten as bad as it was pre covid for some reason.

I believe they are also trying to improve Metrolink service along this corridor as part of their score project. Maybe between these two projects it could help reduce latent demand on people using the Palmdale and Angeles Forest Highways.

[Plutonic Panda]

I guess this is an appropriate comment for this thread but I should probably make a new one since it will be a fairly significant project. For the first last week I was struck by a car on Hollywood BLVD near Normandie where they implemented a road diet. I am sure CAWHY Guy and Max will be shocked to know I am not a fan of road diets and was vehemently against this project. But it's actually grown on with a few criticisms.

First thing is traffic congestion wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Sure there is more congestion and it adds a few minutes but traffic flows for the most part. My biggest gripe are the parking lanes. If they were wanting to reduce car dependency why keep the parking lanes instead of making them bus lanes? I just don't see this doing much in the way of reducing car dependency.

Secondly they keep a middle turning lane which I see people use as a suicide lane to fly by backed up traffic which was where I was hit. I was hit project probably going 15-20 and got bruised pretty good but the person screamed at me saying "you people" which is usually an ethnic slur against black people and I am white which is weird but whatever and said I personally narrowed the road. I've seen quite a bit of road rage increase and the intersection at Western especially for busses is just awkward.

I'd like to see a bus lane replace the parking lanes and some of the middle turning lane sections turned into raised landscaped medians which would reduce the urban heat island effect with trees and reduce the people misusing the lane.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm unclear, were you in a vehicle or struck as a pedestrian?  I get that this is a recent incident but the wording chose doesn't really convey when it occurred.  Also, I'm assuming a police interaction or exchange of insurance information occurred given you had a conversation with the driver who hit you?

[Plutonic Panda]

I'm unclear, were you in a vehicle or struck as a pedestrian?  I get that this is a recent incident but the wording chose doesn't really convey when it occurred.  Also, I'm assuming a police interaction or exchange of insurance information occurred given you had a conversation with the driver who hit you?

Sorry I was a pedestrian struck by a car using the middle lane as a through lane. No I didn't file a report because they cussed me out and drove off and I didn't feel like waiting hours for the cops to show up.

[pderocco]

Hopefully CA-14 can become a 4 lane road with HOV lanes so 5 lanes total each way. But even 3 GP lanes each way with an HOV lane would be great. That bullet train is not happening anytime soon and this could be done much faster. I will eventually start its own thread if no one else does.

Ten lanes is a pipe dream. Eight makes sense because there are already stretches with four lanes in at least one direction. The problem is lane drops.

This is the only road I can think of where HOV rules are only active during certain hours.

That's true of some freeways in the Bay Area.

I go around 100+ on this road when traffic is light and it is fun as hell.

I'm guessing you've never had a blowout at freeway speeds.

[FredAkbar]

That's true of some freeways in the Bay Area.

He probably meant specifically in SoCal. Otherwise there are trivially many counterexamples. All (not just some) HOV lanes in the Bay Area afaik are limited to daytime hours (5-9a/3-7p or similar for carpool lanes, 5a-8p for express lanes, and only M-F). Though HOV lanes in onramps are usually 24/7.

[cahwyguy]

That's true of some freeways in the Bay Area.

He probably meant specifically in SoCal. Otherwise there are trivially many counterexamples. All (not just some) HOV lanes in the Bay Area afaik are limited to daytime hours (5-9a/3-7p or similar for carpool lanes, 5a-8p for express lanes, and only M-F). Though HOV lanes in onramps are usually 24/7.

Actually, specific to District 7. District 7 likes the more restricted lanes. District 12 does not. We cover it in our episodes on FasTrak (I forget if it is in Part 1 https://caroutebyroute.org/2024/06/29/ca-rxr-2-13-bonus-fastrak-and-tolling-part-1/ or Part 2 https://caroutebyroute.org/2024/07/02/ca-rxr-2-14-bonus-fastrak-and-tolling-part-2/)

[mrsman]

I guess this is an appropriate comment for this thread but I should probably make a new one since it will be a fairly significant project. For the first last week I was struck by a car on Hollywood BLVD near Normandie where they implemented a road diet. I am sure CAWHY Guy and Max will be shocked to know I am not a fan of road diets and was vehemently against this project. But it's actually grown on with a few criticisms.

First thing is traffic congestion wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. Sure there is more congestion and it adds a few minutes but traffic flows for the most part. My biggest gripe are the parking lanes. If they were wanting to reduce car dependency why keep the parking lanes instead of making them bus lanes? I just don't see this doing much in the way of reducing car dependency.

Secondly they keep a middle turning lane which I see people use as a suicide lane to fly by backed up traffic which was where I was hit. I was hit project probably going 15-20 and got bruised pretty good but the person screamed at me saying "you people" which is usually an ethnic slur against black people and I am white which is weird but whatever and said I personally narrowed the road. I've seen quite a bit of road rage increase and the intersection at Western especially for busses is just awkward.

I'd like to see a bus lane replace the parking lanes and some of the middle turning lane sections turned into raised landscaped medians which would reduce the urban heat island effect with trees and reduce the people misusing the lane.

For a lot of these road diets, they are implemented largely to increase the bike lane mileage to meet some green goals.  Narrows the street and creation of bike lanes does increase traffic but allows for better bike safety.  A tradeoff.

But it would be generally more politically difficult to significantly get rid of parking (like parking on one entire side of the street), since many of the businesses would rely on the parking.  And often in the older part of the city there aren't very large parking garages.  And often the side streets limit parking to those with residential permits.  So while it may be better for safety to remove parking lanes for bus lanes, it will not happen in places where parking is at a premium.

I am very curious as to what occurs at Hillhurst/Sunset/Hollywood do to these changes.  Historically, WB traffic on Sunset coming from Downtown would default onto Hollywood from both through lanes, whereas only left lane traffic would go to Sunset at a double left.  I would think one of the best ways to encourage traffic to avoid Hollywood Blvd would be if both of the through lanes on Sunset would turn left onto Sunset and only one lane of traffic would continue onto Hollywood, i.e. make the westbound road diet begin at the Sunset/Hollywood split.

[mrsman]

I am very curious as to what occurs at Hillhurst/Sunset/Hollywood do to these changes.  Historically, WB traffic on Sunset coming from Downtown would default onto Hollywood from both through lanes, whereas only left lane traffic would go to Sunset at a double left.  I would think one of the best ways to encourage traffic to avoid Hollywood Blvd would be if both of the through lanes on Sunset would turn left onto Sunset and only one lane of traffic would continue onto Hollywood, i.e. make the westbound road diet begin at the Sunset/Hollywood split.

Fortunately, there are very recent GSV available so I can answer my own question:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0981484,-118.2869318,3a,15y,135.85h,83.31t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAXk4sa3jiHJw172IHvwRww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0981484,-118.2869318,3a,15y,300.94h,84.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sAXk4sa3jiHJw172IHvwRww!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0983585,-118.2873937,3a,75y,305.76h,79.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-o6KLb5rKuEeHvPcWBV9YA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0975627,-118.2862896,3a,75y,340.63h,84.23t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s8u6DeFjcbVmYFanD08YUAw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

So as you can see, when traveling WB from Sunset, the left through lane will default onto Hollywood Blvd.  Left lane traffic can also enter the dual left turn lanes to make the left onto WB Sunset Blvd.  The right through lane does continue through the intersection but forces all traffic, except transit buses, to make a right onto Hillhurst.

The old overhead sign showing which lane to be in to enter Hollywood or Sunset has a greened out arrow, indicating that only the left thru lane leads to Hollywood Blvd.

I can imagine that this scenario is bad and unnecessary.  Essentially, all traffic will crowd the left lane approaching the intersection since the right through lane forces a right turn onto Hillhurst.  This should be fairly easy to fix by simply repainting the lines on WB Sunset approaching the Sunset/Hollywood intersection.

Option 1: Left lane defaults onto left turning lane (force onto left lane of Sunset), Right lane onto either Sunset or Hollywood.

[Similar scenario in my area, advance forward]:

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1161694,-77.0749891,3a,75y,9.44h,81.82t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZle_arQQAdNsYy3OZbO-Rg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Option 2: Left lane defaults onto either of the left turning lanes, right lane defaults onto Hollywood.  Similar to the setup that exists on Northbound Central Ave approaching 5th street in Downtown LA:

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0404269,-118.23989,3a,75y,3.12h,85.07t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUpE5irR10fHVdqXoqulCZg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?coh=205409&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Of the two, option 1 would do a better job of discouraging traffic on Hollywood Blvd altogether, but option 2 is likely a better match of actual traffic flow (half the traffic to Sunset and half the traffic to Hollywood, split between the two through lanes).