"WHY" L.A. traffic sucks #3: Bus'em and clog'em

Before proposing solutions, we might want to figure out WHY L.A. traffic sucks so bad. "WHY" there is a problem might yield some answers on "HOW" to solve it.

WHY L.A. TRAFFIC SUCKS #3: BUS'EM AND CLOG'EM!

How do you move millions of car-less angelenos from home to work or from home to the ocean? By bus, of course.

While buses, as part of a public transportation systeam are good to move more people with fewer vehicles, in a city where millions refuse to take them and prefer to drive, they slow down traffic with their constant start and stops. There are thousands of buses on the road at any one time in L.A. and while they are moving many angelenos around who otherwise wouldn't have the means to move around, they are also clogging L.A.'s arteries. I have a few very good suggestions on how to minimize their impact on traffic and keep it flowing.

Here's the typical scenario: Wilshite Boulevard from Westwood to the 405 Freeway. I dare ANYONE to get on the far right lane and not get caught somehow either behind a bus or behind the line of cars trying to get on the 405. You can be nicely zooming west down Wilshire and looking forward to being in Brentwood in 5 minutes. You get to Westwood and you're invariably caught in a jam.

A great part of that jam is caused by the great number of MTA buses (720 Red Rapid ones) stopping to drop off passengers between Westwood Blvd. and Gayley. The jam is compounded by the great number of buses turning right onto Wilshire from UCLA. While they are not stopping there, they are feeding into Wilshire and clogging this stretch between Westwood Blvd. and Sepulveda. The rest of the jam is caused by the great number of cars trying to get on the right lane to get on the 405 past Sepulveda. This stretch of Wilshire east of the 405 between Westwood and Sepulveda is always a mess. West of the 405, between Sepulveda and San Vicente, this streetch of Wilshire is also usually a mess. The great number of cars feeding into Wilshire off of the 405 in both directions is also contributing to the jam.

There is construction on this stretch of the 405. Appararently, they are trying to widen the freeway at this point (great!), and hopefully, they are also trying to re-do the terrible entraces to and exits from the freeway (hope so!), which are also contributing to the jam. I have no idea exactly what they are doing. But my concern right now is not with the freeway (the 405 is a "monster" that needs major cosmetic surgery! We'll leave that to the powers-that-be), but with those buses, especially those on the westbound stretch of Wilshire from Westwood Blvd. to Veteran. Those buses, multitudes of them, are stopping right there and slowing down traffic.

SOLUTION #3: WHAT CAN BE DONE TO FIX IT? BUSTOP "INDENTS"! [aka, "bus pullouts" or "bus turnouts"]

I don't know exactly what this is called in traffic lingo, but I'm going to call it "INDENTING." The ONLY way that buses can stop and unload or pick up passangers without disturbing and slowing down traffic is by creating "INDENTS."

What's an "indent"? Ever seen the old Beverly Hills post office on Santa Monica Blvd. between Beverly Dr. and Canon Dr.? This post office has a beautiful "indent," a carving off the road where buses can stop without affecting traffic. Buses stop at this "indent" off Santa Monica Blvd. and traffic keeps flowing undisturbed. "Indents" like this one need to be built all over the L.A. area, but especially on that westbound stretch of Wilshire between Westwood Blvd. and Veteran.

Where can such an "indent" be built? Easy. On the block between Gayley and Veteran, past the corner where there is a Hollywood Video store, there is nothing but a parking lot. Part of this parking lot can be "carved" to create an "indent" for buses to stop and let traffic flow undisturbed down Wilshire. Such an indented busstop would not only help traffic but also bus passengers. If you are riding the bus down Wilshire, you have to choose between taking the Red Rapid 720 on the busstop mid-block west of Westwood Blvd. or or the No. 20 on the north-east corner of Westwood and Wilshire: their busstops are on either side of Westwood Blvd. (I used to curse the heavens and the earth and whoever came up with that stupid idea every time I had to wait for a bus to go down Wilshire at that intersection). By relocating both busstops to an indented busstop between Gayley and Veteran, both passengers and traffic would benefit.

So-called "bus lanes" are NOT a good idea. To dedicate one lane sorely needed for traffic exclusively to buses, like they do in parts of downtown Santa Monica, is to compound, NOT solve the problem. While no one wants to be behind a bus because of their relatively slow speed and constant stops, knowing that buses have a place to stop without disturbing the flow of traffic behind them will encourage people to drive behind buses and just go with the flow. It will discourage zig-zagging between the right and center lanes to avoid being behind the bus. This zig-zagging slows down traffic as drivers step on their brakes to avoid hitting the cars coming onto their lanes.

"Busstop indents" are the kind of SOLUTION to a traffic problem that won't cost millions but will make a difference. Small but powerful ideas like this one is what's needed to solve L.A.'s traffic problem. This idea by itself won't solve the problem but together in concert with all these other ideas, it will have a significant impact on the flow of traffic throughout the L.A. area.


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