Parked Transformer Asks: Do We Really Need that Lane for Traffic?

It's a transformer. Email Joseph Ramallo at DWP for more info.

Joseph.Ramallo@LADWP.com

Hey, that was a pretty good observation. I am surprised the Downtown News did not write this story. You should write for the DT News.

I agree that several streets DT do not seem to need all the lanes, even during "peak rush". Additional parking or even better, a wider sidewalk would be better.

Actually Eric, I have to disagree on the lack of calimity caused by this equipment.

Last week, a film production shut two lanes on this block, in addition to the lane with the equipment. With passage reduced to one lane eastbound traffic backed up to the 110 off-ramp at Figueroa.

A two-minute trip at 4p became a 15-20 minute trip. Unacceptable under any circumstances -- let alone on a stretch of crosstown with the vast amount of bus traffic (including the large articulated buses) that Sixth Street gets.

The transformer is needed, the film production company (Criminal Minds) not abiding by its permit's requirements to keep two lanes open to traffic was not.

What I neglected to also state was that without the film crew, as a daily traveler and observer on this route during evening rush hour, the traffic has backed up to between Hill and Olive whereas before that wasn't the case -- so I don't agree there is not an impact from the obstruction due to this equipment.

Downtown is rife with similar examples. Do we really need FIVE lanes of traffic on Spring Street during "rush" hour? That's one more lane than the 10 freeway has. The traffic and parking restrictions designed for suburban neighborhoods just don't work for us, yet the city applies them anyway.

Terry: The answer is yes, those lanes need to be open during rush hour. Downtown serves as the region's largest mass transit hub 24/7. Not only do the approximate 500,000 people who work Downtown during the day move through these streets at rush hour but so do tens of thousands (perhaps hundreds even) more who use Downtown to connect to their commute's mass transit transfers. If you did not have these lanes open during rush hour you would see more congestion due to the large amount of buses that would back up the flow of traffic because curb lanes were not open.

It's to bad the idiotic urban planners back in the 60's decided to emphasize cars in downtown and the idiotic elevated lanes and ramps for example 4th street through Bunker Hill from the 110.

It would have been such a nicer urban downtown if all the streets such as 4th and Grand actually intersected rather then going under and over each other. Grand was already at a higher elevation then the rest of DT so it was mronic to raise it even further above the surrounding streets. Oh well. Anything that can be done to improve the streets as they are no such as eliminating uneeded lanes is a good thing.