There’s No Stopping the Ideas to Ease Gridlock

Re “A Signal Achievement in Fullerton and Pasadena,” Feb. 25: Having a flashing yellow left-lane turn arrow is definitely a step in the right direction for relieving gridlock.

However, the biggest problem facing all of L.A. is a lack of synchronized lights, which are nearly impossible to achieve with newer lights featuring left-lane turn arrows. These modern light cycles have four cycles instead of only two, essentially doubling to quadrupling the wait times. At a time when L.A. freeways are clogged, I find it sadly ironic that these newer left-lane turn signals have now clogged all of our surface streets with cars waiting endlessly for their turn to go. The result is gridlock citywide.

The solution to the freeway congestion is to have synchronized stoplights on surface streets so that fewer motorists ever need to enter onto the freeway in the first place. We need to take a step “backward” and bring back the older but more efficient two-cycle lights.

Will Ray

Burbank

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Your article speaks volumes about waste and duplication. There are already hundreds of four-light signal lights in place all over the city that do this job better. They are the regular three lights (red, yellow, green) with a green arrow at the bottom. When the green arrow is lighted, you may turn. When the green arrow is not lighted, the other lights control (turn if OK on green or yellow, not red). Most drivers seem to understand that. Why don’t city traffic planners?

Bill Lappen

Encino

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The safest way to improve traffic throughout is with a flashing red arrow. Like a flashing round red light, it would require a full stop before beginning the turn. A flashing yellow arrow, like a flashing round yellow light, requires only a slowdown and extra alertness (as when passing a school or fire station).

Rick Egendorf

Palm Desert