Feb 20, 2008 8:00 AM

Sound bites

Traffic in Westwood and nearby areas is terrible! What can be done to help relieve the crush?

Sherwin, Stephen, library assistant, College Library

UCLA should add another feather to their already industrious efforts by offering their own line of buses (With bike racks attached) to and from the Valley, Silver Lake and Hollywood at predetermined drop-off and pick-up locations. UCLA Vans are okay, but times are not convenient and the fees are high. Buses could also be used by students, faculty or visiting scholars by showing BruinCard, ID cards or invitations to special events. Also, MTA and RTA should offer better discounts for daily bus riding or metro riding to encourage more people to use them.

Bryant Ng, assistant dean for administration, School of Nursing

Four ideas:

1. Prohibit movie premiers during week days. it really bogs the traffic down in Westwood just when everyone is trying to go home.

2. Use traffic control people at major intersections.

3. Better synchronize signals on Westwood Blvd and Veteran Ave.

4. Build a light rail paralleling the 405 from Wilshire to Long Beach.

Michael Rathjen, fund manager, Earth and Space Sciences

I had a particularly rough morning getting in to work today. I come from the Hollywood area, and actually only live about 9 miles from UCLA. Today it took me an hour and a half to drive those 9 miles. Traffic all over the city is getting progressively worse, and no one seems to be addressing the issue in a real way. We really threw everything off when we got rid of the trains and started building our infamous freeway system some 60-odd years ago. Now the whole city is permanently geographically formed around this out-dated system of big, expensive roads.

The Metro Rail is wonderful, but doesn't go many places. If I could take the Metro Rail to Westwood from Hollywood, I would hardly ever need to drive my car again. I know there's been a long-running semi-controversy about this, but we need to get over it already and start getting it done. The cost will be big, but the long-run pay-off will be priceless.

Mary Purifoy, administrative assistant, David Geffen School of Medicine

I walk everyday at lunch time — gridlock is out of control in the village. The city needs to install camera lights on Le Conte and Westwood to catch those buses turning right when the traffic light says we can walk. We should also have more traffic officers patrolling the area, maybe the ones on bicycles or motorcycles.

Jan Freeman, MSO, Bunche Center for African American Studies

Some of the issues surrounding the Westwood crunch have to do with all the high-rise buildings and their employees leaving at the same time as UCLA. Perhaps more staggered work schedules would alleviate the problem.

Mike Clark, AA/EEO Consultant, Staff Affirmative Action Office, Campus Human Resources

To help relieve the traffic in Westwood and vicinity, I would post traffic officers from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at all of the intersections on Wilshire Blvd. from Wilshire and Glendon west to Wilshire and Federal.

Terance Tashiro, senior budget analyst, Center for Embedded Networked Sensing

I suggest:

1. Timing traffic signals in and outside of Westwood more sensibly, to ease flow of traffic during peak hours.

2. Scheduling street maintenance work (ex., Montana & Veteran) during non-peak hours.

3. Greater incentives for carpool, vanpool, and public transportation users, and higher parking rates for those who choose not to.

Cathy McCann, IT Help Desk supervisor, psychology department

To resolve the Westwood Traffic situation, bite the bullet and get light-rail or subway. And create parking structures away from campus with trams every 15 minutes to campus.

Brenda Moore, registrar's office

I can't believe how timely this question is! Just last night, I was in the Village on Westwood Boulevard and had to make a left turn. Since there was no left-turn lane, I blocked traffic as I waited for a break in the line of cars, which didn't happen until the light changed to red. I said to my passenger, "You know, they should reconfigure these medians and make left turn lanes," to which she whole-heartedly agreed.

Cindy Macias, student

Perhaps, instead of vans UCLA can try commuter buses to and from Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena. I believe this would alleviate a lot of single passenger car traffic. I have asked my peers how they would feel about taking a commuter bus and they all responded positively. The one complaint I heard was that van pools are too small and uncomfortable. A commuter bus would be ideal, providing that it does not stop until it reaches the main drop off or pick up destination.

Stephanie Mayerson, purchasing analyst, Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center

Traffic cops at all intersections during peak hours would certainly help. There's nothing worse than being at a red light with no traffic coming from the other direction.

Jerilyn Higa, Jerilyn K. senior public administrative analyst, Emergency Medicine

Can you please synchronize the traffic signals to maximize flow? One area that could use a smart signal is the intersection of Weyburn Avenue and Weyburn Terrace. The light at Weyburn Terrace cycles quickly and automatically, so it turns red when there is no cross-traffic. During busy mornings and evenings, cars must stop for no reason, leading to traffic backups on both Weyburn and Veteran Avenues.

Christina Carrillo

The ideal solution would be to extend the Metrolink and/or metro subway rails to the Westside. It is BADLY needed and would relieve so much traffic.

Stacey Beggs, assistant director, Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics

UCLA has already invested in discounted quarterly passes to students, staff and faculty who use Big Blue, Culver City, and Metro Bus lines, as well as in van pools and other alternative commuting options. Still, many people choose to drive for the convenience. A program that encourages everyone who drives to take the bus or join a vanpool once a week could reduce traffic in Westwood Village drastically. Similarly, offering the option of telecommuting once a week to staff that can do it may have an observable impact on the congestion.

Maria Lara, Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center

All of the traffic signal lights in Westwood should be synchronized. Also, people should not be allowed to park during rush hours.

Colleen Bruton

UCLA Transportation is doing a great job of providing incentives for public or shared transportation, which helps ease the traffic congestion. Perhaps traffic signals could be improved during rush hours to assist arriving/departing traffic to and from the major arteries. The crush could also be improved by enhancing staggered work/class schedules.

Janet Bartholomew

I think that the solution to high-density traffic, when it is close to the drive destination, is to have parking structures away from the location and shuttles to bring people in. The shuttles could serve UCLA as well as many businesses in the community. If the shuttle line were offered for the whole day, weekdays and weekends, it would be helpful to the Village as well as to UCLA.

Carolyn Turpin, student activities office

My wish would be a special bridge for a direct route to the 405 freeway from campus. Since I doubt that will happen, how about adjusting the traffic signals near on-ramps during rush hour so more cars can get on the freeway. Sepulveda, Wilshire and Sunset Boulevards are all terrible around the on-ramps.

Julie Skrupa

I take the bus and commute only about 3 miles, but traffic is awful in this area (however, not at all hours). It is so heavily traveled by thousands of people each day. I lived in Boston for several years and worked in Harvard Square and traffic is always terrible there, too!

Here are a few thoughts:

UCLA could send a university-wide email announcement when there are accidents or when traffic is terribly backed-up, and list alternate routes.

UCLA Transportation could offer an information session to the community about traffic problems and what's being done to help the situation.

Also, is it possible to have the crosswalk signals run at a different time than when the green light is on for traffic to flow? Generally, when a green light comes on, there is a 10-20 second wait for pedestrians to cross at the same time, thus making cars sit a green light while pedestrians cross first. Is it possible to give pedestrians their own 10-20 seconds without a green light for traffic?

Lisa Rose

I'd love to hear people's ideas about how to make bikers feel safer on Wilshire, between Centinela, where the Broadway bike path ends. Short of concrete barriers/pillars on the sidewalks, what can be done?

I live in Hawthorne and have my route planned in case the day ever comes when they have a solution to that problem. I would park near Vista del Mar/Imperial Hwy and ride the bike path along the beach to Santa Monica and take the Broadway bike path most of the way in. However, once I hit Centinela the "trail" goes cold — and it gets very scary!

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