One-way on Pico and Olympic?

It's a radical idea for easing traffic-- but at least some like it. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky took his concept of making Olympic and Pico boulevards one-way to a Westside forum this week -- and got some props, according to the Palasadian-Post:

According to the current plan, Pico would go east and Olympic west. The two streets would be wide enough to have four-lane traffic that Yaroslavsky hopes would include a designated bus lane. This plan is expected to generate opposition from merchants who expect business disruption. ....'I think the one-way Pico-Olympic circuit is a great idea,' said George Wolfberg, president of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. 'To the extent that people migrate to the most free-flowing option, it will have a beneficial spillover on Sunset.'

Backers note that Beverly Hills has successful reduced gridlock with one-way streets (though they tend to be smaller ones, not major boulevards). Wonder what businesses along Olympic and Pico think? (Photo credit).

Are you sold on the one-way idea? Hit COMMENT button and speak out.

Comments

[ADAM LERMAN]

NO...NO.NO...
IF THIS HAPPENS...SAY GOODBYE TO EVERY UNIQUE BUSINESS WHO DEPENDS ON THE STREET PARKING DUE TO THE LACK ON PUBLIC LOTS.
ADAM'S MUSIC -LESSONS AND INSTRUMENT RENTALS
BEADS SHOP
FABRIC SHOPS
MACENTHUSUASTS
PET SHOP
CHILDREN'S BOOKSTORE
AND MANY MORE ONE OF A KIND SHOPS THAT MAKE WEST L.A. SPECIAL.

MAKING PICO ONE WAY AND OLYMPIC THE OTHER WAY ONLY DOUBLES TRAFFIC ON ONE STREET AND HALVES IT ON THE OTHER, MAKING NORTH SOUTH STREETS,WHICH ARE ALREADY MUCH BUSIER THAN EAST/WEST IMPASSABLE. IN WEST L.A PICO
AND OLYMPIC ARE SO FAR APART. THIS IDEA IS NOTHING BUT BUSY WORK WITH DISASTEROUS IMPLICATIONS FOR HUNDREDS
OF TAX PAYING BUSINESSES.

WHY NOT TAKE WASHINGTON AND VENICE BLVDS, DO THE SAME, AND CLOSE DOWN EVERY BUSINESS.

SPEND THE MONEY..PUT A LIGHT RAIL ON THE 10 FREEWAY..HELLO??????

[Jim Feldman]

I'm 56 years old and have lived and worked on the west side all my life. Getting out of Santa Monica or the West-end between 3-6pm is a nightmare on either Pico, Olympic or Santa Monica. I am all for it, less idling cars, less smog, less angry drivers, less road rage.
The time has come.

[Michael R]

I have heard no mention of bike lanes being included in this plan. I commute daily from Santa Monica to Koreatown on both Olympic and Pico. As drivers will undoubtedly treat these streets as freeways, no matter what the actual posted speed limit is, this will make things more dangerous than they are now for myself and all the other bike commuters that travel this route daily. Cyclists are regularly ignored when committees come up with these plans. If it were easier to get around by bicycle, more people might decide to use this method of transportation. The more people that travel by bike, the fewer cars there would be on the road, not to mention the positive impact on the environment. To simply ignore cyclists when implementing a plan like this makes no sense at all. If this plan were to include accommodations for cyclists, it might work. If it doesn’t include a bike lane, making things harder for us that are trying to have a positive impact on the environment is ridiculous.

[caroline]

I think this is a terrible idea. While it is convenient for people driving from and to the westside, it would be horrible for the businesses along the stretch. A lot of cities, San Francisco for instance, are converting many of their one way streets back into two way to improve commerce and build up business. Well, the opposite will happen here along Olympic and Pico. A big part of Koreatown, especially, would be destroyed. The reason I drive locally on Pico as opposed to the freeway is that I like seeing the foot traffic and small shops along the way. It would be an absolute shame to see all that culture disappear just so we can get to work a little faster.

[Eichler1]

One-way streets carry 3-4 times the traffic of two-way streets of the same width. So the proposed one-way "racetrack," as some local politicos call it, probably is a good idea.

Yes, the lights should be synchronized -- as they already are on many major LA boulevards -- but to a higher speed. I'd say 45-50, since that's the speed everyone drives anyway.

Also, I am informed that the LA Times got it wrong. It should be westbound on Pico and Eastbound on Olympic. This would make the most sense because drivers would always be maying right turns to go between the two directions.

[Andrew]

You should just move out of LA ;)

[Tiki]

This is far from a radical idea. Its a practical idea. While money must be spent to implement it, its a fairly cheap way to immediately alleviate some of the serious traffic issues the city is facing. We obviously can't wait for rail - traffic is just too bad.

We need it now!

[Tiki]

This is far from a radical idea. Its a practical idea. While money must be spent to implement it, its a fairly cheap way to immediately alleviate some of the serious traffic issues the city is facing. We obviously can't wait for rail - traffic is just too bad.

We need it now!

[Tiki]

YES YES!!

[Sukey]

I remember when the 10 freeway was damaged in the Northridge earthquake. At that time I was commuting between WLA and the garment district. I started using Pico/Olympic/Washington as alternate E/W routes, and continued after the freeway was repaired.

I thought that synchronized lights would be a good improvement, but one-way streets with synch lights would be an excellent alternate to the freeway. Set at 35 mph

Perhaps if commuters got off the 10, they would notice the local shops and restaurants, and it would be great for business.

[D. Kinzler]

The possible conversion of Olympic and Pico Blvds into one-way streets is ingenious. I could think of many reasons why this would be beneficial to the city of Los Angeles. Left turns will become much easier because of no oncoming traffic. At least four committed lanes for mixed-use traffic (WB on Olympic Blvd and EB on Pico Blvd) will assist in the reduction of congestion. Signal synchronization would probably be easier to manage. Every signaled intersection along these routes could have a set of signals removed, which becomes a savings in electricity to the city. And, less idling cars means less pollution. The cost to convert these boulevards would definitely be justified.

[John Plunkett]

It might be worth a try. But, the transition will require much preparation, including a defense against any legal challenges

[Joe Bishop]

But Pico and Olympic are too far apart for this to work

http://trafficbulldog.org is a commuter advocacy group promoting 1.3 people per car.

[movielocke]

it's got to be much better than doing nothing or waiting for five years for one rail, fifteen for two parallel rail lines and thirty years for freeway widening on the ten.

What's the cost benefit analysis of not doing it? Greater congestion, longer time before any relief is implemented, this is something that can be done relatively quickly in terms of congestion relief, it's not as though Figueroa and Flower hopelessly confuse motorists or prevent people from accessing 7th+Fig or the Staples Center, for example.

the dedicated buslane is the truly inspired idea here, in a stroke you could almost make the Expo line expansion and subway to the sea obsolete in terms of more efficient people moving in and out of the westside. except only have a rapid line on these streets (is it really that hard to walk three-five blocks either way from a major cross street, answer, no) because otherwise the rapid buses would get congested behind the regular bus routes that have a majority of their stops less than 1 block apart.

[Michael N]

One way streets are long overdue in LA. They's been doing this in New York for as long as I can remember. It would be amazing if in addtion to Olympic and Pico that Hollywood Blvd and Sunset could be 1 way streets to alleviate congestion on that end of the city as well.

The sooner this gets done the better.