WeHo Mayor Pro Tem John D'Amico Wants Traffic Cops to Help Alleviate Congestion

The following is a press release from West Hollywod Mayor Pro Tem John D’Amico: 

Mayor Pro Tem John D’Amico will be presenting an initiative at the City Council meeting on November 18th proposing the use of traffic control officers at seven West Hollywood intersections during evening rush hour to alleviate gridlock and traffic congestion.

From January 2011 to June 2013, the number of gridlock tickets issued by the City of West Hollywood increased from 35 (January 2011) to 464 (June 2013). This signifies a 1,320% increase in gridlock citations between January 2011 and June 2013. Monthly averages per year show an equally alarming increase. Gridlock citations increased from an average of 43 per month (2011) to 256 per month (2013), a 595% increase.

“It’s no secret that traffic on the Westside is bad and now several major development projects that were approved by the City Council in the last ten-plus years are being built,” said Mayor Pro Tempore D’Amico. “We need to be realistic about the state of traffic congestion in our City and the potential for it to become much, much worse while these developments are under construction.”

The recently completed, award-winning West Hollywood Community study confirmed that traffic congestion is considered to be the primary threat to quality of life by every demographic within the City.

“Every single study, including our City’s own General Plan, shows that traffic is going to get substantially worse over the next decade,” D’Amico stated. “The City Council needs to lead on this issue and actively look for creative and innovative solutions to the issue of gridlock and traffic congestion on our streets. I invite the public and my colleagues on the City Council to join this discussion and help to realize actual gridlock and traffic congestion relief.”

In 2005, the City of Los Angeles initiated a program to utilize traffic control officers during rush hour at 38 gridlocked intersections. Traffic Control Officers are intended to enforce traffic rules rather than overriding the timing of traffic signals. Studies done by Los Angeles City Traffic officials for a period of seven months at 40 intersections in the early part of 2005 showed that having traffic officers to guide traffic at peak hours could reduce commute times by as much as 20%. The primary reason given is that officers can prevent vehicles and pedestrians from blocking intersections. Traffic officers have also been shown to enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety when utilized during peak hours. Traffic control officers are utilized in world class cities across the globe, including London, Rome, Paris, and Buenos Aires, increasing the livability and safety for residents and visitors alike. 

“With the groundbreaking of over 1,000,000 sq. ft. of new commercial and residential construction this year in West Hollywood and nearly 1,000,000 more planned for groundbreaking next year, including the immediately adjacent area of Los Angeles, now is the time to act to mitigate the cumulative effect on traffic that this construction will impose on residents and commuters,” Mayor Pro Tem D’Amico said.

If approved, the use of traffic control officers at gridlocked intersections will be done on a six-month trial basis to alleviate traffic congestion compounded by large development construction as the City works to synchronize traffic lights and implement the required EIR mitigations in a further effort to minimize traffic delays.

“Utilizing traffic control officers in West Hollywood is a really promising idea given that the City of Los Angeles found they could cut travel times up to 20%,” said West Hollywood Transportation Commissioner David Warren. “It's important that they may be able to ensure the safety of our pedestrians and bicyclists as well as ease the commutes of our residents, workers, and visitors who drive."

The proposal by Mayor Pro Tem D’Amico would place traffic control officers between the hours of 4pm and 7pm, five days a week. The proposed intersections are: Santa Monica Boulevard at Doheny, San Vicente, La Cienega, Crescent Heights and La Brea; and Sunset Boulevard at Doheny and La Cienega.

For more information, please contact Michelle Rex, Deputy to Mayor Pro Tempore John D’Amico at mrex@weho.org.