Traffic lights to put a stop to congestion

UCLA is taking one more step to decrease congestion on campus
streets.

Pedestrians and drivers passing through Charles E. Young Drive
and De Neve Plaza may have noticed the addition of a traffic
signal, soon to replace the stop signs dictating traffic flow. The
signal was added in an effort to increase pedestrian safety and
decrease vehicle traffic.

With the completion of De Neve Plaza, and the installation of a
pedestrian crosswalk on Gayley Avenue between Strathmore and
Levering, pedestrian traffic on Charles E. Young Drive West has
increased significantly.

Steve Rand, traffic manager of UCLA Transportation Services,
found the pre-existing stop-sign conditions to be insufficient at
resolving conflict between free-flowing pedestrian crosswalk usage
and drivers.

“To make it safer and more efficient, we decided the
appropriate thing was to install a traffic signal that would give
dedicated time for pedestrians and dedicated time for vehicles to
negotiate at that intersection,” Rand said.

In an effort to acclimate pedestrians and drivers to the signal,
Transportation Services will operate the signal in a flashing red
light stage sometime this week. The signal will be fully operated
by March 21.

The signal will run on 90-second cycles, giving an appropriate
amount of vehicles and pedestrians ample time to get across.

According to Rand, the new traffic light will also eliminate the
frustration drivers experience while waiting for large volumes of
pedestrians to cross.

But eradicating the problem of congestion ultimately lies in the
hands of those who use the intersection the most.

“It is really incumbent upon everyone to obey the rules of
the road and to respect the other users,” Rand said.

The existing problem on Charles E. Young Drive West also
extended to Charles E. Young Drive North, by Sunset Boulevard.

The congestion involving drivers trying to enter and exit Lot 4,
and pedestrians crossing the lot entrance, led to the addition of a
traffic signal in the beginning of winter quarter.

Other complications existed with vehicles coming from Sunset,
not having to stop as they crossed the Charles E. Young Drive North
intersection. This caused congestion at the entrance to Lot 4, as
drivers would wait for pedestrians to cross.

According to Rand, the signal is now timed and coordinated with
the signals on Sunset and Westwood Boulevards, so that it
eliminates the problem of stranding vehicles.

The signal at Charles E. Young Drive North is part of the Lot 7
project under the Intramural Field.

With the additional traffic the 1,500-space structure would
generate, the signal was a perfect opportunity to improve the
issue.

Pedestrians who use the crosswalk at De Neve Plaza and Charles
E. Young Drive West welcome the arrival of a new signal.

“When I walk back and forth everyday, there’s a lot
of trouble with cars going through because people will just walk
across and not stop at all,” Deanna Gross, a second-year
English student, said. “You might have to wait a few more
seconds but all in all, it’s a better thing.”

The new signal at Charles E. Young Drive West cost $50,000
dollars, with the signal at Lot 4 costing just over a $100,000.

Additional signals lie ahead in the future.

By the end of spring quarter, a traffic light will replace the
stop sign at the crosswalk between Lots 8 and 9. The cost of that
project will be less than a $100,000.

There are also plans to add a flashing red light signal at the
crosswalk between Murphy Hall and Schoenberg Hall, and in front of
the University Elementary School.

Tony Sieh, a second-year electrical engineering student resides
in the dorms and uses the intersection at Charles E. Young Drive
West every day.

“When it’s time for classes, there’s going to
be a lot of students coming up and down, and cars will be stuck
because there’s no traffic lights,” Sieh said.
“The new light will definitely be more efficient.”

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