Letters to the Editor 6-8-17
Photo by Dave Davis
Views on Vista Del Mar traffic
The changes on Vista del Mar were made as a result of fatalities and lawsuits and they were made by the Department of Transportation, not Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin. Additional changes are coming to Pershing, Culver and Jefferson boulevards. Those are the changes that you can rightly tag on Councilman Bonin. But not VDM. All of the changes are about safety. The roadway through Playa Del Rey is too often a speedway. Well I should say was, not is.
Cyndi Anderson Hench
Vista Del Mar
I’ve been commuting on this road for 42 years and I was shocked beyond belief when I tried to drive to my Marina del Rey office this morning at 10 a.m. (not even rush hour). I was astonished that anyone in their right mind would take a major north south commuter road and cut its capacity by 50 percent to make a few more parking places for Dockweiler Beach. There is an abundance of sand below the road to add on to the parking lots they now have. This affair is an insult to the citizens of Manhattan Beach, Playa del Rey and El Segundo.
John Brooks
Facebook comment
Playa Del Rey owes nothing to Manhattan Beach or the other beach cities to the south. It’s typical of Manhattan Beach residents to be offended by Playa Del Rey not asking their opinion. Go around, or enjoy your new leisurely drive through Playa Del Rey. We’re tired of our small streets being used as shortcuts. Use Rosecrans Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway and the 405 Freeway. You chose jobs on the West Side. And leave earlier.
Michael Adams
Playa Del Rey
I have been commuting along Vista Del Mar to Santa Monica the past 17 years and this is the most ridiculous thing ever. There are three massive beach lots that are always empty. Reduce the cost to park there. The northbound lane has no emergency shoulder. Someone will get a flat tire or worse an accident, with nowhere to pull over. And lastly, they pick the start of summer to “test” this concept out?
Jen Sullivan
Facebook comment
I live in El Porto and commute to Beverly Hills everyday and with all of the construction in El Porto I still never encounter traffic. The new setup is brilliant. I have had people accidentally walk in front of my car on Vista Del Mar, as well as people swerve into the opposing lane. This should have been done long ago.
Matthew Behm
Manhattan Beach
As far as people “accidentally” walking in front of your car on Vista Del Mar, how does their jaywalking justify tens of thousands of cars being bottlenecked into one lane? The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few who can’t seem to figure out that you don’t walk in front of traffic on a highway.
Keith Charsha
Facebook comment
If the Los Angeles would use the vacant land east of Vista del Mar to build a parking lot with an underground passage from the parking lot to the beach the street parking and pedestrian safety issues would be solved.
Bob Atkins
It seems like the fatalities were on weekends with beachgoers, not due to commuter traffic.
Laura Kiley Keating
Facebook comment
If it was about safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, they could close down all parking on the street. That way you would have full bike lanes, The parking lot would actually be used and there would be no cause for pedestrians on the road. The only reason this was implemented was to be appease 180 people who are in a small group. No environmental impact study was done. It is meant to choke the Playa Del Rey lower area, so people will take other routes. This will clog Pershing, Lincoln and Sepulveda. It will increase travel time, increase pollution, increase the cost of travel and create more gridlock in the area. Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin is pushing cars up to the Westchester Parkway, where a major commercial is about to begin. There are 26 miles of bike paths that can be used already. No need for another lane.
Michael Earley
Facebook comment
Donkey trail.
Wayne Okamoto
Redondo Beach
If everyone resists and keeps driving in the old lane what would happen?
Sharon Workman Thompson