Today the LA Times profiles the intersection of Motor Avenue and National Boulevard on the edge of Palms, where the city has "installed traffic islands, and added stop signs and speed humps." That all sounds nice and fine, standard traffic-calming measures--but they've also, in response to demands from homeowners, restricted turns "to reduce the number of cars cutting through Cheviot Hills, a community of million-dollar homes between the 10 Freeway and Century City." (Cheviot Hills homeowners, we absolutely cannot help pointing out, have been on a losing crusade against the Expo Line extension to Santa Monica; they're deadly concerned about traffic impacts or the children or something.) The LAPD issued about 200 tickets for illegal turns at the corner from January 1 to April 12 this year (about $238 each).
And big surprise, less-fancy areas are taking the hit: "Merchants and some residents in less affluent Palms say they are paying the price — in traffic tickets and lost business because the rules make it difficult for customers to come to their stores." But those guys are fighting back: they launched a warning campaign a few years back and now hold up big "NO TURN! WILL GET TICKET" signs when the LAPD is around. They also hand out postcards with contact info for city officials. An LADOT rep "acknowledged that the city is getting an increasing number of complaints about the situation," and says "It's a balance of conflicting interests." Sure is!
· Intersection in Palms produces lots of tickets — and anger [LAT]
· Breaking: Cheviot Hills NIMBYs Lose State Supreme Court Battle Against the Expo Line Extension [Curbed LA]
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