I propose that we lengthen the green left turn light at Crenshaw and Palos Verdes Drive North (the left turn you encounter when traveling northeast on Crenshaw and come to PV Drive North, the intersection at which many Chadwick students take a U-turn to get on Academy hill) This left turn is a popular one, especially around 8AM on weekdays, and the light is just too short. Lengthening the green light will decrease unsafe driving and get people where they need to be on time.
As a Chadwick student, I wait at this Crenshaw left turn light every monday through friday around 7:50 AM. I think I've spent, collectively, 12 hours waiting at this light. In the time it takes for the signal to change from red to green, I've listened to full songs, sent texts, made phone calls, started homework assignments, finished homework assignments, fretted about being late, grown gray hairs, and most importantly, wasted time. In the time it takes for the light to go from green to red, on the other hand, I can barely get my foot to the gas pedal.
The long red period seems understandable. PV Drive North and Crenshaw are both busy streets, so one would expect a busy intersection. What I find unreasonable, however, is the inconceivable shortness of the green light, which keeps us stuck at this intersection way longer than we need to be.
Typically about three cars make their desired left or U-turns per green light. The remaining drivers sit through one, and sometimes even two, more cycles. Even if you or I make it through...the guy three cars behind us doesn't. The consequences of this prolonged stop include not only anger and lateness, but also dangerous driving: illegal u-turns and the running of red lights. (Every chadwick school dad with whom I have carpooled has made an illegal u-turn at least once...it must be a man thing...and while I am not so bold, I can't say that I haven't considered making one, or at least consciously ignoring the yellow caution light when school starts in five minutes, and I know the light won't turn green for six.)
It takes about 7 seconds to make a U-turn, and the left turn light I'm talking about only stays green for 20 seconds. I think it should stay lit for at least 60 seconds on weekdays from 7:00 to 8:00 and from 3:00 to 4:00. Each arrow should allow five to seven cars during major school drop-off and pick-up hours, rather than the current three. The light as it is is alright for light traffic hours, though I would suggest lengthening the green light to maybe 30 or seconds during times of medium traffic. Please sign if you support this. When I get enough signatures I will send this to the Palos Verdes City Council.
-Lindsay Szper