Navigation apps have created unsafe traffic conditions on of the steepest streets in the Los Angeles area, causing a series of dangerous crashes and spinouts, according to fed up residents.
A section of Baxter Street in Echo Park, as seen in a still from Drone5.
The road in question is Baxter Street in Echo Park.
Residents told KTLA on Wednesday that in recent years, the proliferation of navigation apps such as "Waze" and "Google Maps" to get around city traffic has led a large number of motorists to the dangerous street.
In this case, drivers are trying to get around a heavily-trafficked part of Glendale Boulevard that is routinely jammed during the rush-hour commute.
Signs on Baxter Street caution of 30 to 35 percent grade, and that the "hill blocks the view." Still, despite warnings, the sharp incline is causing regular problems, especially among drivers unfamiliar with the steep terrain, according to residents.
"They get up there, get almost to the top -- they slow down because they see the top -- then they got on the very top and they stop," Jeff Hartman said. "And then the people behind them lose their traction because they're still going up the hill, and then everybody starts slipping and sliding and they go all different way."
Resident Jeff Hartman provided this photo of a car that flipped over on Baxter Street.
And that's just what is happening in dry conditions. On rainy days, another resident described the road as "absolute chaos."
"Every car is slipping," said Michael Wickstrom. "When you have 35 percent grade and rear-wheel driver, you're not going to make it."
Hartman provided images and videos of a number of accidents on the street to the KTLA, including one photos of a car that somehow ended up overturned in someone's front yard.
Footage of another incident -- this one taken on a wet, rainy day -- showed a car stalled sideways on the road as other motorists try to pass it along the treacherous two-lane street.
And recently, an incident involving a vehicle resulted in the destruction of a resident's wooden fence.
Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez, who brought the issue to light in a column posted early Wednesday, noted the street was built more than years ago. It was designed more for animals like goats than for people or vehicles, as he put it.
Baxter Street in Echo Park has seen increased traffic because of navigation apps. (Credit: Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
The Times reported the grade is approximately 32 percent, making it the third-steepest in the city. It also ranks among the top 10 nationally.
Robbie Adams, another resident on Baxter, told the newspaper that he and other residents contacted Waze to notify them of the issue and have suggested removing the street as a possible shortcut.
"They said they couldn't do that because it involves changing the algorithm of the app in a weird way," Adams said.
Residents are scheduled to meet with L.A. City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell and Los Angeles Department of Transportation officials at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss the issue.
The councilman's office told KTLA that a number of possible solutions are on the table, including making Baxter a one-way street.
from KTLA https://ift.tt/2ItCaqY
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