The traffic signal at the intersection of La Brea and Franklin avenues heading west in Hollywood has drivers and neighbors frustrated with how short it is.
People say it’s simply too quick and doesn’t stay green long enough to drive through or walk across safely. NBC4 timed it out, and it was only green for 8 seconds before turning yellow.
“It is a little inconvenient. It’s a very quick, very short light,” said Kristen McCusker who lives in Hollywood.
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McCusker walks her dogs and also drives through the area, she tries to avoid the signal whenever possible.
“Basically this corner right here is the worst,” said Todd Roberts who lives in Hollywood right next to the signal, “I just see cars and cars waiting and that will cause worse routes on other streets rather than allowing traffic to kind of disperse."
Also, since the light changes so quickly, Roberts has seen cars speed up or run the red light just to get through.
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“People are very impatient. They literally want to get across immediately when they see a green light or signal,” said Roberts.
This Hollywood intersection is near several popular walking trails. Not only is it difficult to drive through, it’s also a hassle for people trying to walk across.
“I’ll just shoot up the hill because I don’t want to wait for it to change. I'll just take an alternative route walking and go up the hill and through the alley to get to the canyon, basically,” said McCusker.
NBC4 checked out another signal on Franklin Avenue down a few blocks near North Orange Drive to see if this was a common issue. That light stayed green for about 90 seconds -- that’s nearly 11 times longer than the one on Franklin and La Brea Avenues. Also, from what neighbors tell us, that one seems to be the only one causing a problem with how quickly it changes.
“Honestly it’s this one we always joke about La Brea and Franklin is like the worst intersection,” said McCusker.
NBC4 reached out to LADOT, the agency that handles city signals, to see why the light only stays green for about 8 seconds. The department has not responded to our request for comment. However, according to LADOT’s website, the average signal cycle in LA is about 90 to 120 seconds.
