The Los Angeles City Council Tuesday called for a review of policies and practices related to signal phasing and timing, as well as other tactics, to address pedestrian safety.
In a 14-0 vote, the council requested a report back within three months. Councilman Curren Price was absent during the meeting.
The Department of Transportation will be tasked with drafting a policy and implementation plan to modify street signal timing citywide to run traffic signals with reduced cycle lengths as appropriate. The aim is to prioritize pedestrians crossing the streets, as well as taking into consideration public transportation routes, officials said.
In addition, staff will draft updated guidelines for the use of Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs), scramble crosswalks and “No Right Turn On Red” restrictions at intersections.
LPIs give people walking a head-start before concurrent parallel vehicle traffic, creating greater visibility of pedestrians for turning drivers. They typically last four seconds in Los Angeles.
In October 2023, council members Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez and Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion aimed at curbing traffic accidents. Officials said about 134 pedestrians in Los Angeles were killed by vehicles in 2023, and another 427 were severely injured, according to data compiled through mid-October of last year. That represents a 13% increase in pedestrians killed compared to 2022, and an 18% increase in severe injuries, the motion noted.
The motion further stated that the city’s Vision Zero Safety Study showed that 70% of crashes where someone is killed or severely injured, known as KSI crashes, occur at intersections that have traffic signals.
“At these signalized intersections, people walking often have to contend with left and right turning motorists that do not yield properly, if at all,” the motion reads. “Additionally, excessive wait times can cause pedestrians to cross while the solid upraised hand is displayed, cross away from the signal at uncontrolled, unmarked locations which are subject to even poorer driver yielding compliance.”
The council members explained in their motion that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Transportation converted all traffic signals in the city to run a “nighttime” signal plan — meaning that all vehicle approaches are served relatively quickly.
That signal pattern resulted in reduced wait times for side street traffic and for pedestrian crossings. Since then, LADOT has returned traffic signals to run as normally accustomed, where different plans run at different times of the day.
During peak periods, and sometimes mid-day periods, signals run long cycle lengths, which can result in long wait times to cross major streets for people who are walking.
Additionally, LADOT converted about 900 intersections to run in “pedestrian recall” mode — pedestrians received a “walk” indication automatically without having to push a call button.
Staff reports will be aimed at identifying possible intersections where tactics such as Leading Pedestrian Intervals, scramble crosswalks and “No Right Turn on Red” can be deployed, as well as adjusting traffic signal patterns to ensure the safety of pedestrians.
Several cities in the United States are also exploring restrictions on right-on-red turns, such as Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.