Riordan Urges One-Way Streets, ‘Super Boulevards’ : Traffic: Olympic and Pico would become single-direction thoroughfares. Critics say the goal should be getting people out of their cars, not making driving easier.

Mayor Richard Riordan is pushing city transportation officials toward several highly controversial traffic management schemes, including the conversion of Pico and Olympic boulevards into one-way, seven-lane “super boulevards” and the creation of car-pool lanes on surface streets.

Transportation officials hope to open a northbound car-pool lane for three-quarters of a mile on La Cienega Boulevard near the Santa Monica Freeway this month, pending City Council approval. The installation of the diamond lane, reserved for vehicles with at least two occupants, would mark only the second time that car-pooling has been mandated on a surface street in Los Angeles.

“We need to be more innovative,” Riordan said in an interview. “Are people willing to take the bitter medicine for a good long-term goal? I think they are.”

Riordan said January’s earthquake, which closed portions of six freeways and 20 surface streets, painfully illustrated Los Angeles’ dependence on a vulnerable network of thoroughfares and the need for more efficient ways to transport people.

However, the creation of one-way streets--a process that would probably take up to a year and requires City Council approval--is certain to come under fire.

New one-way streets would initially be confusing for motorists, and would complicate access to businesses and shops. Bus riders would face a half-mile hike to reach a bus line going in the opposite direction. And traffic experts say the “super boulevards” of Pico and Olympic would open up virtual speedways during some non-rush hours, allowing drivers to travel faster than ever and posing increased risk to pedestrians.

Under Riordan’s plan, it is not yet clear whether all or parts of Pico and Olympic would become one-way streets. Several other east-west thoroughfares, including Wilshire Boulevard and 6th and 3rd streets, are also candidates for one-way travel, said Bob Yates, general manager of the city’s Department of Transportation.

Pico and Olympic currently accommodate three lanes of traffic in each direction and a turning lane. Converting the streets to one-way would provide seven lanes in one direction because a turning lane would no longer be necessary. The capacity of the streets would be increased by 17%, said Tom Conner, assistant general manager with the city Department of Transportation.

Proponents say this would greatly relieve traffic congestion.

“I love one-way streets. They are one of the best ways to make good time in a city. . . . It creates better flow, you can move more vehicles per hour. It’s very efficient,” said David Rizzo, author of “Freeway Alternates.”

During the 1984 Olympics, traffic planners implemented one-way streets to ease traffic on two major downtown streets, Flower and Figueroa. They were so successful that the change was made permanent.

But today the goals are more complicated. To diminish air pollution as well as alleviate congestion, transportation officials need to move more people in fewer vehicles--not simply move more cars. It is not yet clear, they say, whether one-way streets would achieve that.

“When you do away with congestion, you encourage people to use their cars more,” said Stan Hart, a chairman of the Sierra Club’s transportation committee. “One-way thoroughfares such as Pico and Olympic would simply increase--not decrease--the problem.”

To solve the problems that one-way streets would cause for bus riders, Riordan suggests setting up a shuttle service to run between bus lines. But mass transit advocates say that would discourage the use of public transportation. Studies have shown that the more times passengers must transfer, the less likely they are to use mass transit.

City officials are examining an array of options less obtrusive than one-way streets. One possibility would be to change the timing of traffic lights so they favor eastbound traffic on one street and westbound traffic on a nearby one. Another would be to ease congestion by encouraging trucks and delivery services to bring goods during off-hours. Riordan has asked trucking industry representatives whether they could reschedule deliveries to city agencies to set an example for other businesses, a spokesman said.

Riordan is not alone in pushing for car-pool lanes. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has asked city officials to consider installing such lanes on several other busy thoroughfares, including Vermont Avenue, Wilshire Boulevard and Broadway, Conner said. The city has already chosen a second car-pool lane candidate--Highland Avenue from Sunset Boulevard to the Hollywood Freeway.

The city’s planned car-pool lane on La Cienega Boulevard will begin at Clemson Street and run north to where Fairfax Avenue splits off La Cienega. From there, the car-pool lane will continue on Fairfax to Washington Boulevard, next to the quake-damaged Santa Monica Freeway. The lane will lead to the freeway on-ramp, connecting with the existing eastbound detour bypassing the Santa Monica Freeway.

The northbound car-pool lane will be created by re-striping and, for certain portions, taking away one southbound lane. The fact that La Cienega is blocked by the downed freeway makes it possible to use a southbound lane because southbound traffic has been extremely light, Conner said.

The car-pool lane will be along the right curb. Solo motorists will be allowed to enter the lane only to make right turns, Conner said.

- The only other time city officials tried a car-pool lane on a surface street was 1991, on a stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard. The experiment was tried for about 16 months before it was deemed a failure. But Sepulveda had several unique problems that contributed to the demise of its car-pool lane, Conners said.

Officials found that because the test stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard was loaded with curves, drivers were constantly knocking over the cones that set off the car-pool lane.

By contrast, La Cienega is straight. It serves several bus lines, which would use a car-pool lane. And officials believe the traffic volume on La Cienega will be more predictable than it was on Sepulveda, Conner said.

Taking Another Direction A northbound car-pool lane will be added later this month to parts of La Cienega Boulevard, Fairfax Avenue and Washington Boulevard. the plan is part of Mayor Richard Riordan’s effort to improve traffic flow throughout the city.