Left-turn phasing signal installed at Sunset and Chautauqua
A new turn signal is now active at a Pacific Palisades intersection where a fatal crash occurred in 2017.
Councilmember Mike Bonin has announced that the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) activated a left phasing turn signal at the intersection of Sunset and Chautauqua boulevards. The signal is for westbound traffic on Sunset turning left onto Chautauqua,
“The new signal will improve safety for everyone who uses the road, and also help traffic move more efficiently on the often-crowded street, making it much easier for drivers to safely turn when turning west from Sunset onto Chautauqua headed south, where there is a curve that prevents them from seeing oncoming traffic,” Bonin said.
In 2017 36-year-old David Babalyan died in a motorcycle accident at the intersection. Pacific Palisades resident Lou Kamer was at the scene of the fatal 2017 accident. That crash involved four motorcycles traveling east on Sunset and a westbound Mercedes Benz driven by a 16-year-old boy. In addition to Babalyan’s death, the crash sent the three other motorcyclists to the hospital. At the time Kamer was serving on the PPCC, and along with then-PPCC President Maryam Za, led a persistent effort to address safety at the intersection, working with LADOT, Bonin’s office and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Now after over three years of hard work, the signal has been activated.
In addition, Bonin noted LADOT crews upgraded an existing crosswalk to enhance visibility for drivers as pedestrians cross the intersection.
