STOP ‘Little Overland’ Avenue Danger!

Do you drive or walk on Overland? Park your car here? Live on the street or nearby? Walk to nearby shops and schools? Have you ever had a ‘close call’ from speeding traffic while getting out of your car, or trying to cross Overland, Olympic, Tennessee or Pico? Then you should know:

A neighbor was killed by a speeding car while crossing Overland, on a Saturday in broad daylight. Speed limits on Overland are 25 MPH, yet average speeds approach 55 MPH according to the city.

Multiple high-speed accidents occur weekly on ‘Little Overland,’ resulting in injuries to drivers, as well as to resident’s cars and property. A mini van overturned near Westwood Charter School – the driver had to be cut out by the 'jaws of Life.’ One doctor who lives on Overland has personally treated over 20 injury accidents at Overland and Tennessee!

Families, schoolchildren and pedestrians must cross the dangerous unprotected intersection at Tennessee and Overland – with no crosswalks or stops signs to make drivers yield or even slow down. This heavily used intersection is the only one on ‘Little Overland’ without a stop sign or crosswalk – from Pico up to Santa Monica. Even the marked intersections are ignored by drivers, creating dangerous situations, especially near the Westwood Charter School.

Our neighborhood is the ‘dumping ground’ for traffic that surrounding areas don’t want! The city encourages heavy traffic onto ‘Little Overland’ instead of the larger arteries of Westwood and Beverly Glen.

‘Little Overland’ is mis-designated as a ‘Secondary Highway’ by the city – it doesn’t meet their own legal definition. It should be changed to a ‘local street.’
Help us make the street safe again - what safety measures do YOU want?
Begin the Survey

Note: If you prefer, you can download the survey in MS Word [.doc] format here.

Instructions:
(1) Please have all members of your household who are over 18 complete the survey - only once.
(2) To ensure accuracy, your Name and Address are required (this information will not be shared with anyone).
(3) You are encouraged to provide your Email Address and Phone number in case we need to contact you.

***Please Read***
Please note that you may vote for items that seem like duplicates -- you may support (or oppose) multiple 'fixes' for the same problem. For example, you may 'vote' to support both the four way stop sign with crosswalk AND the four way stop sign without, if you so choose. Votes do not 'cancel' out each other, they simply 'talley' the number of residents who have an opinion on any particular idea.

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ex.:2240 Overland Apt.#6
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In case we need to contact you.
2300 Overland Ave. (Pico to Tennessee) Survey.

This block forms the southern limits of ‘Little Overland’ Ave. The street narrows to only 30 feet wide with one lane in each direction and a single parking lane on the east side. The speed limit is 25 MPH.

Problems include: cars ‘racing’ across Pico Blvd. to beat each other to the single northbound lane, excessive speed as cars try to transition from “Big Overland to ‘Little Overland,’ accidents occur as the cars are ‘squeezed’ from two lanes to one – crashing into each other as well as parked cars.

Please indicate your preference to each item.

Repaint ‘Big Overland’s’ lanes SOUTH of Pico, so that Northbound ‘Big Overland’ traffic becomes a single lane BEFORE reaching Pico.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Prohibit Left Turns onto ‘Little Overland’ during peak/’rush’ hours from Westbound Pico.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add direction signs SOUTH of Pico directing Northbound ‘Big Overland’ traffic off ‘Big Overland’ toward Westwood Village via Pico/Westwood Blvd. (to the west)
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add direction signs SOUTH of Pico directing Northbound ‘Big Overland’ traffic off ‘Big Overland’ toward Century City via Pico/ Beverly Glen/Avenue of the Stars. (to the east)
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add “School Zone” signs on ‘Little Overland Avenue.’
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add “Residential Neighborhood” or “Pedestrian Neighborhood Ahead” signs on ‘Little Overland Avenue,’ south of Pico.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Relocate “6000 Lb Weight limit” signs to ‘Big Overland’ south of Pico.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add additional “6000 Lb Weight limit” to each intersection of ‘Little Overland.’
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a “radar speed sign” to the Pico/Overland intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add additional 25MPH speed limit signs on ‘Little Overland’ at each intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Change/adjust timing of Pico traffic signals to make intersection more pedestrian friendly.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Shorten Left turn lane at Pico/Selby onto ‘Little Overland.’
Support     Against     Don't Care
2300-2200 ‘Little Overland’ between Pico and Olympic (including Tennessee Intersection) Survey

This two-block stretch of ‘Little Overland’ has NO traffic control measures. The street is 30 feet wide, one lane in each direction with a single parking lane on the east side. The speed limit is 25 MPH.

Problems: speeding cars (40-60MPH range), no crosswalks or stop signs for the entire stretch, and many high-speed accidents as cars make illegal left turns or illegal crosses of Overland from Tennessee, speeding cars on Overland are unable to avoid collisions and do not yield to pedestrians or resident’s cars entering and leaving driveways. The most recent example, a neighbor was killed crossing this section on a Saturday afternoon in broad daylight, in December 2003

Please indicate your preference to each item.

Add two stop signs PLUS a pedestrian crosswalk at Tennessee (making an ‘all way’ stop).
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add two stop signs at Tennessee (no crosswalk, ‘all way’stop).
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add only a crosswalk (to existing ‘right turn only’ stops on Tenn.)
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a lighted or ‘smart’ crosswalk across Overland at Tennessee.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a flashing yellow light/crosswalk/’pedestrian crossing’ sign.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add speed bumps on Overland.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a ‘radar/your speed’ indicator sign to each lane.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Additional ‘slow’ and ’25 MPH’ signs on Overland.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Replace orange ‘right turn’ pylons with permanent concrete planters at Tennessee.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Repaving/pothole repairs on Overland.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a traffic signal/pedestrian crossing at Tennessee.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Build a ‘traffic circle’ at intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
2200-2100 ‘Little Overland’ (including Olympic Intersection) Survey.

This area of ‘Little Overland’ borders Olympic Blvd. The street is only 30 feet wide and contains one lane in each direction with center left turn lanes. There are no parking lanes. The speed limit is 25 MPH. A traffic signal with left turn onto ‘Little Overland’ from Olympic and a pedestrian crosswalk complete the intersection.

Problems include excessive speed across the intersection as cars try to ‘make the light’ across Olympic, the left turn arrow ‘loading’ five to ten high speed cars at a time, making the southbound left onto ‘Little Overland.’ The narrowness of ‘Little Overland’ results in accidents as cars turning left and crossing Olympic hit waiting autos on ‘Little Overland,’ run onto sidewalks or front yards. A recent accident ‘flipped’ a van into a front yard. School children and pedestrians are threatened enough to require a crossing guard in addition to the light and crosswalk.

Please indicate your preference to each item.

Remove the left turn arrow from Olympic onto ‘Little Overland.’
Support     Against     Don't Care
Prohibit left turns onto ‘Little Overland’ during peak/‘rush’ hours.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Additional “school zone” signs.
Support     Against     Don't Care
More ‘25 MPH Speed Limit’ on ‘Little Overland’ signs.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Bigger, high visibility “6000LB Weight Limit” signs.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add a ‘red light violation camera’ to intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Install Left turn arrow from westbound Olympic to southbound Westwood Blvd.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add signs at Westwood/Olympic directing traffic toward the 10 Freeway.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add signs at Beverly Glen directing traffic toward the 10 Freeway.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add signs diverting westbound Olympic traffic onto Westwood, then to National to the 10 Freeway.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Removal of parking on Westwood during peak rush hours to help traffic flow.
Support     Against     Don't Care
2100 to 1800 ‘Little Overland’ (including Westwood Charter School) Survey

These blocks form the northern limits of ‘Little Overland’ where the street remains only 30 feet wide with one lane in each direction with a single parking lane on the east side, for four blocks. The speed limit is 25 MPH. Every intersection has an ‘all-way’ stop sign with marked pedestrian crosswalks. This area has many families, pedestrians and children, with Westwood Charter School and a number of apartment buildings, as well as single-family homes.

Problems include excessive speed, failure of cars to come to a compete stop at crosswalks and failure to yield to crossing children and parents. The planned addition of ‘left turn onto Overland’ lanes from Santa Monica Blvd. will greatly increase traffic during peak hours, which will put more cars in direct conflict with children arriving/leaving school.

Please indicate your preference to each item.

Add multiple speed bumps between existing stop signs.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add ‘smart’ lighted crosswalks at blocks around Westwood Charter School.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add multiple ‘School crossing’ and ’25 MPH’ Speed Limit signs.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add “School Zone” signs on ‘Little Overland’ Avenue.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add high visibility “6000 Lb Weight limit” signs on ‘Little Overland’ at each intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Repave and repair potholes.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Continue to fight the planned addition of two left turn lanes feeding onto ‘Little Overland’ Ave, as proposed in the Santa Monica Blvd. Project.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Additional ‘Little Overland’ Issues Survey

These issues include ALL of ‘Little Overland’ where it is 30 feet wide, from Pico to Santa Monica Blvd., as well as ideas for traffic control to minimize use of ‘Little Overland’ as a major commuter route.

Please indicate your preference to each item.

Reclassify ‘Little Overland’ as a ‘local street’ from the current “Secondary Highway” classification. According to the Los Angeles City Transportation Plan, the definition of “Secondary Highway” requires a 90 foot width (four traffic lanes, two in each direction) PLUS a 10 foot sidewalk/parkway, PLUS a 19 foot curb lane PLUS two lanes of all day parking. Clearly ‘Little Overland’ (TOTAL width is 30 feet, total lanes are two, with one parking lane.) can NEVER meet secondary definition. It is a local street, and should be classified and protected from traffic as one.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add freeway exit signs at National and Overland exits directing traffic to Westwood Village via Westwood Blvd.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add freeway exit signs at National and Overland exits directing traffic to Century City via Avenue of the Stars/Century Park East and ‘Big Overland Avenue to Pico Blvd.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add high visibility “Residential Neighborhood/No Through Traffic/local traffic only” signs on ‘Big Overland’ south of Pico.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Add high visibility signs directing traffic either west to Westwood Via Westwood Blvd or East to Century City Via Beverly Glen Blvd. on ‘Big Overland’ south of the Pico intersection.
Support     Against     Don't Care
Please include any comments or suggestions:
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