101/405 INTERSECTION THE WORST BOTTLENECK IN THE NATION STUDY: FIXES MAY HELP, BUT FOR HOW LONG?

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

The San Fernando Valley's notorious 101-405 interchange linking the Ventura and San Diego freeways - long seen as ground zero for the region's gridlock - has received a dubious distinction: being named the worst bottleneck in the nation, according to a study being released today.

The 101-405 took the No. 1 spot, beating out three other Southern California traffic hot spots also on the national top 10 list, according to the report by the American Highway Users Alliance, a 72-year-old nonprofit highway advocacy group.

``There was just a huge influx of people and cars going through there, more than anywhere else in the nation,'' said the organization's president, Diane Steed.

The 101-405 traded places this year with the 405-10 interchange linking the San Diego and Santa Monica freeways in Westwood, which was tops five years ago and is now No. 5. Last time, the 101-405 was seventh.

Among the top 10 bottlenecks are Southern California's intersection of the Santa Monica and the Golden State freeways in downtown Los Angeles (No. 8), and the San Diego and San Gabriel River freeways in Long Beach (No. 9).

Intersections were ranked based on the hours of annual traffic delay.

Off the list, thanks to improvements, was Orange County's intersection of the Newport Freeway with State Route 22, though that region's Orange Crush, the convergence of the 5-22-57 freeways, ranked 13th.

The report said the 101-405 improvements under way to widen ramps, add car-pool lanes and otherwise ease the commute for its 318,000 daily drivers would offer relief if they're ever finished, but that those fixes might not be enough to keep the interchange from being named the nation's worst again because of the continued crush of more than 430,000 commuters expected in the region.

Local officials who have fought for improvements said the report highlighted just how much more has to be done.

``So we're No. 1,'' said Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks, who helped secure $500,000 to launch the 101-405 improvements more than five years ago.

``As I've said at every ribbon-cutting we've had, we have got to run fast just to stay in place because there's more traffic,'' Sherman said. ``Even a little more traffic can really jam things up if we don't make more improvements.''

Assemblyman Keith Richman, R-Granada Hills, who has steadily pressed for more infrastructure spending to shore up the state's highways after decades of neglect, reiterated that call Wednesday.

``The congestion of the 101-405, along with all of our other roads, is a reflection of that lack of investment,'' he said.

``There is no silver bullet. We need to look at other transportation alternatives, including busways, high-speed rail, monorail, maglev or other alternatives. Every alternative is going to be controversial, but we need to come up with solutions to the inevitable increasing congestion that we face.

``It's critical we come up with solutions that are going to increase mobility for people and goods in region.''

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the 101-405 fixes and the new busway through the Valley - a buses-only lane now under construction from North Hollywood to Woodland Hills - would help.

``The Orange Line is going to be up and running in a year and a half, and I really hope that will take some pressure off and will give 101 commuters an alternative to sitting and getting aggravated on the 101,'' said Yaroslavsky, also a county supervisor.

The report detailed the 101-405 improvements, which are being partly held up by the state budget problems, saying they could shave up to 25 minutes off one-way commutes once completed.

Over the next 20 years, those improvements could lead to 9,000 fewer crashes and 60 percent to 80 percent reductions in various smog-causing emissions if cars aren't idling so much.

That said, however, the fixes might not be enough to knock the Valley's trouble spot off the No. 1 ranking.

With other studies showing the San Fernando Valley expected to see an additional 245,000 residents over the next 20 years, and the rest of the Southern California region likely to grow by 6 million, the sheer volume of cars through the intersection can keep the intersection ranking high.

``It still could be the worst, but the average commuter will see an improvement in their daily commute,'' Steed said.

``Most people have just said congestion is just a way of life - there's nothing we can do about it. This study shows we can do something.''

The report comes as federal legislators are debating a new, six-year highway spending bill that could bring as much as $500 million annually to Los Angeles County and as state money for transportation has all but dried up.

Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills, a member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, said work should continue on all fronts.

``You have to keep moving forward - it's absolutely critical,'' she said.

MTA Chief Executive Officer Roger Snoble said that, despite the state budget problems that will slow down new projects, great strides can still be made if drivers simply carpool and planners use advanced technology to improve traffic flow.

``Even if you have all the money, can you actually build your way out?'' he said.

``More and more, that's really the problem: You have one person in one car that has four, five seats - or, more and more, 11 seats,'' he said. ``We have to start looking at other things than adding pavement.

``Congestion is still going to be a real problem as long as we insist on taking 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of plastic and metal with us wherever we go.''

Lisa Mascaro, [phone]

lisa.mascaro(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, map

Photo:

(color) Evening rush hour traffic approaches the most congested freeway interchange in the nation: the 405-101.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Map:

TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE