LEFT-TURN SIGNAL PLANNED FOR SHERMAN WAY AT FALLBROOK.

Byline: SUE DOYLE

It doesn't take long driving on Los Angeles roads and freeways before motorists come up with questions about construction, signals and mass transit. Today we answer a few reader questions.

Q: Dennis Sherman of West Hills asks if there are plans to add left-turn signals at the busy corner of Sherman Way and Fallbrook Avenue and also at the congested intersection of Saticoy Street and Fallbrook Avenue.

A: Good news, Dennis! A left-turn signal will come to westbound Sherman Way turning left onto Fallbrook Avenue by July 2009, said Bruce Gillman, a spokesman at the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

But there are no plans right now to add a left-turn signal to Saticoy Street and Fallbrook Avenue, Gillman said.

Also, Saticoy Street and Van Nuys Boulevard will get three new left-turn signals by July 2009 for east, west and south points of the intersection.

It's all part of a safety program that aims to install 460 new left-turn signals at the city's busiest intersections by July 2009.

Q: Several readers said they love listening to their iPods in the car and wanted to know if it was illegal to drive with ear buds in?

A: You can wear a bud in one ear, but not the other. Same goes for ear plugs and headsets.

"You need to be able to hear what's going on around you -- sirens and other drivers," said Jaime Coffee, California Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

Basic fine for the offense in Los Angeles County costs $25, plus $24 in court fees.

Q: We could use a DASH bus to serve the Sepulveda Ambulatory Care Center, a veterans hospital in North Hills. Metro's 167 line serves it now, but it's often packed with loud school kids, said Donna Gooley of Valley Village.

A: There are no plans to add DASH bus service to the hospital or anywhere else without outside help from developers or community groups to pay for it, said Phil Aker, supervising transportation planner for LADOT.

Aker said there is no money available to start new services and that the agency hesitates to launch bus lines that duplicate service already covered by Metro buses.

However, Art Walk downtown gets DASH service once a month with $5,000 paid by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council. And there's talk about a new DASH bus to serve Silver Lake that could be paid for by its community.

We asked Councilman Greig Smith on Tuesday if there are any plans for a DASH in North Hills and he will get back to us. We will stay on top of it, Donna.

TRANSPORTATION TIDBITS 

All crosswalk signs in the city are changing during the next four years from the little walking person to timers that count down the remaining seconds you have to get the heck across the street.

It's happening as LADOT installs new energy-efficient lightbulbs inside traffic signals.

Since the late 1950s, call boxes have dotted Los Angeles County roads and freeways but cell phone technology is replacing the need for all 3,500. So damaged and old ones will be removed through June, possibly reducing the number of call boxes to 2,000. It's uncertain if all call boxes will be phased out. Metro is evaluating safety issues, such as whether an area has poor cell phone reception and the agency could re-install some boxes. Meanwhile, #399 from your cell phone gets you help with your car. But nothing replaces calling 911 for emergencies.

Chat live online at noon Oct. 17 with Pam O'Connor, Metro board chairwoman, about Metro's transportation programs and ideas to stave off gridlock. It all takes place at metro.net/chat, where you can ask questions live or in advance. Questions will be posted when the chat goes live.

This is the first of a new series of online lunch-hour chats with O'Connor and other Metro executives. Topics vary and will be posted in advance on Metro.net.

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