Los Angeles is no stranger to traffic jams, accidents, and a seemingly endless series of red lights.
With a vast network of roads and intersections, some spots in the city are notorious for causing major issues for drivers.
Recent insights from the Los Angeles Times highlight the most problematic thoroughfares and intersections in the area.
Leading the list is the Hollywood intersection at Highland and Sunset, which has recorded over 300 crashes since 2010, making it the busiest intersection in the city, according to the Times.
James Moore, a traffic engineering specialist from the University of Southern California, noted that this area is particularly congested due to its role as a gateway to Hollywood. He suggested that a lot of the traffic might be from tourists.
Coming in second is the intersection of Sepulveda and Lincoln in Westchester, often used by drivers as a shortcut to Los Angeles International Airport. However, there’s little evidence that it actually saves them time, as pointed out by the Times.
A third critical point is the junction at MLK and Crenshaw, described as a merging area of two wide corridors with several lanes. In this case, drivers might at least enjoy a view of planes taking off while stuck in traffic. Since 2010, this intersection has seen 99 accidents.
Another notable spot is the Fairfax Asterisk, a complex intersection involving Fairfax Avenue, Olympic Boulevard, and San Vicente Boulevard. While it wasn’t on the latest list, it remains infamous for its complicated navigation. This particular intersection ranks as the ninth busiest in the city and has seen 348 crashes since 2010, according to a Times investigation.
The top five worst intersections conclude with Third Street and Alvarado Street in the Westlake area, followed by El Segundo Boulevard and Hoover Street in Athens. Moore mentioned that the Westlake intersection functions as a transit hub where a significant number of transit vehicles operate. Meanwhile, the El Segundo interchange poses problems as it’s often used as a bypass for those trying to avoid traffic on northbound routes.
Interestingly, the notoriously dysfunctional Fairfax Asterisk didn’t make the list this time around, but it continues to be acknowledged as one of the city’s more troubled intersections.
