Left-Turn Lanes

Left-turn lanes are a highly effective method for improving traffic flow and reducing accidents at intersections.

Each year, left-turn lane construction is considered at many intersection locations of the City’s more than 1,400 miles of arterial streets and main thoroughfares. There are more than 11,000 left-turn lanes and nearly 400 miles of two-way left-turn lanes in Los Angeles.

A conventional left-turn “pocket” lane is provided at many important, high-traffic intersections. A two-way left-turn lane is use to accommodate left turns from both directions at mid-block and some minor street locations.

Some arterial streets in older parts of the City of Los Angeles are too narrow to allow both curbside parking and left-turn lanes. The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will at times eliminate some curbside parking to construct left-turn lanes in these areas, providing for a safer and less congested intersection.

LADOT considers whether large development projects are nearby before reducing street parking. A large amount of curbside parking is not usually needed if these projects do not exist.

In other situations, it may be possible to reduce the number of through lanes in order to accommodate left-turn pockets or two-way left-turn lanes.