The stoplight at Santa Monica Boulevard and Fuller Avenue came under scrutiny after a social media post. (photo by Patrick Toth)
A West Hollywood stoplight went viral after resident Griff Stark-Ennis uploaded a video to his Instagram on Feb. 20, showcasing how little time the green light located at Fuller Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard lasts. The video led to an almost immediate alteration.
“I talked with DPW in more detail and they let me know that city staff performed a quick fix on the Santa Monica Boulevard at northbound Fuller Avenue signal on Saturday, February 21 in order to ensure that cars had additional fixed time in green light mode on Fuller,” West Hollywood public information officer Joshua Schare said. “Then, the city contacted the county for a more permanent fix.”
The video amassed more than 275,000 likes and over 5,000 comments, with many community members chiming in.
“Every time I come to Trader Joe’s and I leave, I’m always gagged by it,” Stark-Ennis says in the video.
“I watched multiple times to count and that light is literally [three] seconds,” one commentor wrote.
Another user cracked, “We allow one half of a car per green, thank you.”
“I used to live down the street from here on Spaulding,” another added. “[The] way I would avoid this light at all costs! Been like this for years. Doubt they’ll ever change it.”
On Feb. 24, West Hollywood’s official Instagram page @wehocity, commented, “We’re aware of the traffic light timing issue – thank you for bringing this to our attention! We have reached to L.A. County out to request a fix.”
In the video, after the light turns green, only one car is able to make it through the light as it quickly turns to yellow and then red.
“City staff is aware of the mistimed traffic light,” West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman said when reached for a comment. “Our traffic lights are maintained by the county. Our city engineer has notified the county and asked for the county to fix the traffic light. We appreciate the person who posted the video calling attention to the issue. I’ve experienced the issue myself when leaving Trader Joe’s.”
Prior to staff fixing the light, the city provided clarification to the chain of command in connection to stoplights.
“The city of West Hollywood’s Department of Public Works has been working with its traffic engineering consultant on signal timing adjustments along Santa Monica Boulevard, including at the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and northbound Fuller Avenue,” the city said in a statement. “Earlier this week, the city received a report that the northbound signal phase was ending too quickly, allowing only one or two vehicles to pass through the intersection before turning red. City staff reviewed the signal timing and confirmed that the northbound phase is currently too short, which is also reflected in video circulating on social media. As the issue appears to be ongoing, the city has contacted Los Angeles County and requested that the county evaluate the signal to determine whether additional timing adjustments or maintenance are needed. The city will continue to monitor the situation closely and work toward a prompt resolution.”
Stark-Ennis’ caption for his video read, “Not all heroes wear capes … some drive Kias.” The Kia driver did not respond to a request for comment.