Letter to the Editor: Traffic in north Downey

Dear Editor:

We reside in the area of north Downey and we have loved living here for over 20 years. 

Since they have added the new condos and food establishments, there has been so much more traffic. We go out around 2:30 or 3 p.m. and it’s like you can’t get through Gallatin and Lakewood. Gridlock is always an issue, people are so disrespectful, they don’t care about following the laws and go through the striped lines after the freeway entrance going north. 

U-turns and left-hand turns are being made constantly going southbound on Lakewood when they can’t or don’t want to wait for the left hand turning lane on Gallatin. Another issue is the way is traffic allowed to make a U-turn when people are trying to turn right. All these people are normally just going to McDonald’s. There are two entrances to the 5 freeway, they need to figure it out. The U-turn should be eliminated. 

I really don’t know what the solution should be for these major traffic jams, but come summer, or Christmas holidays, it’s only going to get worse. 

With all these new housing structures and less parking, and no one looking at synchronization of the traffic lights, we are going to constantly be stuck in traffic at these locations. Firestone and Florence are no better either. 

Let’s get help or put traffic cops out there to look at the people that are violating the traffic laws. As we go around the community, all we see are more condos being built and people just coming in and not following traffic laws.

M. Contreras
Downey