It looked like an accident waiting to happen. A woman was easing into Colfax Avenue traffic, the nose of her car far into the bike lane, unable to see cross traffic because of a car parked too close to the Studio Village exit.
Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian jumped out into the street to ease back oncoming traffic and guide the driver out to make a safe left turn.
And that was the very obvious evidence that something needed to be done in this section of roadway.
And so, it was done, on Monday morning—again by the city Department of Transportation. The curbs and spaces that three times in the past half year, were being painted red again.
“This is definitely not our gray, we use more of a battleship gray,” said Tony Duke, who has worked for the DOT for the past 25 years in the San Fernando Valley. “We have painted over this area a few times. Whoever is doing it here is persistent.”
Persistent yes, but that person is also causing vandalism, and creating a hazardous situation.
Studio City Neighborhood Council president John Walker said he has never heard of any other complaints of someone painting red curbs to a gray so that they can park.
“We all have trouble parking in some parts of Studio City, but we can’t just go out and paint over them,” Walker said at the site on Monday morning.
Krekorian and some of his staff were on site Monday morning to meet with the DOT crew that painted the three areas again near Studio Village.
“Whoever is doing this is not taking into account the dangerous situation they are putting some of their neighbors in,” Krekorian said.
Rafael Urzua who has painted over curbs throughout the San Fernando Valley said that he has seen similar situations in Woodland Hills and Sylmar. Another DOT representative, Alvin Pegues, said as parking becomes more of a premium, these kinds of vandalism occur more and more.
A vandalism charge could be either a misdemeanor, or a felony if the cost is more than $400. Part of the problem is that the person has to be caught in the act of doing it, police said.
Meanwhile, Studio Village manager Nancy J. Brown was happy, but hesitant, “The curbs look fabulous! … Let’s see how long it lasts this time.”
