These are L.A.'s worst intersections. Why some might surprise you

Using traffic volume and accident data, The Times ranked the worst Los Angeles intersections.

Not all of the most problematic intersections were on major thoroughfares.

Everyone who commutes in L.A. has a traffic choke point that is the very worst part of their drive — where everything stops, time seems to stand still, and you debate how many red-light cycles it’s going to take to get through the intersection.

It’s these places where you worry about getting into that fender bender or witnessing an act of road rage that will haunt your nightmares.

The Times decided to find out which are truly the worst crossings in the city, based on city data on traffic volumes and accidents.

James Moore, a traffic engineering expert from USC, reviewed The Times’ data and offered some analysis, both predictable and surprising.

The common denominator for the list was clear: intersections at key traffic points, often near major shopping and business centers as well as freeways.

Many of the worst intersections were designed to handle a lot traffic. They’ve been optimized for car movement (so pedestrians, buses and cyclists come second to moving cars). This is controversial because some feel the city needs to prioritize getting solo drivers out of cars and onto mass transit and other alternatives. But most of these intersections lack protected bike and bus lanes.

As frustrating as the waits at these intersections can be, Moore argues that the city has generally done an adequate job of moving so many cars. He’s skeptical that much more can be done short of the type of “congestion pricing” system being tried in New York and European cities, where drivers pay a toll for using certain roadways at peak hours.

Many of these intersections contain “protected” right turn lanes, which Moore says improve flow and reduce conflict among drivers.

One surprise is that not all of the intersections in our list were the crossings of major thoroughfares. Although those big intersections were represented — Pacific Coast Highway and Sunset Boulevard, Wilshire and Sepulveda boulevards — others included smaller streets.

The reason? Often they marked key choke points just outside of major attractions such as Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles and LAX. Intersection design also plays a role. A poorly laid-out crossing can really back up traffic, especially in areas with few alternative routes.