Something must be done about Chevy Chase Drive Speedway

When I bought a house on the corner of Chevy Chase Drive and Orange

Grove Avenue almost four years ago, little did I know that I would

have front-row seats to the destruction and death (as of Jan. 30)

that occurs regularly on Chevy Chase Drive.

Since my family moved to Glendale in April 2000, we have witnessed

dozens of accidents in the strip of Chevy Chase between the

intersections of Broadway and Colorado Street. True, most have been

fender benders, but the accidents are constant due to the speed

exhibited by drivers traveling north and south on Chevy Chase, and

the daring drivers who try to dart into busy Chevy Chase traffic

using the cross streets of Orange Grove and Harvard Street. There are

near-misses every day, not only between cars, but with cars barely

missing pedestrians who venture and dodge across the four lanes.

When I heard the accident at 10:30 [the night of Jan. 30], I

wasn’t shocked because, as stated above, it is a normal occurrence. I

assumed it was another car bashing car, but I was met with the

horrific scene of Ms. Hasmik Tovmasyan sprawled out in the street. As

she lay dying on the pavement, I thought to myself, “Why doesn’t the

city of Glendale care enough to do something about this problem

area?” Another person gasped to her friend, “This street is horrible.

There are always accidents here!”

The Glendale Police Department said that they will do more

“traffic stings” trying to ticket drivers who don’t stop for

pedestrians who walk from one side of Chevy Chase to the other. Yet,

they did a sting on Chevy Chase Drive and Harvard recently. My son

and I watched as they nabbed 30, 40 or 50 drivers for not stopping

for a crossing police officer (disguised as a pedestrian). Some

drivers didn’t even slow down for the human being crossing in front

of them. The past sting netted dozens of drivers who were breaking

the law, but this didn’t prevent the death of Hasmik Tovmasyan. So

why would future stings do anything except placate the city of

Glendale so they think they are being proactive about this problem?

I am well aware that Chevy Chase Drive is a main thoroughfare of

the city. I know that it makes little sense to put a stop sign at

Orange Grove only 100 or so yards above Colorado Street, but there

has to be actions the city can take other than having a mildly

effective police sting twice a year. There have to be some creative

people within City Hall who can design traffic-slowing strategies

between Broadway and Colorado. Whether they implement speed bumps,

SLOW signs, a lighted crosswalk or even a painted crosswalk, there

needs to be something done immediately, or there will be more deaths

and injuries occurring on the speedway that is Chevy Chase Drive.

CHARLES MORRIS JR.

Glendale