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On one of L.A.'s steepest streets, an app-driven frenzy of spinouts, confusion and crashes
Los Angeles Times ^ | 4/4/18 | Steve Lopez

Posted on 04/04/2018 2:42:57 PM PDT by jeannineinsd

Nobody could have known, several years ago, that technological progress could make life so complicated in Echo Park.

But along Baxter Street, everyone seems to have a story about the ineptitude of drivers — following directions from navigation apps — who can't seem to handle one of the steepest inclines in Los Angeles.

"The car came through our garden, went through two fences and ended up backwards hanging over our driveway," said Jason Luther, who was describing an accident that happened during the last rains.

"A lot of people can't make it up the hill," Baxter resident Robbie Adams said.

Why not? I asked.

"Because it's too steep, and they don't know how to drive up. So they stop and try to back down, and it's a mess because people are coming up behind them."

And that's in good weather.

"Rain is a huge problem," Adams said. "People start skidding and spinning. We had our garden wall knocked down twice, and my wife's car got hit in our own driveway. I've seen five or six cars smash into other cars, and it's getting worse."

Adams said "we sent a letter to Waze" — a GPS navigation service — suggesting removal of Baxter as a shortcut possibility, or at least listing it as hazardous during wet weather.

"They said they couldn't do that because it involves changing the algorithm of the app in a weird way," he said.

Adams' wife, Amy Talkington, helped organize neighbors in a call for a meeting, scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation. Several possible solutions are on the agenda, but there will be no easy fix.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Local News; Travel
KEYWORDS: gps; hill; losangeles; waze
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Baxter Street in Echo Park has seen increased traffic because of navigation apps. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

"The Times has reported that Baxter ranks as the third-steepest street in Los Angeles with a 32% grade, behind 28th Street in San Pedro (33.3%) and Eldred Street in Mount Washington (33%)."

1 posted on 04/04/2018 2:42:57 PM PDT by jeannineinsd
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To: jeannineinsd

Another view.

2 posted on 04/04/2018 2:43:31 PM PDT by jeannineinsd
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To: jeannineinsd

I drove thru there a few times to this restaurant close-by, and sometimes to Dodger Stadium LOL. No sweat as I’d rather cruise thru Baxter than say, Mulholland Drive where you cant even see the edges of the road at night and in a split second, you could end up 200 feet down a hill.


3 posted on 04/04/2018 2:47:51 PM PDT by max americana (Fired libtard employees 9 consecutive times at every election since 08'. I hope all liberals die.)
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To: jeannineinsd

Be tough on an icy day. :-)

.


4 posted on 04/04/2018 2:48:30 PM PDT by Mears
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To: jeannineinsd

I could look it up, but I’m to busy. But there is a New Jersey suburb suing Google maps for routing drivers through the little town as they take a shortcut to bypass traffic.

I think it starts with an L.

In any case, these apps do cause problems. Google map directions to my place might be the shortest route - but that route takes longer due to narrow country roads.

Going to work - Google wants me to take a road that is under construction and a route that takes 20 extra minutes.


5 posted on 04/04/2018 2:50:29 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
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To: jeannineinsd

It always surprises me how many steep hills are in LA.


6 posted on 04/04/2018 2:56:09 PM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: jeannineinsd
Welcome to Pittsburgh.
7 posted on 04/04/2018 3:00:31 PM PDT by Major Matt Mason (The U.S. Senate - where American freedom goes to die.)
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To: max americana

There is a “secret” route out of Dodger Stadium that goes through residential areas of Echo Park. I used it back in the 80’s. It saved me about an hour of time on the way out of Chavez Ravine.


8 posted on 04/04/2018 3:04:25 PM PDT by forgotten man
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To: Responsibility2nd

I recall a Google exec following Google maps in the winter in Oregon and it cost him and his family their lives. A good road in the summer ain’t necessarily so in the winter.


9 posted on 04/04/2018 3:05:01 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (Wisdom and education are different things. Don't confuse them.)
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin
I recall a Google exec following Google maps in the winter in Oregon and it cost him and his family their lives. A good road in the summer ain’t necessarily so in the winter.

It was a CNET editor named James Kim. He missed a turn and took the wrong road, no mention of GPS leading him astray. His wife and kids survived.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/07/missing.family/index.html

There may have been GPS used, but I don't recall.

10 posted on 04/04/2018 3:13:14 PM PDT by IYAS9YAS (There are two kinds of people: Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.)
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin

Google maps in my area routes people over SR 120, Tioga Pass, into Yosemite Nat’l Park, which is fine, except it is closed for 6 months of the year due to snow. Lot of people have tried it during Winter using Google maps. They don’t get far.


11 posted on 04/04/2018 3:24:50 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono
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To: IYAS9YAS

They were using GPS. There are now gps warnings and BLM, NFS signs all warning of the winter dangers of Bear Camp road.


12 posted on 04/04/2018 3:28:32 PM PDT by OregonRancher (Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints)
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To: max americana

Yep, Kalifornika all right.


13 posted on 04/04/2018 3:32:47 PM PDT by DaveA37
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To: miss marmelstein

There’s a very steep street in Signal Hill, Cal (oddly named Hill Street) that I remember driving as a lad. You go over and keep waiting to see the road, and keep waiting to see the road. I just YouTubed it and the main difference is that there are now buildings on either side. I remember it being just oil wells.

There was a case of something like this in England where the GPS sent traffic through villages that couldn’t handle it. Some streets were smaller than the semis trying to navigate them.


14 posted on 04/04/2018 3:45:42 PM PDT by hanamizu
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To: onedoug; stylecouncilor

Ping


15 posted on 04/04/2018 3:45:58 PM PDT by windcliff
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To: Mears

The only ice there would be in somebody’s margarita.


16 posted on 04/04/2018 3:48:45 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: windcliff

When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to drive up it for fun.


17 posted on 04/04/2018 4:11:17 PM PDT by stylecouncilor ("The future ain't what it used to be." Yogi Berra)
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To: jeannineinsd
"They said they couldn't do that because it involves changing the algorithm of the app in a weird way," he said.

I you can't do it, why not hire someone who is smarter than you who could figure the "weird way" out?

18 posted on 04/04/2018 4:37:44 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault (Kill: google,TWITTER,FACEBOOK,Hollywood,CNN,NFL,BLM,CAIR,Antifa,SPLC,ESPN,NPR,NBA)
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To: max americana

We used to live near that street, made for a great walking workout!


19 posted on 04/04/2018 5:02:06 PM PDT by LYDIAONTARIO
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To: jeannineinsd

The street next to it....fatgo street is almost as steep...i have gone up either street many times...if your engine aint powerful...start fast stay on lower gears...no problem

.just.be careful going.over the crest...cuz you cannot see whats on the downside..


20 posted on 04/04/2018 6:12:02 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find)
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