Left-turn Pockets

Turn pockets give cars turning left their own lane at an intersection.

On Valencia Street, there are three traffic lanes, and the middle lane is usually a left-turn at each intersection and a median mid-block.

Pros

• Turn pockets improve safety, by reducing the likelihood that a driver stuck behind a turning car will dart out into the next lane

Cons

• On San Jose/Guerrero, adding a turn pocket usually means eliminating the "pedestrian refuge" for people who can't make it all the way across the street in one light
• Turn pockets need to be at least 50 feet (about two houses) long-- eliminating that much green median

San Jose/Guerrero

This proposal shows a left-turn pocket at Guerrero and Cesar Chavez narrowing the 14-foot median to 4 feet.