Navigation Apps Keep Sending Drivers on the Same Dangerous Shortcut in Los Angeles

Andrea Romano
Updated

It’s common knowledge that Los Angeles is one of the worst places for traffic congestion.

Drivers stuck in the hot Southern California gridlock often find themselves wishing there was something — anything — they could do to get to their destination faster. Navigation apps like Waze have even offered some interesting detours, one of which has caused more trouble than it’s worth.

According to the Los Angeles Times, some drivers might have noticed that their navigation apps have been offering a particular detour through Baxter Street in Echo Park in order to bypass the headache-inducing traffic.

This would be a dream come true, except if you’re not familiar with Echo Park, you might not know Baxter Street is notorious for its extremely steep incline.

The Times reported that some “inept” drivers have been unable to handle the huge hill, leading to a number of accidents, especially in bad weather. "A lot of people can't make it up the hill," Baxter resident Robbie Adams said.

Many drivers end up trying to go back down the hill, but that often causes complications when there are other drivers behind them.

"Rain is a huge problem," Adams added. "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 and other residents teamed up to send a letter to Waze in order to get Baxter Street removed as a possible detour, or possibly get notifications sent in case of any hazards.

Waze, unfortunately, sent a letter back saying they could not remove the route due to the app’s algorithm.

Baxter ranks as the third-steepest street in Los Angeles with a 32-percent grade, behind 28th Street in San Pedro (33.3 percent) and Eldred Street in Mount Washington (33 percent), according to the Los Angeles Times, and it’s one of the 10 steepest streets in the U.S.

Residents met Wednesday and are attempting to find their own solution.