Mulholland & Outpost Drive: Intersection Safety Update

Feb 10

Picture of the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive looking South towards Outpost Drive from Mulholland Drive.

Picture of the intersection of Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive looking North towards Mulholland Drive from Outpost Drive.

The intersection of Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive has long been a challenging spot for traffic safety, visibility, and speeding—especially cars whipping down Outpost Drive from Mulholland Drive into our Outpost Estates neighborhood.

Over the past several years, the Outpost Neighborhood Association (ONA) explored solutions to improve safety and beautification at this gateway intersection. Here’s an update on where things landed and what’s happening next.

Picture on December 24, 2021 around noon of a traffic collision due to speeding on Outpost Drive near Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive. While the Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) only has a record of 3 collisions on Outpost Drive near Mulholland Drive in the past 5 years, many more have occurred and observed by neighbors but not reported to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) or LADOT.

🌿 The Original Plan: A Landscaped Traffic Island

ONA had planned to install a landscaped center traffic island at Mulholland & Outpost Drive to:

🌸 Beautify a key entrance to Outpost Estates
🛑 Slow vehicle speeds
🚗 Help keep cars in their correct lanes on a tight curve

The project was:

Professionally engineered
Permitted and approved by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Los Angeles Fire Department
Part of a broader traffic-calming effort that also includes islands at La Presa Drive and Chelan Place

You can read more about the overall traffic island project here:
👉 https://www.outpostestates.com/news/trafficislands

Example of a current landscaped traffic island at Outpost Drive and Castilian Drive.

Rendering of the previously planned landscaped traffic island on Outpost Drive at Mulholland Drive looking East from Outpost Drive.

Rendering of the previously planned landscaped traffic island on Outpost Drive at Mulholland Drive looking North from Outpost Drive.

🗣️ Neighbor Feedback Changed the Outcome

After the Mulholland island plans were shared, a group of neighbors living in upper Outpost Estates (near Outpost Cove Drive, Carmen Crest Drive, Larmar Road, etc.) raised concerns about safety, visibility, emergency access, and overall comfort with the design.

Following community meetings, a petition, and extensive discussion, ONA made the decision to cancel the landscaped traffic island at Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive, even though it had already been approved and permitted.

Importantly:

The landscaped islands at La Presa Drive and Chelan Drive will still move forward
The Mulholland location was removed specifically in response to neighbor concerns
See the slides with details from the community meeting discussion in the pictures below or linked here

🎨 The New Approach: Testing Safety with Striping

Rather than doing nothing, neighbors and ONA worked together on an alternative. Instead of a physical island, ONA asked LADOT to:

Refresh and widen the yellow center striping at the intersection
Stripe the roadway to reflect the same footprint the island would have occupied
Use paint and striping as a temporary, low-impact test to see if it helps drivers stay in their lanes

This approach allows the City and neighbors to evaluate whether clearer striping alone can:

Calm traffic
Reduce wide turns into oncoming lanes
Improve safety without adding permanent infrastructure

Example of widened yellow center striping at the intersection of Outpost Drive at Mulholland Drive.

Picture from February 2026 showing LADOT starting to refresh and widen the yellow center striping at the intersection of Outpost Drive and Mulholland Drive.

⏱️ Timing & Next Steps

LADOT is currently working on the updated striping plan
The goal is to complete striping before the Hollywood Bowl season, when traffic volumes increase significantly
The changes will be monitored to see if they meaningfully improve driver behavior

This is a practical, collaborative compromise that reflects neighbor input while still addressing real safety concerns at this intersection.

🤝 A Community-Driven Outcome

While the Mulholland Drive and Outpost Drive landscaped traffic island will not move forward, this process reflects how Outpost Estates neighbors, ONA, LADOT, and City partners can work together—even when opinions differ—to find solutions that prioritize safety, transparency, and community trust.

If you have questions or want to share feedback once the striping is complete, ONA welcomes your input.