West Hollywood Resident's Video Leads to Fixing of Ultra-Short Traffic Light

City officials say timing adjustments were made within days of the viral social media post.

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A West Hollywood resident filmed a traffic light that only allowed enough time for one car to go through, drawing widespread attention from locals who recognized the issue. City officials confirmed the timing problem and said adjustments were already underway to address the short green light cycle at the intersection of Fuller Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

Why it matters

The video highlighted an ongoing problem that many West Hollywood residents had experienced for years, leading to a quick response from city officials to fix the issue and improve traffic flow and safety at the intersection.

The details

In the video shared on Instagram, the green signal at the intersection lasted only a few seconds, allowing a single car to clear the intersection before quickly shifting to yellow and then red. The post drew hundreds of thousands of likes and thousands of comments from locals who said they had experienced the same problem.

  • On February 20, a West Hollywood resident filmed the ultra-short traffic light.
  • On February 21, city staff performed a quick fix to ensure cars had additional fixed time in green light mode on Fuller Avenue.
  • The city then contacted the county for a more permanent solution to the traffic light timing issue.

The players

Griff Stark-Ennis

A West Hollywood resident who filmed the video of the ultra-short traffic light and shared it on Instagram.

Joshua Schare

The West Hollywood public information officer who confirmed the timing problem and the city's actions to address it.

John Heilman

The West Hollywood mayor who acknowledged the issue and credited the video with bringing renewed attention to it.

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What they’re saying

“Every time I come to Trader Joe's and I leave, I'm always gagged by it.”

— Griff Stark-Ennis (Instagram)

“I watched multiple times to count and that light is literally [three] seconds.”

— Anonymous commenter (Instagram)

“We appreciate the person who posted the video calling attention to the issue. I've experienced the issue myself when leaving Trader Joe's.”

— John Heilman, West Hollywood Mayor (People.com)

What’s next

The city contacted the county for a more permanent fix to the traffic light timing issue at the intersection of Fuller Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

The takeaway

This case highlights the power of community engagement and social media in bringing attention to local issues, leading to a swift response from city officials to address a problem that had been frustrating residents for years.