'It's Like Playing Frogger': Encino Residents Rage Over Quiet Road Turned Waze Shortcut

ENCINO (CBSLA) — First it was frighteningly steep Baxter Street in Echo Park.

Now, residents on one street in Encino are complaining about navigation apps turning their neighborhood into a dangerous, veritable parking lot.

"I can't get across the street with my stroller; it's like playing Frogger," Abbey Benson told CBS2 News Thursday. She lives on Ballina Canyon Road, and video captured by her home's security camera shows some of the cars that descend on the street during rush hour.

"This is the worst year we've ever had. It's bad traffic," said another resident.

Neighbors say that three to four years ago, Waze turned their quiet street into a rush hour shortcut providing access to the area's main thoroughfares Sepulveda Boulevard and Mulholland Drive.

"We all have to coordinate trying to get out of our driveways, so we let each other out," said Benson. "We'll stop and hold traffic 'cause you can't back out."

CBS2 caught at least one car blowing through a neighborhood stop sign.

Benson said it has gotten so bad, she and others have tried to outsmart Waze.

"We would go on and report accidents or obstructions, but they quickly caught on, and we got blocked," chuckled Benson.

Neighbors are hoping the City of Los Angeles intervenes as they did on Baxter Street, the infamously steep road that gained so much bad press, it was recently turned into a one-way street.

However, they quickly hit a roadblock.

"[Waze] said that as long as this is a public road, it'll remain in their map system as a usable road," Benson claimed.

The situation is leaving neighbors feeling desperate and frustrated.

"Everyone feels like there's no one to go to," said the neighbor.

The disgruntled residents said they plan to take the matter to the city council and the mayor.

CBS2 reached out to Waze but had not heard back Thursday evening.