Panelists Chide Diamond-Lane Data of Caltrans

Some members of a group studying whether to expand the Ventura Freeway by a lane--and whether that should be a “commuter lane” limited to vehicles with two or more occupants--complained this week that Caltrans has failed to supply them with adequate information about the safety of such lanes.

The committee will hear public comment on the lane, popularly called a “diamond lane,” Monday night at a hearing in Van Nuys. After another hearing Jan. 29 in Thousand Oaks, the committee will vote in February on the proposal to add an eastbound 13-mile lane between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and the Hollywood Freeway.

Members of the 68-member advisory committee composed of political, business and civic leaders said they had hoped that data from the addition of a diamond lane to the Costa Mesa Freeway in Orange County would help answer a critical question of whether a similar lane on the Ventura Freeway would mean an unacceptable increase in accidents.

At first, Caltrans said accidents had declined after the Costa Mesa Freeway commuter lane opened in November, 1985. But, in June, a Caltrans official said accidents actually had increased 40% during the first three months of 1986 over the same period in 1985. Subsequently, the figure was revised twice--first to a 6% increase and then, in July, to a 30% increase.

Relied on Outdated Data

Accident statistics were wrong at first because statisticians were relying upon annual traffic counts that had not been updated for several years, Caltrans officials said. Without this data, Caltrans did not know how many people actually used the freeway before the inauguration of the commuter lane, they said. Accident rates are computed by dividing the number of accidents by the number of freeway users.

“We are not misconstruing the figures. We are not skewing them in our favor,” said W. T. (Doc) Maloney, a Caltrans spokesman.

Maloney added, “We don’t want to put something in out there that is less safe than what was out there before.” Caltrans officials say reserving the lane for vehicles with two or more occupants would induce more car-pooling and thus relieve some congestion.

However, Assemblyman Tom McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks), a member of the committee who opposes the use of an expanded Ventura Freeway lane as a commuter lane, recently asked the state auditor general to investigate the California Department of Transportation’s figures.

“It appears that Caltrans is issuing one-sided reports, obscuring unfavorable data, possibly using false data and operating in an entirely unobjective manner,” McClintock, whose district includes parts of the Ventura Freeway, alleged in a letter to the auditor general.

A new lane on the Ventura Freeway would be created by narrowing the existing ones from 12 to 11 feet and by using the median strip. The $4-million widening would begin in 1988. Besides the advisory committee’s approval, the proposal would need the nod of the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Assn. of Governments.

Ray Mellon, a transportation engineer for the Automobile Club of America and chairman of the advisory group’s technical committee, said the confusing safety data had been a “real irritation” to the committee. He said that is because the Costa Mesa experience will have “significant impact” on the voting.

Statistics Not Perfect

However, Dean Daily, an industrial real estate developer who represents the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. on the committee, said, “I do not see perfect statistics here, but, at the same time, I do not see such an imperfection that it would warrant sidetracking the whole project for that reason.”

Roger L. Stanard, a Woodland Hills attorney who heads the advisory committee, said he hopes attention is not diverted to Caltrans’ confusion over accident figures.

“My concern as chairman is not to let any problems with Caltrans overshadow what’s best for the freeway,” he said.

In hopes of obtaining a more definitive safety analysis, the Orange County Transportation Commission requested that transportation experts at the University of California, Irvine, do an independent study. But, when the study was released in November it reported “inconclusive” results about the commuter lane’s safety.

2nd Study Sought

The Ventura Freeway advisory committee, along with Orange County transportation officials and Caltrans, have commissioned the same transportation officials at UC Irvine to do another study. But the report will not be released before the vote on the Ventura Freeway commuter lane is scheduled in February.

Lane ‘Working Well’

Despite the past confusion, Jim Beam, chairman of the Costa Mesa Freeway advisory committee, said he is confident that the body will approve making the experimental Costa Mesa commuter lane permanent at its meeting Wednesday. Car-pool use is up and traffic is moving faster, Beam said, prompting him to conclude: “It looks like it is working well.”

For example, motorists using the commuter lane can travel the 11.8-mile stretch of freeway in 12 to 15 minutes, whereas it used to take 35 minutes, an Orange County transportation official said. Now, the drive takes 28 to 30 minutes in the other lanes.

The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Birmingham High School’s performing arts auditorium, at 17000 Haynes St., Van Nuys. The second hearing will take place at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29 in the Thousand Oaks City Council chambers, 401 W. Hillcrest Drive. On both nights, maps and displays will be available for viewing at 6:30 p.m.