Freeway On-Ramp Signals Are Imperfect but Do the Job

Dear Street Smart:

I’d like to see a minor change made to the signals at the metered on-ramps to freeways. Most of them operate from a loop in the pavement that modulates their operation during rush hour. Why not have the signal remain green instead of red if there is no one waiting in line at the ramp to go onto the freeway?

An advantage would be that when traffic on the ramp is light--and metering is less important--the occasional vehicle would not need to stop, saving gas and wear and tear on the brakes associated with an unnecessary stop.

W. Bruce Borden, Tustin

It’s an interesting idea and certainly seems appealing to those of us occasionally forced to stop at a ramp for no good reason. But there could be problems if more than one car were headed onto the ramp at once.

Imagine three cars moving onto a metered ramp, each car closely following the next. The first one goes through the green meter light, triggering the red as it passes over the wire loop in the pavement. The second car sees the sudden red and slams on the brakes. The third car, following closely, does likewise, but plows into the second car.

Instant bumper cars. Not a pretty scenario.

With the red light glowing when no one is on the ramp, any approaching queue of cars knows from the start that drivers are going to have to slow to a stop.

It’s certainly not a perfect system, but it does accomplish what Caltrans intended--to ensure that cars are spewed onto the freeway one at a time, making it easier to merge into traffic.

Dear Street Smart:

I applaud the development of the car-pool lanes in Orange County, but there are a few bugs.

One is the lack of an exiting area on the San Diego Freeway for the Euclid Street and Warner Avenue off-ramps. Why is that?

Also, the exit window for the Harbor Boulevard off-ramp gives the motorist less than a quarter-mile to cross several lanes of the freeway to get to the off-ramp. If the motorist is liable for a substantial fine for exiting the car-pool lane where it is not marked, Caltrans should evaluate the usefulness of the current markings.

Linda A. Hagood, Laguna Beach

Car-pool lanes are imperfect creations at best. The prime goal, as Caltrans officials see it, is to create an expressway-type system that keeps car-pools moving without a lot of bother from other cars entering or exiting. With that in mind, designers try to keep to a minimum the entry and exit points, which are indicated by fat white lines know as “elephant track.”

With the multitude of on- and off-ramps in Orange County, it can be a difficult task. Designers are forced to shoehorn entry-exit areas into tight spots, or put them well in advance of a particular off-ramp they’re supposed to serve.

Such is the case with Euclid Street and Warner Avenue. Headed north, the exit point for Euclid Street is actually a long entry-exit area that also serves Harbor Boulevard. For Warner Avenue, the exit area is further up the freeway, but about a mile before the off-ramp.

As I see it, the problem for many motorists is knowing when to leave a car-pool lane to reach the correct off-ramp. Along some car-pool lanes in Orange County, Caltrans has erected small green directional signs in the freeway median advising motorists when to exit.

There are no such signs on the northern end of the San Diego Freeway’s car-pool lane, which includes the Euclid and Warner off-ramps. Fortunately, Caltrans officials say they hope to install the directional signs by early next year.

Your problem with reaching the northbound Harbor Boulevard off-ramp is another matter. I went out to check the situation and found that the beginning of the exit window is about a half mile from the off-ramp. That doesn’t give a motorist much room to cross traffic and get off the freeway, but it can be managed with a bit of fortitude.

Caltrans officials said the elephant track doesn’t appear any sooner because designers feared that it would be too close to the northbound transition road leading from the Corona del Mar Freeway. If the elephant track began nearer the transition road, they said, cars spewing off the Corona del Mar Freeway might try to zip too quickly across traffic to reach the car-pool lane, creating a safety hazard.

Dear Street Smart:

Why wouldn’t one use the in speaking of our freeways! One takes the freeway, drives the freeway, or--as do I--hates the freeway, just as one might take the bus, ride the bus, or hate the bus.

Fay Cheney, Santa Ana

For those who just tuned in, a reader recently questioned why we Southern Californians use the when referring to freeways by their numbers--as in the 405 freeway or the 5. I had no particularly good answer but welcome theories from interested readers.

Dear Street Smart:

This retired police chief commends you for the column of Oct. 4 about the use of a turn signal.

Unsafe lane changing is one of the primary causes of accidents. In my opinion, traffic officers should be directed to issue citations to those who fail to signal prior to changing lanes or turning.

Otto L. Bortfeld, Rancho Santa Margarita

Thanks for your letter. I welcome any reminder that I should make sure to look and signal before I change lanes.