Intersection Now Giving Drivers Mixed Signals

Dear Street Smart:

I have worked at the corner of Lambert Road and Harbor Boulevard for 25 years. During that period I have somehow survived unscathed the usually twice daily terror of making a left turn from westbound Lambert onto southbound Harbor.

So I was elated when it was announced that a new signal system providing left-turn arrows for Lambert Road traffic was to be installed. But after spending thousands of dollars, the city of La Habra has created an absurdity.

The left arrow for turning south onto Harbor only operates about 50% of the time, leaving one still faced with making a left turn on a full green in the face of 50 m.p.h. oncoming traffic. If one safely waits for all the oncoming traffic to clear out of the way, perhaps two vehicles can make the left turn, all the while getting threats and angry middle fingers from the Harbor turn pockets.

A further problem is that a high percentage of motorists don’t understand that, in the absence of signs specifically prohibiting a left turn, one can always turn left on a full green light. So they just sit there bewildered, waiting for a green arrow that never comes, while the traffic builds up behind them.

I plan to retire in a couple more years. I hope I can live through two more years at that intersection.

Joseph Byrne Simpson, Fullerton I’d hate to think that a traffic signal could throw off your retirement plans. It appears, however, that La Habra prefers to be finicky with it’s left-turn arrows.

The light at Lambert and Harbor is what is known as a “permissive/protective” traffic signal. Two of these signals were recently installed in La Habra. They give left-turning motorists a green arrow if more than two cars are queued up in the turn pocket. If fewer cars are in line, they get a regular green signal and must wait for oncoming traffic to clear out before making the left turn.

There’s a reason behind all this. With the left turn signal only occasionally kicking into action, through traffic gets a longer green light and more cars can churn through an intersection. With 30,000 cars using Lambert Road each day and another 25,000 cruising through on Harbor Boulevard, the longer the green the better.

“The intention is not to have to bring up a left-turn phase when there are only one or two cars that can get through during breaks in traffic,” said Nelson Wong, traffic manager for La Habra.

Moreover, the system has an advantage for left turners. In a typical intersection, a motorist approaching the left-turn signal can get stuck for upwards of 90 seconds if they miss the light. But with a permissive/protective signal, they have a green light as long as the through traffic does and can sneak out into the intersection and make their left turn once the oncoming cars are out of the way.

This is all fine and dandy when motorists know what they’re doing. But, as you note, many drivers don’t realize they can still turn without the green arrow, just as they do at an intersection with no left-turn light.

To put it simply, the problem may not be with the turn signals, but with ourselves.

While it might seem logical to install a small sign telling motorists they don’t need an arrow to turn left, traffic planners balk at such ideas. For starters, they don’t like a proliferation of signs. Moreover, they figure every motorist should know the cardinal rule of intersections--if there isn’t a sign specifically prohibiting you from making a left or U-turn, go ahead and make it.

“I think this kind of operation is probably unfamiliar to a lot of drivers and they just need to be more familiar and more aware of how they should be driving out there,” Wong said. “A lot of us just drive out of habit and really don’t pay too much attention. As more people become familiar with this type of signal, I think everyone will begin to appreciate it.”

But a word of caution. Some transportation experts shy away from installing permissive/protective signals because of safety concerns. The signals give daring left-turning motorists an opportunity to zip across oncoming traffic, which can be a risky venture if one cuts it too close. Wong noted, however, that the new signals on Lambert Road and at La Habra Boulevard and Euclid Street do not appear to be causing accidents so far.

“If it works properly, there’s a lot of benefits to it,” Wong said. “I think we’re kind of looking at this as a shakedown to see if it provides those benefits we’re hoping for.”

Dear Street Smart:

Concerning the plight of Jim Kashima (Jan. 28) who had $7 put on his bill for gasoline by a sneaky thief, I have the solution to the problem, I think.

When the self-serve stations were first starting, the instructions on the pump were to first place the hose nozzle in the tank and then take the money or credit card to the cashier.

Since I do this regularly, I have never had a problem. This reserves that pump for your car.

Arvid C. Townsend, Costa Mesa Just in the nick of time. I was perfecting the 50-foot dash between pump and cashier after reading Jim Kashima’s tale of gas station terror. Now I can save my breath. Whew.

Thanks for the tip. Also, kudos to Daniel Snyder of Santa Ana who wrote this week with the same advice.