Caltrans Hopes to Ease Confusion

Dear Street Smart:

Why does the new Costa Mesa Freeway extension in Costa Mesa have such poor access from Newport Boulevard at Fair Drive?

On the southbound side of Newport Boulevard, the ramp leading to the freeway is closed.

On the northbound side, some drivers are dangerously swerving out of the left lane, which has a sign saying, “Left Lane Must Turn Left,” only to find that they don’t have to turn left. Are all the people who continue to enter the freeway from this lane breaking the law? Also, will the big, majestic eucalyptus trees that lined Newport Boulevard be replaced?

E. Miskevich Costa Mesa Although the freeway ramp on the southbound side of Newport Boulevard is finished, there’s no sense in opening it yet, according to Caltrans spokesman Albert Miranda. It leads to the southbound side of the freeway extension, which continues only about a half-mile beyond the ramp. Cars would be exiting the freeway less than a minute after getting on it.

As for that left-turn only sign on the northbound side of Newport Boulevard, drivers should obey instructions if they are in the left-hand turn pocket just before Fair Drive. Indeed, those drivers in that pocket who continue onto the ramp instead of turning are breaking the law. Drivers aiming for the ramp should be in the two innermost through lanes.

Caltrans plans to install a new overhead sign in about a month that will better indicate which lanes go onto the freeway and which lanes must turn left or continue straight, Miranda said.

Sadly, the eucalyptus trees are history. They had to be removed so the freeway could be built, and they will not be replaced. Caltrans does plan to landscape the slope along the freeway where the trees used to stand, depending on funding.

Dear Street Smart:

In your response to a letter on June 3, you stated that in Irvine, “signal timing, good pavement and other factors mean that drivers can go (55 m.p.h.) quite safely.” On what streets are the signals actually timed that well in Irvine, the land of the synchronized red lights. Please let me know, because I would like to use these roads.

Main Street, Harvard Avenue and Irvine Center Drive are notorious for making drivers hop from red to red, and the only stretch in Irvine that used to be pretty well timed, Alton Parkway, between Jeffrey Road and Muirlands Boulevard, is now an absolute joke, especially around Interstate 5.

David Kalish Laguna Niguel Signal coordination is no guarantee against red lights, according to Steve Libring, the senior transportation engineer in Irvine who was quoted in that June column. However, on average throughout the week, you should be getting mostly greens.

“Trust me, they are timed so that if you maintain a steady speed, you will hit them,” Libring said.

But just as some factors can come together to allow a safe, high speed traffic flow, other factors can wreak havoc on the best attempts to synchronize traffic signals.

For example, a traffic tie-up on the San Diego Freeway will cause problems for Alton, because many cars will exit the freeway to drive along Alton past the problem. This overloads the signals. They’ll adjust to the higher flows eventually, but it’s not an instantaneous response.

Also, as Libring alludes to above, if drivers are dashing as fast as possible between lights, they may arrive at a new signal before coordination changes the light. Typically, a speed of around 50 m.p.h. on most major streets should carry drivers from green to green most of the time, Libring said.

Libring stressed that drivers who believe that signal coordination means a green light at every intersection along their route need to adjust their expectations. With major traffic flows often crossing each other in Irvine, some stops will be inevitable.

But over time, on average, lights should be green for motorists on major streets, Libring said, and he stands by this statement.

“I dare anyone to count them and prove that on a consistent basis, five days a week, they’re hitting more reds.”

Tell him the route you take to work and the time you begin. Note how many signals you pass and how many you stop for, along with their locations. You should also note your average speed.

“I’d be more than happy to drive it and see how well we do. And if he’s not hitting more than half of them green, we’ll be out there making adjustments,” Libring said.

Now that’s service with a smile.

Dear Street Smart:

What is the number you can call to report vehicles emitting obvious excess emissions, and what happens when a smogger vehicle is reported? Is it worthwhile for citizens to take the time to report these vehicles? Can the state force repairs? As I recall, if the cost of repairs is over a certain amount, depending on the age of the car, the offending car owner can pollute our air with impunity.

Mark A. Oconnell

Irvine The number is 1 (800) CUT-SMOG. Those who phone in reports won’t be putting anyone in prison or causing them to pay a giant fine. But calls to the hot line can certainly help reduce emissions from polluting vehicles.

When the Air Quality Management District gets a call, it sends out a letter to the vehicle’s owner that says the car was reported and may need to be repaired. It’s completely voluntary whether the owner gets the vehicle fixed.

Of course, eventually all vehicles will get a mandatory smog check through the state’s registration program, and as you note, some older cars are exempted.

About 15,000 to 20,000 calls are placed to the hot line a month. Of all those letters mailed out, about 30% of the vehicle owners mail back a response card indicating what they’ve done about the problem. That’s a good rate for a voluntary program, according to AQMD spokeswoman Claudia Keith.

To make a report, callers should note the license number, make and model of the car, along with the place and time. Cars should only be reported if they are emitting visible smoke for longer than 10 seconds.

Those with such polluting cars should keep in mind that while the hot line offers no real threat, the California Highway Patrol can pull polluting autos over and issue tickets. For passenger cars, the fine can be $250, Keith said.