Allow Safe Distance Exiting Car-Pool Lane for Off-Ramp
Dear Street Smart:
How nice it is to have the car-pool lane open on the Orange Freeway. I like that Caltrans has put up signs in the center median to tell motorists what car-pool lane exit to use for the upcoming freeway exits.
However, going north on the freeway, the car-pool lane ends less than a quarter-mile from the Lambert Road off-ramp. It is quite unsafe, even on a light traffic day, to try to move over across four lanes to reach the ramp.
I’ve learned it is better to exit the car-pool lane before Imperial Highway, and I suggest that Caltrans consider either adding Lambert to the car-pool lane exit sign that now reads “Imperial Highway” or to end the car-pool lane sooner, to allow a safer transition to the Lambert off-ramp.
Cindy Thomas, Brea
Caltrans is in the process of reviewing all the signage along the Orange Freeway, now that the car-pool lanes have been open for a few months, according to Joe El-Harake, the Caltrans car-pool lane coordinator. El-Harake said he will add your suggestion to those under review and invites others with sign suggestions to let Caltrans know by calling (714) 724-2000.
Leaving the car-pool lane at that earlier opening is probably the best thing if you are finding the transition to the Lambert ramp difficult where the car-pool lane comes to an end, El-Harake said.
As for shortening the lane, Caltrans actually plans to extend it in two or three years to reach the Pomona Freeway, El-Harake said. Meanwhile, your sign suggestion may help others know when it is best to exit the lane to reach Lambert.
Now to a similar problem at the opposite end of the Orange Freeway’s car-pool lanes:
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Dear Street Smart:
The addition of the car-pool lanes on the Orange Freeway was long overdue. But when heading southbound on the freeway, it seems the car-pool lane exit for the westbound Garden Grove Freeway is not allowing safe and legal exiting.
While driving at 55 m.p.h., with minimal traffic and using the Chapman/Orangewood car-pool lane exit, I was very close to missing the Garden Grove Freeway. Additionally, unlike the car-pool exit sign, the large overhead sign near that exit says Chapman/Orange. Perhaps someone could be confused by this.
T. Washburn, Huntington Beach
There are two car-pool lane exits that you could use to reach the Garden Grove Freeway. One is not really an exit but actually where the car-pool lane ends. This “exit” gives drivers only a brief opportunity to reach the westbound Garden Grove Freeway, El-Harake said.
During periods of heavy traffic--or even during non-rush hour times--it is probably best for drivers to use the Chapman-Orangewood exit, El-Harake said. In fact, in the future, drivers will have to use this exit to reach the Garden Grove Freeway because the car-pool lane will no longer end but instead will continue on to link up with the Santa Ana Freeway’s southbound car-pool lane.
That being said, El-Harake was surprised to hear that you were having trouble when using the Chapman/Orangewood exit. It’s over a mile and a half from the ramp to the Garden Grove Freeway and should give you plenty of time to get over, even if the traffic is heavy, El-Harake said.
It may be that you might want to exit even earlier than you do now. And as usual, if other drivers are finding this exit a problem, they may want to let Caltrans know.
As for those signs, Caltrans hasn’t heard that anyone has been confused by the difference. If a change were made, it would probably be to the car-pool lane exit sign, since the overhead sign needs to say Chapman/Orange so as to distinguish this exit from the Chapman/Fullerton exit to the north on the freeway, El-Harake said.
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Dear Street Smart:
Recently, Harbor Boulevard-Fullerton Road north of La Habra and into La Habra Heights was widened to four lanes. This has resulted in a considerable increase in traffic and problems along this corridor.
There has been a dramatic increase in traffic turning left from eastbound Whittier Boulevard onto Harbor Boulevard. Traffic would flow more smoothly if an additional left-turn lane was added.
The posted speed limit on Harbor north of Whittier is 40 m.p.h., 45 m.p.h. in La Habra Heights. I have seen many cars traveling dangerously at more than 60 m.p.h. on this stretch. Is it possible to have a stop sign or light installed somewhere along the downhill portion of this street or allocate more police to deter speeders?
Roberta Ashby, La Habra Heights
Caltrans has changed the timing of that left-turn signal and said that traffic should be moving more smoothly now. At the moment, the agency doesn’t see a need to add a second left-turn lane but said it will keep an eye on the intersection in case traffic patterns should change again.
As for adding stop signs or traffic signals, those are tools used to control traffic at intersections. Both La Habra and La Habra Heights said they’d be unlikely to add new ones just to stop speeders. Enforcement, on the other hand, has been stepped up recently to deter speeders.
La Habra’s Police Department has put extra traffic officers out along Harbor to slow down scofflaws, according to Sgt. Perry Miller. In La Habra Heights, radar is being used along the road, thanks to a speed survey that was done not too long ago.
“Since we didn’t have a traffic study, we couldn’t use radar,” said La Habra Heights City Manager Noelia Chapa. After radar began being used, officers gave out a number of citations at first and now are spotting few speeders as the police presence is known, Chapa said.
Obviously, officers aren’t along the road every minute, so it could be that you’ve missed the police presence. However, if you or others continue to see speeding as a problem, you may want to let the two cities know.
