Freeway Widening Just 1st Stage of Interchange Project

Dear Street Smart:

Why did Caltrans bother with the widening of the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway from the Santa Ana Freeway to Dyer Road, when the constriction at Dyer Road and MacArthur Boulevard renders the improvement useless?

David J. Arthur, Costa Mesa

The widening that occurred on the Costa Mesa Freeway was actually the first stage of construction on the Santa Ana/Costa Mesa Freeway interchange project. Widening was required to accommodate the direct connectors planned for the new interchange, Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem said.

Currently in the design stage, however, is a widening project for the Costa Mesa Freeway. This would widen the freeway from Dyer Road, expand the MacArthur bridge and continue the widening to the San Diego Freeway, Orem said.

The project design should be completed by the end of 1994 and construction should be completed by the end of 1996, Orem said. Plans are also in the works to expand the San Diego/Costa Mesa Freeway interchange to improve the flow of traffic in both directions, Orem said.

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Dear Street Smart:

As a school crossing guard, I have had many close calls with vehicles while crossing children at a signaled intersection in a pedestrian crossing zone. I would appreciate a clarification of the vehicle code regarding motorists’ obligation to heed right of way to crossing guards and children in a crossing zone.

The major problems are vehicles making right-hand turns and left-hand turns while the crossing guard and children are still in the crossing zone.

For crossing guards, there are two basic crossing zones. There are crossing zones at intersections with signals and crossing zones without signals. They can be on streets with painted or structural center medians or without.

As a crossing guard, I would appreciate your researching this subject and conveying to all motorists their obligation to help us get the schoolchildren to and from school in as safe a manner as possible.

Paul B. Taylor Jr., Fountain Valley

In California, anyone who steps into a crosswalk has the right of way at any time, said Steve Kohler, an information officer for the Department of Motor Vehicles in Sacramento. While it’s not true in every state, motorists here are bound by law to yield to pedestrians, he said.

California Vehicle Code section 21100.3 specifically addresses the rights of crossing guards. It states: “It is unlawful for any person to disobey the traffic directions of a person appointed or authorized by a local authority to regulate traffic . . . when such appointee is wearing an official insignia issued by the local authority and is acting in the course of his appointed duties.”

Section 21950 of the vehicle code also addresses pedestrians’ rights and duties, but on a larger scale. It states: “The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right of way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.”

This last proviso basically states that it is the responsibility of the pedestrian not to step into oncoming traffic. It is also up to a pedestrian not to dawdle anytime they are in a street, at a crosswalk or otherwise.

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Dear Street Smart:

I am writing to inquire about the new stop signs installed on Fairmont Boulevard in Yorba Linda. The signs were installed recently about a quarter-mile from Esperanza Boulevard before a curve in the road, but there is no intersection, no opportunity for traffic to enter Fairmont Boulevard from east or west and no crosswalk.

What is the purpose of this stop sign and can the city install stop signs on a road where there is no crossing--traffic or pedestrian?

Deborah Goldman, Yorba Linda

City traffic planners do have the authority to install stop signs at locations where any of several conditions could exist, said Jerry Crabil, traffic engineer for Yorba Linda. And there was a reason for the installation of stop signs on Fairmont, even though no intersection exists there now.

“In this case, the city has documented evidence of continuing accident problems,” Crabil said. “That accident picture involves cars losing control at the intersection exclusively due to the sharp right-angle turn and the grade of southbound Fairmont.”

The majority of accidents in the area are single-vehicle accidents involving motorists who lose control and skid across and out of the intersection, Crabil said. In the last four years, 10 accidents have occurred at the site, including three this year before the installation of the signs about a month ago, he said.

“We realize this is an unusual location for stop signs and we also realize that it will delay traffic, but it will improve safety by reducing accidents about 70% to 80%,” Crabil said. “In the near future, there will be an intersection at that location and there will be . . . a need for stop sign control. The city is simply taking a pro-active approach now.”