Car-Poolers Want Own Lane Onto I-5 at Crown Valley Parkway

Dear Street Smart:

I am writing in hope that you can explain something to me that has me and my car-pool buddies puzzled. We car-pool from Crown Valley Parkway in Laguna Niguel to Newport Beach five days a week. We leave about 6:45-6:50 a.m. to get to work by 7:30 a.m., and I don’t think we can leave any earlier because I feel it defeats the purpose of car-pooling.

Why is it that somebody hasn’t opened a car-pool lane on Interstate 5 north from Crown Valley Parkway? Most of the time it is backed up way before Crown Valley Parkway. My car-pool buddies and I have to wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 5 (for about 15 to 20 minutes) till we get to the San Diego Freeway, then we jump into the car-pool lane, then it’s clear sailing.

We’ve tried surface streets as an alternate, but there’s as much traffic on Moulton from Crown Valley as there is on the freeway. On really bad days, it’s already backed up to Laguna Hills Road, or even way before.

Isn’t there something somebody can do about this? It just seems ridiculous that a car-pool lane wasn’t planned for now or in the near future.

Veronica Teed, Laguna Niguel

Thanks to Measure M, the county’s half-cent sales tax for transportation, construction on car-pool lanes on Interstate 5 south of the El Toro Y is about to begin, said Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem.

The lanes will begin in Dana Point near Pacific Coast Highway and continue north to the El Toro Y, Orem said. Most importantly, the reconstruction of the El Toro Y interchange will allow car-poolers to continue through the interchange and along car-pool lanes on both the Santa Ana Freeway and the San Diego Freeway, without having to change lanes or alter their trip.

Construction will begin early next year and should be completed in 2 1/2 years, Orem said. As for the El Toro Y, the first signs of construction will be seen later this month.

The final result is intended to create a better commute through south Orange County without the traffic problems drivers normally face at the Y. For car pools, completion of the projects will allow more convenient travel on what will be the state’s most expensive network of car-pool lanes, Orem said.

Caltrans and the Orange County Transportation Authority encourage drivers to use alternate transportation, such as buses, commuter rail and car pooling, during construction to help ease the congestion, Orem said.

*

Is your life on the road an endless series of stops and starts? Do you think every light in the county turns red just for you, that your chances of getting a green light and winning the Lotto jackpot are about equal?

Then this item is for you.

The Orange County Transportation Authority is soliciting public comments on the issue of signal coordination. This month and January, drivers are encouraged to call OCTA and share their ideas about streets or intersections that would benefit.

OCTA works with local cities and the county to provide funding and planning for signal coordination.

“Now is the time for more action,” said OCTA director Sarah L. Catz. “We have proven that signal coordination improves traffic and air quality, so I am very interested in hearing from the public about where we can help.”

Drivers may call (714) 636-RIDE or 1-800-636-RIDE.

*

In a statewide effort to focus attention on drunk driving, law enforcement officers will keep their vehicle headlights on all day Tuesday. “Lights on for Life” is part of California’s continuing campaign to reduce deaths caused by drunk drivers.

In 1992, 1,832 people were killed statewide in alcohol-related crashes, compared to 2,382 people in 1990. The 23% decline is attributed to a combination of the “on the spot” license suspension law, the lowered .08 blood alcohol limit and the public’s growing intolerance of drunk drivers, said Arthur L. Anderson, director of the California Office of Traffic Safety.

“This special one-day observance is a strong reminder to the public that during the holidays and beyond, law enforcement will be cracking down on those who jeopardize innocent lives by driving while intoxicated,” Anderson said.

*

Orange County’s Freeway Service Patrol entered its second year this month, adding six trucks and expanding to two new patrol areas.

The roving band of tow trucks, which keep rush-hour traffic moving by helping stranded drivers on Orange County’s busiest freeways, has aided more than 45,000 people since it began in November, 1992.

The additional tow trucks brings the number to 21, and the two new beats are on the San Diego Freeway, between the Santa Ana River and the El Toro Y, and the length of the Garden Grove Freeway.

Freeway Service Patrol tow truck drivers may clear roadway debris, offer a jump start on a dead battery, provide a gallon of fuel, tape a burst radiator hose, or provide water, all at no charge. If a tow truck driver is unable to get a car operating again quickly, it will be towed to the nearest CHP-designated location.

The trucks are identifiable by their white paint, distinctive striping and Freeway Service Patrol logos. Drivers carry patrol identification and are specially trained in freeway service.

More than 75% of those who received freeway assistance last year said they got help in less than 10 minutes, according to an OCTA survey.

The countywide patrol service is jointly sponsored and funded by Caltrans and OCTA, and is supervised by the California Highway Patrol.