Mammoth Project Will Include Magnolia Off-Ramp Widening

Dear Street Smart:

Is the Magnolia Avenue off-ramp on the northbound Santa Ana Freeway one of the renovation projects scheduled by Caltrans? It begins as one lane, expands to one and a half (a drainage channel is part of the second lane), then becomes two.

Peggy Markson Fullerton Yes, but not for several years. Rebuilding of both north and south Magnolia Avenue off-ramps will be part of the major reconstruction of the Santa Ana Freeway / Riverside Freeway interchange, which is scheduled to begin in 1997 and end by 2001, said Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem. Because the whole project is so mammoth, however, it is impossible to pinpoint the start and completion dates for just the Magnolia Avenue off-ramps, she said.

Currently, the northbound off-ramp exits the freeway as one lane and then widens to two lanes at the intersection with Magnolia Avenue, Orem said. When reconstruction is finished, the off-ramp will begin as one lane and then expand to three lanes at Magnolia.

Dear Street Smart:

I was wondering if Caltrans or the City of Orange could look into the placement of designated left-turn signals on Taft Avenue as it intersects with Glassell Avenue near the Glassell /Orange-Olive Road split? For travelers on Glassell going north or south, and for travelers coming south on Orange-Olive to the Glassell bend, such lights are in place if they desire go east or west on Taft.

But, turning north or south on Glassell from Taft, whether one is traveling east or west on Taft, is a real problem, especially in the morning and evening rush.

Stephen H. Janssen Orange Bernie Dennis, traffic engineer for Orange, said his department has not recognized a problem on Taft at Glassell before, but will study the area if you submit a written request.

Address your letter to him at 300 E. Chapman Ave., Orange, Calif. 92666. Include your name, address and phone number. Good luck.

Dear Street Smart:

Would you please explain something about the left-turn arrow on Santiago Boulevard at Serrano Avenue in Orange? The arrow seems to activate very quickly in the later evening hours and on weekends, but during the day up to 6 p.m. or so, it is extremely slow. In addition, it seems to change just as the traffic, which is approaching from Santiago and East Meats Avenue, appears, forcing drivers to stop. If the arrow could change even 60 seconds earlier, the intersection could clear and no northbound drivers would be affected.

Dorothy Heide Villa Park The lights on Santiago Boulevard are synchronized, and know both how heavy through-traffic is and how many cars are waiting to turn left. The system caters to through-traffic, said traffic engineer Bernie Dennis.

Like all the 1,256 traffic signals in the city, the left-turn signals on Santiago will activate quickly if through-traffic is light, or slowly if through-traffic is heavy.

During rush hour, the left-turn arrow won’t activate as often, Dennis said. On weekends and before rush hours, the left-turn arrow will activate more quickly when cars appear in the left-turn lane, he said.

It’s not like left-turners have a harder road to travel, so to speak. If several cars are waiting to turn left, the signal will automatically extend the amount of green light time, Dennis said. Typically, the first vehicle turning on green is accorded six seconds of green time, whereas each succeeding vehicle gets four seconds, he said.