Camarillo Cyclists Don’t Appreciate the Mudslinging

Dear Street Smart:

Who is responsible for cleaning muddy road shoulders in Camarillo?

There’s a major problem with mud along the farmland on Las Posas Road south of Camarillo Airport.

Every time it rains, the tractors from the fields drive along the shoulder and leave a trail of mud that can go on for miles. The mud is a major hazard for me and many other bicycle riders who commute along these shoulders each day.

When the mud dries, it is hard as concrete, creating even more problems. The portion of Pleasant Valley Road that runs along the airport entrance is another problem spot.

Why isn’t the mud being removed?

David Schachte, Camarillo

Dear Reader:

Your predicament stems from negligent farmers who don’t clean up after their mud-trailing tractors, says Butch Britt, deputy public works director for the county.

If farmers don’t mop up, mud duty on Las Posas and Pleasant Valley roads near Camarillo Airport falls to county workers.

During rainstorms, however, the mud has a tendency to pile up as workers attend to other water-related problems, such as flooding.

“After a rainstorm, we have crews out every which way from Sunday trying to solve problems,” Britt said. “I know the crews try to get to the mud-clearing within a couple of days.”

If the forecast calls for more rain, the mud slicks are intentionally left unattended because they come right back again.

“I would just caution people traveling on the shoulder after a rainstorm to be very cautious around mud,” Britt said.

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Dear Street Smart:

There’s a left-turn hazard on Olivas Park Drive near Ventura that I’m concerned about.

I often go to a flower stand on the south side of Olivas, which is a two-lane road.

If I’m heading west on Olivas, I have to stop in the middle of the road, stalling traffic behind me while I wait for a chance to turn left.

This is very dangerous because I could get rear-ended by someone driving fast who doesn’t see that I am stopped.

Also, I could get hit by someone coming toward me as I try to turn left.

To avoid these hazards, I recently drove past the stand to the stoplight at Telephone Road and made an illegal U-turn.

This seemed safer to me, but I got a ticket! Can this U-turn be made legal, or can a left-turn lane be put in at the flower stand?

Sandy Bardos, Channel Islands

Dear Reader:

There are no plans to add a left-turn lane on Olivas Park Drive, and U-turns at Telephone Road are illegal because they are not safe, county traffic experts say.

But the answer is not that simple.

Although Olivas at Telephone is outside the Ventura city limits, the city and Ventura County share responsibility for this intersection.

The county maintains the road, while the city is responsible for the light itself.

However, county traffic policy states that if traffic hazards are created by a business, the owners must pay for street improvements to fix the problem.

It is not clear that roadside stands would fall under this requirement, says Butch Britt of public works.

County traffic engineers will examine the problem in coming weeks and try to find a way to make the road safer, Britt says. But don’t expect anything major. Britt says the county can’t even afford to pay for the road improvements it has planned for the next five years.

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Dear Street Smart:

My wife and I are concerned about the lack of lighting on the Simi Valley Freeway.

We feel the lighting conditions are totally inadequate and endanger drivers who travel after dark. Can lights be installed, before there is a serious accident?

Marv Siegel, Thousand Oaks

Dear Reader:

Most of the time, lighting on the Simi Valley Freeway meets state Department of Transportation safety requirements.

But a recent rash of burned-out lights may have left some drivers in the dark, Caltrans Traffic Engineer Bob Houle says. Maintenance workers have replaced the bulbs, and the road should again be sufficiently illuminated.