Engineering Help

This month, the engineering professional societies celebrate the accomplishments of their profession. As a registered civil engineer with 50 years experience, I suggest that the local engineers give more attention to the local needs of this county.

The quality of the planning, engineering, construction and maintenance of the fixed improvements is deplorable. The freeways and their ramps are congested. The streets and highways do not drain. The storm drains do not function properly and are stopped up when needed to function. The sewage pumping plants stink as they fail to operate properly. The sight distances for pedestrian and vehicular traffic are substandard and dangerous.

Traffic design and construction can be greatly improved. The channels are not improved in accordance with urban requirements. The domestic water quality is substandard, and the number of water agencies and districts to provide water is ridiculous. I can safely state that the quality of improvements here is the lowest in Southern California if not in the Western United States.

The responsibility for this lies equally with both the private and public sectors of the profession. This can only be corrected with better communication, cooperation, adoption of standard drawings and specifications, quality inspection, overall planning and administration among each jurisdiction, and professional organization.

Come on, local engineers, let’s perform for the benefit of the public a little more before we blow our horns so much. There is much to do here, and the talent and need is here to do it.

Harold L. Johnson

Oxnard