Confusing Freeway On-Ramp in Ventura to Be Widened

Dear Street Smart:

A confusing on-ramp for the northbound Ventura Freeway in Ventura is a safety hazard. The troublesome ramp is on Main Street near Mills Road.

The problem is caused when cars coming from both eastbound and westbound Main Street try to enter the single-lane ramp at the same time.

There is a yield sign for drivers entering from eastbound Main, but it is frequently ignored.

One possible solution would be to add a second lane to the on-ramp, so that cars from both directions could enter at the same time without risk of a collision.

Is this possible?

Sarath Abeyweera

Ventura

Dear Reader:

Your solution to the problem is exactly what the city has in mind.

In a joint project between the city of Ventura and the state Department of Transportation, the on-ramp will be widened within the next year, Ventura City Engineer Rick Raives says.

Caltrans will also add a dual left-turn lane for westbound Main Street traffic entering the ramp.

“This is a very confusing intersection and a potential hazard,” Raives said. “We’re really looking forward to getting this improvement in place.”

Dear Street Smart:

A few months ago, I wrote about the need for a crosswalk at Ralston Street and Sunridge Drive in Ventura.

City Traffic Engineer Nazir Lalani responded by saying that the crosswalk on nearby Robin Street is sufficient.

But kids are still crossing at Sunridge, which is a very dangerous intersection.

Could the city reconsider putting in a crosswalk at Sunridge?

Karen Sanchez

Ventura

Dear Reader:

A crosswalk is not going to solve the safety problem at Sunridge, Ventura City Engineer Rick Raives says.

Not only is it too close to the crosswalk at Robin, but adding a second crosswalk could increase the danger of the intersection.

“Crosswalks give pedestrians a false sense of security,” Raives said. “Adding another one is not going to do any good.”

He added: “The issue of children crossing at Sunridge instead of walking to the nearest stoplight needs to be dealt with some other way. We’ve done all we can from a traffic safety standpoint.”

Dear Street Smart:

I would like to know why the lighting and striping are so bad on Los Angeles Avenue in Simi Valley.

This is the town’s main thoroughfare, yet the lighting is so bad and the striping so faint that you can’t see a thing at night.

The problem seems especially bad along a curve between Tapo Street and the Metrolink station, where the road is dark and very hard to maneuver.

I’ve lived in Simi for eight years and I know that there have been a lot of accidents along that street.

How much would a little paint cost? We certainly pay enough taxes to have this strip of road improved.

Gloria Green

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Los Angeles Avenue, like every other street in Simi Valley, undergoes an annual inspection and road striping make-over by the city public works department.

But paint on curves such as the one on Los Angeles at Tapo Street tends to fade more quickly, City Traffic Engineer Bill Golubics says.

City workers will apply a new coat along the curve soon and will keep a close eye on it in the future to make sure that the paint remains visible, Golubics says.

Regarding the absence of street lights, there’s little that can be done to further illuminate the roadway, he says.

The city budget only allows for street lights at major intersections. Drivers must rely on their car headlights along the stretches between intersections.

“It’s a cost-saving policy,” Golubics said. “The city doesn’t have the resources to pay for maintenance and electricity for so many lights.”