Lack of Money Curbs Painting of Medians in Ventura

Dear Street Smart:

I would like to suggest that reflectors or yellow paint be applied to medians in Ventura.

The medians are often the same color as the roadway, which makes them difficult to see, especially at night and when it’s raining.

Can the medians be painted to make them easier to see?

Jeanne Reiver

Ventura

Dear Reader:

Your suggestion is a good one, but the city of Ventura does not have the cash to make it happen.

To paint medians around Ventura, the city would need to greatly increase funding for road crews, Ventura Traffic Engineer Nazir Lalani says.

As it is, road crews barely have time to keep the lines marking street lanes looking fresh.

In fact, Lalani says, the city has cut back on what little median painting it performs.

Recently, the city did paint a very low median on Telegraph Road between Main Street and Mills Road, Lalani says.

“That is an extreme case where the median is very low,” Lalani said. “In most cases, we just don’t have the resources.”

Dear Street Smart:

I agree with a recent letter asking for road improvements to ease congestion near San Buenaventura Mall.

City officials responded by saying they are waiting until mall expansion plans are completed, but I think that there could be another, more immediate, solution.

The troublesome intersection is at Mills Road and Dean Drive at the entrance to the mall.

The problem is that most cars exiting the mall turn right onto southbound Mills, instead of going straight onto Dean.

This creates problems for cars on Dean that are also trying to turn onto southbound Mills, because the road is too narrow to handle the heavy traffic flow.

This problem could be solved quickly and easily if mall developer MaceRich would add a right-turn lane at the mall exit.

Waiting for the mall expansion to wind its way through City Hall could take years.

We need relief at this corner now!

Frank Salowitz

Oxnard

Dear Reader:

You’ll just have to be patient.

“MaceRich isn’t ready to make a move, and the city’s hands are tied until MaceRich does something,” Traffic Engineer Lalani said.

Dear Street Smart:

Driving along the Moorpark Freeway, I’ve noticed signs saying ramps will be closed in the coming weeks.

What is the reason for this and how long will the ramps be closed?

Clark Graves

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Ramps on the Moorpark Freeway will be closed periodically until early July so that the state Department of Transportation can spruce up the pavement.

The work is part of a $283,000 project to grind and repave five off-ramps along the Moorpark Freeway from the Ventura Freeway to Tierra Rejada Road.

To minimize the inconvenience for motorists, only one ramp will be closed at a time.

Northbound ramps will be closed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and southbound ramps from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ROAD CLOSURE

The westbound Santa Paula Freeway at Kimball Road will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Friday. Road crews will be finishing up construction on the Kimball overpass. Traffic will be detoured at Wells Road, north to Telegraph Road, west to Kimball and south back onto the freeway.

The eastbound lanes are scheduled for closure next week. Watch this space for details.

Write to Street Smart, The Times Ventura County Edition, 5200 Valentine Road, Suite 140, Ventura 93003. You may enclose a simple sketch if it will help Street Smart understand your traffic questions. Or call our Sound Off Line, 658-5546. Whether writing or calling, include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. No anonymous queries will be accepted, and letters are subject to editing.