There’s No Timetable for Synchronizing Victoria Ave.

Dear Street Smart:

Every day, I drive along Victoria Avenue in Oxnard, and every day I run into the same problem.

The lights on northbound Victoria at Wooley, 5th Street and Gonzales Road are not synchronized.

This causes unnecessary delays that could be avoided if the timing of the lights were in sync.

Is this change possible?

Mike Nelson, Oxnard

Dear Reader:

Control over the strip of Victoria Avenue you drive each day is split two ways.

The portion of Victoria that includes Wooley and 5th Street falls within the city of Oxnard, while Gonzales Road is in unincorporated county territory. Regarding synchronization, it is difficult to coordinate such a project that crosses both city and county territory, says Butch Britt, county deputy public works director.

He adds that he has heard few complaints about the timing of the lights along this stretch of Victoria.

In addition, Britt says he has not observed any major backups on Victoria between Wooley and Gonzales and counsels patience on the part of drivers.

“I’ve driven this road quite a bit, and I don’t see any problem with it,” Britt says. “It’s not supposed to be the Indy 500.”

Samia Maximous, Oxnard transportation manager, says the signals are far enough apart that synchronized timing is not absolutely necessary.

However, she says the city will study the effect of synchronizing the signals the city controls, at least during rush hour.

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Dear Street Smart:

I was pleased to read that Caltrans has opened a new bike lane along the Moorpark Freeway.

As an avid cyclist, I am always happy to learn about new places to ride my bike.

Are there plans for any other new bike lanes in the county?

Bob Johnson, Thousand Oaks

Dear Reader:

Caltrans has no immediate plans to install any more roadside bike lanes.

But a plan for a 200-mile countywide bike path system will soon be considered by the Board of Supervisors.

If approved, the paths would greatly improve mobility for bicyclists throughout the county.

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Dear Street Smart:

There’s a crosswalk in Ventura that is very dangerous.

It’s located on Harbor Boulevard at the end of a footbridge near the Ventura Pier between San Jon Road and California Street.

The cars come very fast, and it’s hard to get them to stop. It’s especially dangerous at sundown because the sun limits visibility.

With all the tourists and residential traffic, it would seem ideal for a stop sign or light.

As it is, it looks like an accident waiting to happen.

Barbara Helfert, Ventura

Dear Reader:

The crosswalk you refer to is not perfect, but it was the safest spot near the pier for a crossing, says Nazir Lalani, Ventura traffic engineer.

“We really looked carefully before we put the crosswalk in there,” Lalani says. “It is the best place we could find where drivers can see pedestrians.”

The city decided not to install a stop sign or traffic signal because the crosswalk is located mid-block, Lalani says.

“In this type of situation, the accident level could actually increase if you put in a stop sign or traffic signal,” Lalani says. “Cars just won’t stop.”

Next year, the city is planning to overhaul a large portion of the beachfront, making access to the beach easier for pedestrians, Lalani says.

Until then, wary pedestrians may want to walk down to California Street to cross.