Letter Prompts Realignment of Traffic Light on Edinger Avenue

Dear Street Smart:

We want to alert you and your readers to a hazardous traffic light situation we’ve noticed in Santa Ana. At Edinger Avenue, there are two sets of signals with left-turn arrows that control traffic turning onto Ritchey Street. Left-turn lights control traffic onto both north and southbound Ritchey.

One set of left-turn lights for westbound Edinger to southbound Ritchey is suspended by a pole hanging across Edinger. The pole is short so the light ends up facing directly in front of fast-lane traffic westbound on Edinger.

We have seen many instances when opposing left-turn arrows appear at Ritchey and drivers in the westbound Edinger fast lane see this same arrow directly in front of them. They apparently mistake it for their own green light and go through the intersection and nearly collide with cars making their controlled left turn from eastbound Edinger onto northbound Ritchey.

It’s only a matter of time before an accident happens at this intersection. Who is responsible for making the traffic lights at this intersection safe? It seems the problem could easily be solved by simply pointing the confusing signal light toward the left-turn lane so westbound traffic doesn’t see it.

Ed and Debbie Reyes

Lake Forest

On the strength of your letter, Santa Ana’s traffic engineering department investigated the signals at Ritchey and Edinger and found that you were right. Vinh Nguyen, associate engineer of transportation for Santa Ana, said the westbound left-turn arrow signal was out of alignment.

City workers realigned the signal Sept. 22, Nguyen said.

Dear Street Smart:

There have been accidents and near accidents traveling east on the Riverside Freeway while starting to enter the Costa Mesa Freeway. Lineups of autos often occur suddenly at this right-hand lane as autos quickly swerve from the middle lane into this exit lane to get into the line.

Other autos miss the lineup and slow down in the middle lane to cut into the exit lane traffic. Perhaps a sign is needed saying “Enter exit lane for Costa Mesa Freeway” about half a mile before the exit.

Walter Willey

Fullerton

The transition from the eastbound Riverside Freeway to the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway is a temporary detour during the construction of the State Route 91 (Riverside Freeway) toll road that connects with the Costa Mesa/Riverside Freeway interchange.

A long white “V” was painted on the road indicating that drivers heading for the southbound Costa Mesa Freeway needed to merge into the far right lane, said Rose Orem, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. That striping was added to discourage motorists from cutting across at the last minute, she said. Caltrans also placed several guide signs before the interchange, she said.

There are two large overhead signs at 1 1/4 miles and at three-fourths of a mile ahead of the interchange, Orem said. Another posted sign reads “55 Freeway to Newport Beach only” and has an arrow directing drivers to the far right lane, she said.

In addition, a portable orange sign has been placed on the right shoulder 500 feet before the connector, Orem said.

Caltrans, she said, has done everything it can.

The construction project at the interchange should be complete by late 1995, Orem said.

Dear Street Smart:

Can anything be done about the Raymond on-ramp to the westbound Riverside Freeway? It’s a short ramp with a white line at its beginning that fools people into the idea it’s for two cars.

I know this because I’ve seen many people nearly collide side by side. (Granted, that happens because some drivers are idiots, too.) Please have somebody check it out.

Shaun Rogers

Fullerton

Caltrans believes that even though the ramp is short, the distance is sufficient for drivers to merge before they get on the freeway, Orem said.

But the agency will continue to monitor the on-ramp to determine if improvements are needed, she said.