Traffic Is Too Light to Justify Cost of a Left-Turn Lane

Dear Street Smart:

I’ve noticed on California 33 that there is a new left-turn lane for southbound traffic at Creek Lane near Oak View.

This had been a dangerous place to turn, so the lane is a welcome addition.

There is another, equally dangerous left turn from the highway at nearby Sulphur Mountain Road that could also use a separate lane.

The residents who live on flood-prone Old Creek Road rely on Sulphur Mountain Road about half of the year, when the water on our road is too high to cross.

But without a left-turn lane, turns from the highway onto Sulphur Mountain Road can be treacherous. It is especially dangerous during peak traffic periods, at night and when it rains.

I don’t know how many accidents have occurred here, but there are always skid marks at the intersection.

We need help in the form of a left-turn lane. Any chance we’ll get one?

Christopher Moore

Ventura

Dear Reader:

There just isn’t enough traffic on Sulphur Mountain Road to justify the cost of adding a special left-turn lane, says Luu Nguyen, engineer with the state Department of Transportation.

During a recent eight-hour period, Caltrans counted just 15 vehicles turning left, including a police car and a garbage truck, Nguyen says.

“Adding a left-turn lane would be a costly project,” he said. “With such a low traffic volume and so many other projects waiting to be funded, it is not something we can take on.”

Nguyen suggests that you urge the county to clear Old Creek Road to keep it from flooding.

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Dear Street Smart:

I drive on Ventura Road from Port Hueneme into Oxnard every day of the week.

I assume this is one of Oxnard’s busiest corridors, next to Oxnard Boulevard.

Recently, I have noticed that the signals on Ventura Road are not synchronized. This is especially problematic at small intersections such as 7th Street.

Frequently, as many as 30 cars will pass through a large intersection, only to be stopped by a red light at the next intersection for no apparent reason.

I realize cities have a reduced budget these days, but I can’t understand why they don’t synchronize the signals on Ventura Road.

Craig Hathaway

Port Hueneme

Dear Reader:

Contrary to what you think you are experiencing, the signals on Ventura Road are synchronized, Traffic Engineer Joe Genovese says.

Genovese acknowledges, however, that motorists may not always see green light after green light when cruising down this main thoroughfare.

Why? Because setting the traffic light timing on big streets such as Ventura Road is complex, controlled by a computer that makes constant adjustments to correspond with the traffic flow, Genovese says.

The driving ease of motorists is just one of many factors the computer considers, he says. For example, the timing changes dramatically when a pedestrian crosses the street.

Other factors include spacing of the signals, speed of the traffic and the needs of motorists on side streets.

“Increasing the green time on Ventura Road would be to the detriment of traffic waiting on the side streets,” Genovese said. “One of our goals is to reduce overall delay to all users of the system.”

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Dear Street Smart:

We have a major speeding problem in the Sunset Hills area of Thousand Oaks.

The trouble is especially acute north of Erbes Road at the intersection of McCrea Road and Cumulus Court.

The speed limit is 25 m.p.h., but cars routinely pass our house going as fast as 45 m.p.h. A curving hill on McCrea only makes matters worse.

Many of us in the neighborhood have children who play in the streets. Admittedly, none has been killed or injured. But we all cringe when another car comes roaring down the street.

Another problem is that cars turning left from Cumulus onto McCrea have a hard time seeing these fast downhill cars because of the curves in the road. Large parked vehicles add to the sight difficulty.

What can be done to slow these cars down? (One patrol car with a radar gun could make a small fortune!)

Bruce E. Pritchard

Thousand Oaks

Dear Reader:

Look around at some of those cringing neighbors. They themselves may well be the speeders who vex you, says Jeff Knowles, Thousand Oaks assistant traffic engineer.

McCrea is entirely residential, Knowles says, so those driving on it are most likely headed for homes within your community.

In cases like this, Knowles says, often the best way to handle the problem is to take it to the homeowners association so that the speeders can be identified and asked to slow down.

As far as the city is concerned, Knowles says he will have the speed at the intersection monitored.

If cars regularly exceed the posted limit, he will report the results to the county sheriff, who can then post a cruiser at the intersection to ticket violators.

Knowles says he will also check to see if an inordinate number of vans and recreational vehicles are parking at the intersection and hindering visibility. If so, the city can post signs prohibiting tall vehicles from parking there.

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.