Sluggish Cars a Problem in Fast Lane on Conejo Grade

Dear Street Smart:

During the nearly three years I’ve lived in Ventura County, I’ve noticed that almost every time I drive up the Conejo Grade on the Ventura Freeway, there are always slow drivers who remain in the left lane.

These cars stay left even though their speed drops below 55 m.p.h. as they ascend the hill.

It is extremely dangerous for such drivers to be impeding the fast lane this way. They are apparently oblivious to the problems they cause by forcing drivers whose cars can mount the hill at a normal speed to try to negotiate around them.

I don’t know if those signs that say “Slower Traffic Merge Right” do any good, but a few couldn’t hurt.

Some Highway Patrol enforcement of the proper use of the left lane would also seem appropriate.

Thanks for your column, and for your attention to this observation.

Marialyce Pederson

Ventura

Dear Reader:

Unfortunately, posting signs directing slower traffic to move right could hurt.

The problem is that the far right lane leads directly to the truck scales at the top of the grade.

So considerate drivers of sluggish cars could find themselves stuck among a bunch of diesel-belching semis.

To avoid this very problem, signs are posted along the grade directing “Through Traffic Merge Left.”

Adding signs telling slow traffic to move right could be rather confusing, state Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer Ali Peykanu says.

Dear Street Smart:

I live in Camarillo on Pleasant Valley Road between the railroad tracks and Las Posas Road.

When the city installed the sewer lines, it tore up the road quite badly.

Now there are a lot of ruts and many dangerous potholes.

Are there any plans to resurface this road?

John Mitsuuchi

Camarillo

Dear Reader:

Yes.

Plans are in the works to resurface Las Posas, Camarillo Traffic Engineer Tom Fox says.

The project, which is slated to begin in early summer, should take about six months.

Dear Street Smart:

Many mornings as I drive east on the Simi Valley Freeway, the traffic backs up at Tapo Canyon Road.

It usually stays slow until the Kuehner Drive exit.

The problem seems to be caused by cars entering the freeway from the on-ramps.

This problem could be solved if the flow of traffic onto the freeway was controlled by ramp entry lights.

Such lights are installed at the Tapo Canyon Road and Sycamore Drive on-ramps, but for some reason, they are not in use.

Similar signals that are in use at the Stearns Street and Yosemite Avenue on-ramps seem to be working well. Why are the other signals not in use?

Julie Brown

Moorpark

Dear Reader:

Patience, please, says Manny Mendoza, Caltrans traffic investigator.

The traffic signals appearing at on-ramps along the Simi Valley Freeway are part of a project to install the meters at every ramp to the freeway, Mendoza says.

Once a meter appears, it takes time to hook up all the wires and get the thing up and running.

By July, all the meters along the Simi Valley Freeway should be operating, he says.

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.