Study Under Way on New Telegraph Road Traffic Light

Dear Street Smart:

As a Ventura resident living east of Kimball Road on Telegraph Road, I am very concerned about speeding and increased traffic flow through that area.

I have witnessed numerous injury accidents involving vehicles and pedestrians because there are few crosswalks or stop signs on Telegraph between Kimball and Wells roads.

To safely cross Telegraph, one must walk down to the light on Crocker Avenue at Juanamaria Elementary School. The other option is to wait for traffic to subside and jaywalk.

The obvious solution is to slow down the traffic.

This could be easily and cheaply done with the addition of a couple of four-way stops.

Or, if the city was willing, a traffic light at the corner of Telegraph and Petit Avenue would be a big improvement.

Adam Hajost

Ventura

Dear Reader:

The city shares your concern over the lack of a safe pedestrian crossing on Telegraph, Ventura traffic engineer Nazir Lalani says.

In fact, a study is under way to determine whether a signal should be installed at Petit.

“The study will show us if there is enough traffic to meet the state standards for a signal,” Lalani says. “If there isn’t enough traffic now, we expect there will be in the near future.”

The speed limit is 45 m.p.h. from Kimball to San Mateo Avenue. East of San Mateo, it rises to 55 m.p.h.

“When most of the traffic travels at a certain speed, the law does not allow us to post a lower speed,” Lalani says.

“We did a study that showed most of the traffic going 55,” he says. “So the limit is 55.”

*

Dear Street Smart:

On Arneill Road in Camarillo, there are bushes that prevent traffic from seeing vehicles coming out of K mart.

I don’t see the need to have the bushes there. All they do is make it hard for people to see the traffic.

The city should remove these bushes or at least trim them to avoid an accident.

Sylvia Pollak

Camarillo

Dear Reader:

The city regularly checks the landscaping around town to make sure it is not blocking the vision of motorists, says Camarillo traffic engineer Tom Fox.

In this case, Fox says he will send workers out to ensure that the bushes are not a traffic hazard near K mart.

“From time to time, we do encounter these problems with landscaping,” Fox said, “It’s something we can certainly remedy.”

*

Dear Street Smart:

Eastbound on Cochran Street between Sycamore Drive and Galena Avenue, there is a sign that warns of a “Rough Road Ahead.”

This sign has been up for quite some time, and I’m wondering when the city plans to repair the road and rid it of the bumps.

Mary Rayler

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Signs warning motorists of rough roads were installed on several streets after the Jan. 17 earthquake, says Simi Valley traffic engineer Bill Golubics.

“We had a lot of damage, and we knew it was going to take a while to get it all repaired,” Golubics says. “In the meantime, we thought it would be a good idea to let people know about the problem.”

The city has recently received federal funds to begin the repairs, and the roads should be smoothed over the next six months, Golubics says.