State Rules Prevent Lowering of 55 M.P.H. Speed Limit

Dear Street Smart:

I am very concerned about the speed situation on Santa Rosa Road near Camarillo.

This road has a 55 m.p.h. speed limit, despite the fact that it is poorly lit, is not divided and is lined with homes. There is even an elementary school on the road.

Allowing motorists to drive at a full 55 m.p.h. under these conditions seems excessive to me. Most people end up exceeding the limit, going 60, 70 or 80 on this street.

It is very hazardous to have freeway speeds on this residential street.

Why are these high speeds allowed, and are there any plans to lower the speed limit?

Michael Wolfe, Camarillo

Dear Reader:

Speeding has long been a problem on Santa Rosa Road, says Butch Britt, Ventura County deputy public works director.

To address the problem, the county has regularly stationed a speed trailer along the road, and highway patrol officers issue tickets aggressively, Britt says.

“People do tend to speed on Santa Rosa,” Britt says. “We’re doing what we can to stop it.”

One thing the county cannot do, however is lower the 55 m.p.h. speed limit, Britt says.

“Santa Rosa is a major roadway,” he says. “State regulations would not allow us to lower the speed limit.”

The only place where the speed limit drops, to 25 m.p.h., is in front of Santa Rosa Elementary School, Britt says.

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Dear Street Smart:

At the Telephone Road exit from the southbound Ventura Freeway, there is a sign that says “UCSB right lane.”

Isn’t the University of Santa Barbara actually to the north of us?

Ted Sparks. Ventura

Dear Reader:

It is no surprise that the University of Santa Barbara is indeed north of Ventura.

However, what some people don’t know is that an extension of the university is located in Ventura, at 3585 Maple St.

The sign on the Ventura Freeway, located at the Telephone Road off-ramp, leads to this location.

“It doesn’t say ‘extension’ on the sign, but we figured people would know we’re not talking about Santa Barbara,” says Bob Houle, Caltrans traffic engineer.

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Dear Street Smart:

I have noticed two traffic problems on Lynn Road near Lynn Ranch in Thousand Oaks.

The first one occurs because the left-turn arrows for opposing traffic turning from Lynn onto Gainsborough Road are staggered, rather than lighting up simultaneously.

The southbound arrow activates first, even if there are no vehicles waiting to turn.

This is problematic during the evening rush hour. Southbound left-turning vehicles are rare, and the unnecessary light causes backups for traffic on Gainsborough, northbound Lynn and for cars west of Lynn, where Gainsborough becomes Camino Dos Rios coming out of Lynn Ranch.

The second problem is that traffic coming from Camino Dos Rios does not get a green left-turn arrow until after the Gainsborough traffic goes through the intersection.

When the arrow does come on, it is very short, ensuring a long wait for all but a few motorists waiting to turn.

Rather than endure the wait, many motorists turn at nearby Calle Laredo instead, risking life and limb by crossing two lanes of fast traffic without the help of a signal.

This situation is both dangerous and detrimental to the neighborhood.

Can anything be done to remedy these problems?

Burt Elliott, Thousand Oaks

Dear Reader:

There is a simple explanation for the staggered left-turn lights at Gainsborough and Lynn, says Thousand Oaks Assistant Traffic Engineer Jeff Knowles.

In two words, road curves.

“When you look at Lynn Road, you can see that the spacing of the lights is irregular, because the road weaves through the mountains,” Knowles says.

Since the lights at Gainsborough are synchronized with those on either side of it, the bulk of traffic, which is continuing down Lynn without turning, usually gets a smooth passage down this stretch of roadway.

But because of the road curves, cars coming from opposite directions arrive at Gainsborough at different times, so the turn signals are staggered to compensate for the lag, Knowles says.

The same explanation applies to traffic turning left from Camino Dos Rios, Knowles says.

As for the safety concern, Knowles says: “There will always be people who try to avoid waiting at the light, but it is much safer that way.”