Confused Sign Readers Afraid of Getting a Bum Steer

Dear Street Smart:

We would like an explanation of the sign on Telephone Road in Ventura just south of the Ventura Freeway. It says: “101 Freeway South,” with an arrow pointing down and then right.

Does that mean you should get into the right-turn lane, which is separated, at Valentine Road, which would be a right turn before the one onto the freeway?

Does the arrow sign mean you should get into the right lane for both Valentine Road and the freeway at the separation point?

Mr. and Mrs. Ira L. Christensen, Camarillo

Dear Reader:

The short answer is yes.

When driving north on Telephone Road toward Main Street, motorists planning to turn right onto Valentine Road or onto the Ventura Freeway should stay in the far-right lane.

The turn onto Valentine Road is a sharp right turn, while the freeway ramp is more of a veer to the right.

“The sign says right lane must turn right,” said state Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer Bob Houle, who inspected the signs along the intersection before answering. “But there’s another little sign there that says ‘freeway OK.’ ”

Some drivers “are misinterpreting the sign,” he said.

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Dear Street Smart:

The surface of Cochran Street in Simi Valley, from 1st Street going east for almost half a mile, is in terrible shape and needs repaving.

Why neglect this small segment of this heavily traveled thoroughfare?

Walter E. Burch, Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Traffic and public works officials in Simi Valley know all about the stretch of Cochran Street you describe.

However, there are no plans to resurface that section of the street any time within the next three years, Traffic Engineer Bill Golubics said. The reason: It is not as bad as some others.

“The pavement is old, and it’s kind of noisy,” Golubics said. “It doesn’t have a lot of severe cracking, but it is rough.”

Like most government projects, street resurfacing is done on a priority basis. Each year, city engineers in Simi Valley monitor the 300 miles of roads within the city, determining which ones to repair first, Golubics said.

“Having limited funds, we address the streets that have the most immediate need and repair those first,” he said.

Golubics said he would continue to monitor the portion of Cochran Street east of 1st Street for signs of further deterioration.

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Dear Street Smart:

Regarding the signals at the intersection of Wooley Road and Victoria Avenue:

There is a green right-turn arrow so cars going west on Wooley can turn right while southbound traffic on Victoria is turning left onto Wooley.

However, there is no such convenience when a westbound driver on Wooley wishes to turn left onto Victoria.

Sometimes, eastbound traffic on Wooley is so heavy that left-turn traffic has to wait two cycles to make the turn.

Westbound traffic on Wooley should have a green left-turn arrow to eliminate this time-consuming inconvenience. The green arrow should have a timer so that it doesn’t stay green when there is no traffic.

Herb Hewston, Oxnard

Dear Reader:

As one of the most heavily traveled roads in Oxnard, Victoria Avenue is key to that city’s traffic circulation plan.

But despite that, there is not enough use at the Wooley Road intersection to warrant a left-turn light at the signal, Traffic Engineer Joe Genovese said.

“The existing right arrow on Wooley Road does not come at the expense of traffic efficiency at this intersection since it is shown concurrently with the southbound left-turn arrow on Victoria,” he said.

Nonetheless, Genovese said he would study the intersection and review traffic counts of cars turning left onto Wooley.

By the way, you are not alone. According to the city of Oxnard, more than 250 cars an hour turn off Victoria and onto Wooley during peak commute hours, Genovese said.