Scofflaw Bicyclists, Though a Problem, Get Low Priority

Dear Street Smart:

Dusk is well-known to be a time of poor visibility. However, worse than the autos that fail to turn on their driving lights are unlighted bicycles without reflectors.

They are practically invisible.

Would it be possible to mandate that bicycles be equipped with identifying reflectors on the front and rear so that we drivers would know that it is a bicycle and be able to take proper precautions?

Alden L. McMurtry, Oxnard

Dear Reader:

Guess what? The safety precautions you describe were enacted into law 15 years ago.

The California Vehicle Code requires that all bicycles be equipped with front lights, rear reflectors, side reflectors and pedal reflectors to protect bicyclists who are riding in the dark or at dusk, California Highway Patrol Officer Dave Cockrill said.

Trouble is, many law enforcement officers have higher priorities than to chase down and ticket scofflaw bikers. “Occasionally, some bicyclists get dinged with a ticket, but we don’t keep track of them,” Cockrill said.

If the situation in your neighborhood is serious, you can try reporting violators to your local police department. But don’t expect an immediate response.

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Dear Street Smart:

I am writing regarding the intersection of Tierra Rejada Road and Los Angeles Avenue in the city of Moorpark.

In the morning, the traffic turning west onto Los Angeles Avenue from Tierra Rejada Road gets only a very short signal, while the east-west traffic on Los Angeles Avenue seems to go on forever.

Consequently, if there is oncoming traffic from Gabbert Road across Los Angeles Avenue onto Tierra Rejada Road, only two or three cars can turn left before the signal changes.

This is extremely frustrating, especially at that hour of the morning, when everyone is in a hurry to get to work. Can someone look into this problem and see if there is a solution? I would appreciate it very much.

Susan B. Hayes, Moorpark

Dear Reader:

Ever working to improve circulation, traffic planners in Moorpark earlier this year converted to a new synchronized timing system for stoplights along Los Angeles Avenue.

But after so many complaints like yours, analysts rethought the Tierra Rejada Road-Los Angeles Avenue intersection and switched it back days ago to handle the volume of traffic there, Moorpark Public Works Director Ken Gilbert said.

“Caltrans installed a coordinated timing schedule for all of the traffic signals on Los Angeles Avenue,” he said. “But it’s not demand-activated. Instead, the signals are on a fixed timer.”

All of the other signals along Los Angeles Avenue remain on the new, timer-oriented system, Gilbert said. But like any other traffic condition within the city, they will continue to be monitored, he said.

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Dear Street Smart:

It’s discouraging to see all of the construction under way as we drive around Southern California. Yet one of the key problems right here in Ventura County gets no attention.

The Ventura Freeway bridge over the Santa Clara River between Oxnard and Ventura has been too narrow for years. Northbound traffic between 4 and 6:30 p.m. backs up several miles before this bridge on most days.

The situation worsens when there’s an accident, a stalled car or, even worse, when someone is receiving a ticket. Now that it is dark during the homeward commute, the delays will worsen, and heaven help us when it rains.

In addition, the backup also often causes “snakes,” in which hard braking is required, making the situation even more dangerous.

What can be done to speed up this vital bridge-widening project?

Peter A. Hockenmaier, Camarillo

Dear Reader:

You are no doubt aware of plans to widen the stretch of freeway you are concerned about. It has been discussed in this column at least four times in the past year.

But what can you do to speed up the improvements?

According to state Department of Transportation spokesman Russ Snyder, not much.

“They can write their legislators and tell them to get on the ball,” he suggested. “But unfortunately, there are a lot of projects across the state and Ventura County that have merit as far as improving transportation.”

Caltrans crews like nothing more than building freeways, Snyder said. “But we’re dealing with finite resources. The money isn’t there yet.”

The $100-million project is scheduled for construction after 1997.