Missing ‘Canyon’ Might Have Steered Truckers Wrong

Dear Street Smart:

I have noticed several similar signs on the eastbound side of the Ventura Freeway. Driving east, the first is on the Johnson Avenue offramp, and there are two more at the Wagon Wheel and Oxnard Boulevard exits.

The signs say: “Four or more axle trucks prohibited past Decker Road. Use 101. Local deliveries only.”

I can’t find any Decker Road on any map and it is not at all clear what these signs mean.

Doug Bronson

Ventura

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Dear Reader:

The signs you are confused about refer to Decker Canyon Road, another name for California 23 south of Thousand Oaks.

Randy Williams of the state Department of Transportation said the sign painters simply left off the word “Canyon” by mistake when they made the signs you are asking about.

“No one ever paid that much attention,” the special crews director said.

But the signs will be corrected now that the mistake has been brought to their attention, Williams said. “It’s going to take a little while, maybe a week or longer, but it will be fixed,” he said.

By the way, 18-wheel trucks are not allowed on Pacific Coast Highway south of Decker Canyon Road in Malibu because the highway cannot support the heavy loads, Williams said.

Not only are the four-axle trucks too heavy for the roadway, but in addition they do not interact well with the mix of cars, motorcycles and light trucks that regularly use Pacific Coast Highway, he said.

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Dear Street Smart:

We’ve had an ongoing problem at California 33 and Ranch Road. There’s a painted crosswalk, but it’s an uncontrolled intersection.

We’ve had an accident every two to three weeks. I have lived there for three years and some have been fatal, some serious and others just fender-benders.

It’s an ongoing problem. We’ve petitioned Caltrans, with no results. The neighbors here would like to see some kind of signal or control to warn people, because eventually somebody else is going to get killed.

Charles Villalvazo

Casitas Springs

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Dear Reader:

Caltrans officials have no record of your complaints about the safety conditions at the intersection of California 33 and Ranch Road.

But based on your letter, Caltrans traffic engineers will investigate whether the crosswalk warrants a traffic signal, flashing beacon or stop sign, said Vincent Moreno, a Caltrans public affairs officer.

Moreno said the investigation can take several weeks--sometimes longer--to complete. It includes traffic counts, an accident history and several other factors.

Should conditions warrant upgrading safety equipment at the crosswalk at Ranch Road, Caltrans maintenance crews will be directed to make those improvements, Moreno said.

You can reach Moreno at (213) 897-2968.

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Dear Street Smart:

I am concerned about the intersection of Adobe Way and Santa Rosa Road in Camarillo. This is where eastbound Santa Rosa Road turns into one lane. The right-hand lane is clearly marked as a right-turn-only lane.

In the late afternoon during rush hour, eastbound traffic is very heavy. Only a fraction of the traffic is bound for Adobe Way.

The rest of the traffic uses the right-turn-only lane to pass traffic in the left lane and then to squeeze left at the last second, or worse, drive through the intersection in the right lane.

Speeding and reckless driving are the rule, not the exception.

What are the long-term plans to make this intersection safer? Can the Camarillo police or Ventura County sheriff’s deputies make a long-term practice to occasionally stake out this intersection to observe and issue citations for speeding and reckless driving?

Allen Adams

Camarillo

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Dear Reader:

There are no improvements to the intersection planned in the short term. But traffic analysts in Camarillo are well aware of the problem.

Long-term plans call for that section of Adobe Road to be widened to four lanes, although that probably will not happen until the area is developed, traffic engineer Tom Fox said.

“We’re aware that traffic does merge at that point, and we’ve provided two advance signs telling through traffic to merge left,” he said. “We’ve also striped heavy broken white lines, so motorists are aware that it’s time to start merging over.”

As for stepped-up police patrols, Fox said that is already being done.

“I know because I’m the one the police officers call when they get called to court by someone protesting a ticket,” he said.