Back-In Parking Considered a Safety Measure on Hills

Dear Street Smart:

Why do parking officials in downtown Ventura require drivers to back into the parking spaces on the hilly part of California Street, just below San Buenaventura City Hall?

It seems dangerous for people pulling in and out of the parking stalls. Maybe the stalls should slant downward instead of upward.

Fred Bailey

Ventura

Dear Reader:

Believe it or not, it is more dangerous to allow head-in parking along that stretch of California Street.

For many years, parking there was as you described: front in, back out. The problem was that too many cars rolled down the hill, slamming into buildings or, even worse, unsuspecting tourists.

That precarious situation was done away with in 1963, when the Ventura City Council adopted the existing parking policy.

“It’s unusual to have angled parking on a hill like that, because if you forget to put your parking brake on or curb your wheels, your vehicle will roll down the hill,” traffic engineer Nazir Lalani said.

“It may seem unsafe when you first have to back in, but it’s the safer of the two,” he said. “With back-in parking, the cars can’t roll out.”

By the way, when downtown Ventura was renovated last year, traffic analysts considered parallel parking for California Street, Lalani said. But they rejected that plan because merchants value the available parking.

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Dear Street Smart:

The left-hand turn signal at Los Angeles Avenue and Condor Drive in Moorpark is becoming more of a hazard each week due to the increased number of employees at Litton Industries.

The left-hand turn for Condor Drive east is too short, and the interval between green arrows is too long.

The frustrating part is that there is hardly any northbound traffic on Los Angeles Avenue, and the left-hand turn lights do not seem warranted. The left-hand turn should allow left turns after the arrow when traffic permits.

During the past several weeks, I have been forced to wait on the eastbound freeway offramp because there was no room for any more cars in the Condor Drive left-hand turn lane.

This whole thing could be resolved by simply allowing left-hand turns after the arrow. I would appreciate anything you can do.

H. J. Schneider

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Because of its proximity to California 118, the intersection you are referring to is controlled by the state Department of Transportation--for now.

Caltrans officials said they have received several complaints like yours, but that at this time there is no money to convert the signal to allow cars to turn left after the green arrow fades.

“Due to funding restrictions, we don’t have the resources to make those changes,” said Caltrans engineer Rey Ciriaco.

The good news, however, is that Caltrans is due to relinquish jurisdiction over that corner to the city of Moorpark within the next couple of years, Ciriaco said.

At that time, it will be up to Moorpark Public Works Director Ken Gilbert to decide whether to make improvements to the signal.

Gilbert said allowing traffic to turn left after the green arrow “may not be a bad idea.” But he said he would have to study the matter after the city has jurisdiction.

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Dear Street Smart:

As a homeowner residing on Neath Street in east Ventura, I am concerned about the speed limit placed on this street a while back.

This, of course, was done without the knowledge or consent of the homeowners. Nevertheless, after making the street a through street, someone decided that the speed limit should be 35 mph through this once-quiet neighborhood.

I have noticed that over time the average car or truck passing along Neath Street is exceeding the 35-mph speed limit by 10 to 15 mph. With a large population of small children living along Neath Street, this is a very scary situation.

I would like to see the speed limit reduced to 25 mph. Let’s protect the kids.

E. A. Morgan Jr.

Ventura

Dear Reader:

As has been discussed in this column many times before, speed limits on city streets are determined by the drivers themselves. That is, the speed limit is set at the speed traveled by 85% of the drivers.

City officials say that means that you and your neighbors are responsible for the speed limit on Neath Street.

But changes are afoot: Ventura traffic analyst Nazir Lalani said a little-known vehicle code section allows lower speed limits on purely residential streets under some circumstances.

“We’ll post it at 25 mph within a few months, which will allow for traffic enforcement, but most people will drive 30 mph to 35 mph,” Lalani said.