New Intersection Hasn’t Taken a Turn for the Worse

Dear Street Smart:

Boy, was I happy when I heard they were going to redo the intersection at Lewis and Pleasant Valley roads in Camarillo. Now that they have completed it, I’m not so sure.

Can you explain why there is a left-turn-only lane in the northbound direction of Lewis Road when almost nobody turns left? At least they could have squeezed in a right-turn-only lane.

As it is now, traffic forms two lanes in the right lane so cars can turn right against the red light.

Also, the left-turn lane aligns with the opposing straight-through lane, which means that straight-through traffic must effectively change lanes in the intersection to get into the proper lane.

Why don’t they allow straight-through traffic from the left lane of northbound Lewis Road? At least in the afternoon, almost all of the traffic goes straight or right.

Thanks for your very interesting column.

Mike Wechsler

Moorpark

Dear Reader:

Traffic engineers spent a lot of time studying that corner before completing recent improvements at Pleasant Valley and Lewis roads.

What they found was that because of the nearby flood-control channel, there is not enough room for three lanes. For safety’s sake, Camarillo traffic engineer Tom Fox said, the left lane was designated for left turns only.

“The left-turn volume is relatively light,” Fox said. “But to make the lanes line up safely, we had to make that a left-turn lane.”

As more and more drivers use that intersection, further improvements will be made. But a right-turn lane is several years away, Fox said.

By the way, Fox said a slight curving in the roadway makes it appear that the opposite Lewis Road lanes do not match up. But Fox said that is not the case.

“The farther you are from the intersection, the two legs are actually at an angle,” he said. “They do look like they don’t line up, but as you get closer, you can see that they do.”

Dear Street Smart:

When traveling north on Westlake Boulevard at the corner of Avenida de los Arboles, there is a left-turn lane at the stop sign.

The middle lane should have the option to turn left or go straight, as traffic is backed up there for several minutes while everyone is in the left-hand-turn lane trying to make a left on Avenida de los Arboles.

Please take that into consideration. The middle lane should have the option to turn left or go forward.

Bonnie Borowsky

Thousand Oaks

Dear Reader:

There is both good news and bad news about plans for the corner of Westlake Boulevard and Avenida de los Arboles.

The good news is that Thousand Oaks traffic officials recognize the logjam that frequently occurs at the intersection and have made plans to improve the flow.

But the bad news is that the project is low on the priority list.

“In the future, when it’s signalized, Westlake Boulevard will have two left-turn lanes,” said Jeff Knowles, the city’s top traffic engineer.

Knowles said improvements at that corner ranked 62nd in a survey last October that looked at 82 projects. “It’s not very high on the list,” he said. “But it’s climbing pretty fast as development continues out there.”

Installing the traffic light could take several years, depending on how fast city officials allow more homes in that neighborhood, Knowles said.

Dear Street Smart:

I am a woman in a wheelchair and there are no curb cuts along some sections of Foothill Road in Ventura. Specifically, there are no curbs cuts on the east side of Via Plaza and Foothill Road.

I understand they are doing construction there soon. Please see if the city can install curb cuts there. It’s very dangerous on busy Foothill Road.

Ailene Bay

Ventura

Dear Reader:

Ventura officials install curb cuts at various intersections on a priority basis, said Nazir Lalani, the city’s traffic chief.

“We have a limited curb-cut funding program,” he said. “But we encourage people to send a letter making a request to the city engineer.”

Officials look at a number of factors when deciding where to place the ramps, including their proximity to bus stops, shopping centers and other high-pedestrian locations.

Lalani said that city officials install the ramps when there is related construction nearby.

“Whenever we do a project that involves any kind of concrete work, we put those wheelchair ramps in,” he said. “But if the request comes from an area where nobody is doing any current work for the city, then it has to get prioritized.”

Unfortunately, those projects take a little longer to complete due to funding priorities, Lalani said.

Write to Street Smart, The Times Ventura County Edition, 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura 93001. You may enclose a simple sketch if it will help Street Smart understand your traffic questions. Or call our Sound Off Line, 653-7546. Whether writing or calling, include your full name, address, and day and evening phone numbers. No anonymous queries will be accepted, and letters are subject to editing.