Ramp Meter Helps Prevent Congestion Down the Road

Dear Street Smart:

I would like to sound off about the new freeway ramp meter installed at the entrance to the eastbound Ronald Reagan Freeway at Madera Road in Simi Valley.

I have been driving this route to work for the past 10 years. The ramp merges with the freeway in its own lane, and I have never seen traffic back up waiting to enter. Nor have I seen the freeway traffic slow down because of vehicles entering at this location.

It has been a basically trouble-free ramp on which to enter the freeway.

There are frequently trash, dump and heavy trucks using this onramp in the mornings. The addition of a meter slows down everyone unnecessarily and could cause an accident rather than prevent one.

I would like the agency in charge of this ramp to reevaluate its position, and should traffic become heavy enough in the future to warrant this meter, then I would be all for it.

At the present time, however, I feel that this is more of a problem than a help.

Joey Ferrari

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

Unfortunately for you, the folks who make such decisions do not agree with your evaluation.

“Even though the mainline freeway is never congested at this location, the volume of traffic entering from this ramp during the morning rush hours is enough to cause the freeway to get congested downstream in the vicinity of Stearns Street,” said Pat Reid, a state Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

Reid said that at peak hours, more than 1,100 cars whiz onto the freeway via that onramp. To limit congestion along the Ronald Reagan Freeway, Caltrans meters all ramps between Madera Road and Stearns Street, she said.

“Also, to keep the system in balance, Caltrans also meters the eastbound onramps in Simi Valley between 6 and 9 a.m.,” she said.

Dear Street Smart:

As you know, California 150 from Ojai to Santa Barbara was closed after the floods and not reopened until there was considerable public outcry.

What has to be pointed out is that Caltrans has still failed to repair it.

A half-mile stretch at the top of the pass has been left as a one-lane, one-way signal-controlled bottleneck since the reopening. A short 25-foot section of paving needs to be redone in order to remove this bottleneck.

Now, it is a rutted, gravel obstacle course.

Recently, Caltrans created another bottleneck at the Santa Barbara end, just before the 150 connects to the Ventura Freeway. They have put up signs and moved in concrete dividers to narrow yet another section to one lane.

It seems very illogical to start another project when they have yet to finish the one they started two years ago.

A cynic would think Caltrans is being bureaucratically vindictive by their maintaining a road that is at best inconvenient and at worst a hazard to the public.

M. Dylan Norton

Ojai

Dear Reader:

State Department of Transportation officials recently awarded a $1-million contract to complete roadwork needed on the section of California 150 between Ojai and Santa Barbara, spokeswoman Pat Reid said.

“The first phase of work on Highway 150 in Casitas Pass has been completed,” she said. “Weather permitting, construction is expected to be totally finished by the end of January.”

Reid blamed the single-lane, traffic light-controlled section of broken highway on a second landslide that occurred in February.

As for the Santa Barbara end of the highway, it too was damaged in the 1995 floods, Reid said. What’s more, initial repair plans were redesigned after more flood damage occurred early this year, she said.

“Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 1997, or sooner,” Reid said. “Before work can start, the soil needs to dry out and the required California Coastal Commission permits must be obtained.”

Dear Street Smart:

When exiting the Ronald Reagan Freeway onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard heading south, there are signs at the traffic light saying “No Right Turns on Red between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.”

In other words, you are allowed to turn right during the high-traffic commuting periods, but not during the low-traffic middle of the day.

I can understand that during the high-traffic periods, they want the traffic to flow as freely as possible, but this is also the highest-danger period because the flow of Topanga Canyon at this time is very high.

What I don’t understand is not allowing the right turns on red in the middle of the day, when traffic is much lighter and the hazard of making such right turns is minimal.

Are these signs just the result of some standard rule? Has anyone actually looked at the midday traffic flow? Did the signs somehow get reversed?

Robert C. Mason

Simi Valley

Dear Reader:

The short answers are: No, the signs are not the result of some standard rule. Yes, people studied the traffic flow prior to planting the signs. No, the signs did not get reversed accidentally.

“Caltrans traffic engineers recognize that residents of a mobile home park in this area have difficulty exiting their driveway,” said Pat Reid, a Caltrans spokeswoman.

“Some time ago, Caltrans initiated the ‘No Right Turns on Red between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.’ restriction as a compromise to help them out,” Reid said. But “engineers are currently investigating the possibility of installing a traffic signal at the mobile home park driveway.”

No word from Caltrans on when that decision will be made.

Write to Street Smart, The Times Ventura County Edition, 1445 Los Angeles Ave. No. 208, Simi Valley, 93065. 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.