Road Project Rejected After Father’s Plea

Heeding the pleas of an anguished father and dozens of residents, the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a road project that would have allowed traffic to flow freely on a rural road between Moorpark and Camarillo.

The action comes a week after 14-year-old Jennifer Bonds was struck by a car and killed while jogging along Santa Rosa Road.

Residents say the accident underlines safety problems along the two-lane road that stretches from the Ventura Freeway in Camarillo to Olsen Road in Thousand Oaks. The driver was not speeding at the time, authorities said.

Paul Bonds, who was jogging behind his daughter and witnessed the accident, was among 200 Santa Rosa Valley residents who packed the board’s meeting room to demand safety improvements.

Bonds said commuters speed down the highway and the lack of bike lanes makes it dangerous for anyone who wants to share the road.

His son was almost killed on the same stretch four years ago, Bonds said.

“I don’t want to give any more children,” Bonds said as his older daughter sobbed and clutched a large picture of Jennifer. “I don’t want you to have to lose any of your children.”

Bids are being taken for a $4-million traffic light project at Moorpark and Santa Rosa roads. But the residents objected to a proposed “free-flow” lane designed to allow motorists on southbound Moorpark Road to bypass the light as they merge into westbound Santa Rosa Road.

Supervisors unanimously agreed that the bypass lane could encourage more speeding and instructed public works staff to drop plans for it. Supervisors also tentatively agreed to ban right turns on red for the southbound motorists, despite concerns by county staff that it would result in longer waits at the intersection for motorists.

Residents voiced an array of concerns, from drivers exceeding the 55 mph limit marked for much of the road, to the difficulty of turning onto Santa Rosa Road from side streets because of heavy traffic.

Vic Penun said the signal will help break up the traffic flow, giving residents a chance to pull onto the road. Center medians should also be installed, to discourage motorists from passing on both sides as residents slow to make a turn, Penun said.

Heavier CHP Presence Urged

Residents asked that the California Highway Patrol beef up its patrols.

“Commuters can use our road--we have no problem with that,” said resident Nick Covella. “But they need to slow it down.”

Santa Rosa Road is heavily used by motorists who want to avoid backups on California 23 during peak commute periods.

Supervisors said they would consider dropping long-term plans to widen Santa Rosa Road to a four-lane highway. That would align with the residents’ desire to keep the community semi-rural, supervisors said.

The board also promised to investigate other ways to slow traffic along the length of Santa Rosa Road and report back next month. Work on the traffic signal is expected to begin in spring.

Bonds praised the board’s action as a “good first step” in improving safety. But it is just the beginning of a campaign he says he will wage to add bike lanes, encourage car-pooling and other means of getting cars off the road, he said.

Safety Campaign Would Be Legacy

He recounted that on the night Jennifer died, she had urged him to enjoy a particularly spectacular sunset. The accident occurred minutes later, he said.

“You wouldn’t believe the guilt that a father has because he couldn’t protect his daughter. He couldn’t save her,” Bonds said.

“Hopefully, there will be a legacy from this for people to slow down and enjoy the sunsets.”