Freeway ramp meters are to slow you down for the overall good
Q. Dear Honk: For many years, I have used a ramp leading to the 55 Freeway from Paularino Avenue in Costa Mesa on most mornings. The ramp was never backed up. Even when the 55 was jammed, vehicles on the ramp still moved along and merged. A few months ago, the geniuses at Caltrans decided to install a meter on the ramp. Now, the ramp is backed up almost every morning. Even when the 55 is moving briskly, the ramp gets clogged. So not only did they “fix” a non-existent problem, they have now caused exactly the problem they supposedly wanted to fix! Can Caltrans justify this senseless installation?
– Randy Stratton, Costa Mesa
A. One of the Paularino-to-55 ramp meters was installed in 1996, but turned off for a construction project at one point and turned on again in July, said David Matza, a Caltrans spokesman. The other one is new, as of May.
Honk is rather bright and quick to grasp roadway lingo, technology and strategy, but he had long failed to hear an explanation that had him embracing ramp meters. He had been told that the meters are meant to help overall flow, but that is as vague as a confused math teacher.
But Matza passed along some good info:
“Without ramp meters in operation, multiple vehicles merge in tightly packed platoons, causing drivers on the (freeway) to slow down or even stop in order to allow vehicles to enter,” he told Honk in an email.
“The cascading slower speeds, both on the (freeway) and on the ramp, quickly lead to congestion and sometimes stop-and-go conditions.”
Further, ramp meters try to keep the freeway from exceeding capacity, which leads to heavy congestion.
Q. Hi Mr. Honk: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project near the Santa Ana River has closed a portion of the bike/jogging trail between Gypsum Canyon Road and Camino de Bryant in Yorba Linda, which causes those using the path to have to use La Palma Avenue. Although this is a safety concern, I’m sure this is only temporary. But I have noticed that machinery and vehicles are gone from the project. It sure looks likes they have just abandoned the project. I’m guessing the project has been shelved because of funds diverted to another “federal project.” This deepens the safety issue for those pedestrians in the roadway. Can something be done in the interim?
– Ron Tanimoto, Yorba Linda
A. Ron, Honk hopes you have some patience.
The entire project is 75 miles long, from east of San Bernardino to the Pacific Ocean, and is bolstering the river bank’s strength to protect nearby residents. It is being done in segments, including a $26 million job that covers the area you are talking about where some sort of problem arose.
“The contract was recently terminated by the government for cause,” Luciano Vera, a spokesman for the Army Corps, told Honk.
The reason for the contract’s termination has not been publicly released, but another firm is to be hired to complete the work. Vera said the Army Corps is working with the county to come up with an improved interim pathway there.
Time frames are unclear in regard to the interim and the permanent solutions.
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