Q: Martin Stearns asked why drivers are not allowed to make a right turn on a red light at the exit of the new Scott Road-215 Freeway interchange, when traveling northbound on the 215 and exiting at Scott Road heading east. He said, “I take that exit on a regular basis and I have on many occasions been the very front car, the field of visibility is excellent, if not for the sign I could safely make a right hand turn there … On multiple occasions I have sat there with no vehicles approaching, burning fossil fuels, emitting greenhouse gasses, polluting the environment for no reason.”
A: Indeed, when you exit the 215 Freeway at Scott Road from the northbound 215, signs about 50 feet from the limit line say “No Turn on Red.” The only way our reader can get this changed is by petitioning Caltrans. Why can’t drivers turn right on the red light here? “It’s more for safety reasons,” said Rob Blough, a city of Menifee traffic engineer. The design work came out of the now-completed Scott Road/I-215 Interchange project. (Details at https://www.cityofmenifee.us/495/Scott-RoadI-215-Interchange-Project). Sometimes, Blough said, when an exit has double right turn lanes, the design of the bridge deck or a curve, or some other design issue, impedes visibility or line of sight, so right turns on a red light are not allowed. “It looks like because that’s a double right and the design of the bridge deck, perhaps they didn’t think there was enough visibility,” Blough said. Multiple agencies were involved with this project, including Caltrans, the city of Menifee and Riverside County.
Q: Last spring, On the Road wrote about an issue concerning a possible left turn traffic control signal at the corner of 1st Street and Beaumont Avenue in Beaumont. Caltrans had indicated they were going to install one temporarily during the construction on the 10 Freeway corridor. Larry Fletcher of Banning had asked about this initially and contacted On the Road again recently seeking an update, as this signal has not been installed.
A: As far as we can tell, there are no plans for the left-turn signal to be installed at this time. Fletcher had asked last spring, if officials would improve this intersection which lacked left-turn traffic signals for northbound and southbound traffic on Beaumont Avenue. Our reader said this intersection was often backed up, leading many drivers to take dangerous shortcuts through a gas station on the corner. The intersection is under Caltrans’ jurisdiction and Beaumont officials said they are aware of the traffic issues. Caltrans previously said it would temporarily allow for a left-turn arrow to be added to this intersection for northbound and southbound drivers, to help ease potential traffic congestion during the first segment of construction of the I-10 Tune Up Pavement Rehabilitation Project (https://i10tuneup.com.)
When we asked Caltrans recently for more information, Spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said in an email, “Caltrans has not made a commitment to provide protected left turn phasing on the minor approaches (considered local approaches) to Route 79. The approaches are the responsibility of the city (Beaumont) to provide protected left turn phases. The city would apply for a permit and submit plans for the left turn phasing along with a traffic study to justify it. Caltrans would only allow modifications if the turn movement were justified at that intersection. It would become a safety project at this point. No plans or studies have been submitted to date for a project proposal.”
Ashley Starr, a spokeswoman for Beaumont, previously said city staff would work with Caltrans and the Riverside County Transportation Commission to improve traffic circulation in and around Beaumont. We emailed Starr again recently to follow up. Starr said in an email that she would forward the latest note from Caltrans to the city’s Public Works director “and see if we can get some movement going on the project.” She has not responded to subsequent emails.
DMV changes for drivers over 70 years old
Lastly, some good news for senior citizen drivers.
Californians age 70 and older with a noncommercial driver’s license can now renew online or by mail, so no need to visit a Department of Motor Vehicles office in person.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order temporarily waiving the law requiring drivers 70-plus to visit a DMV office to renew their license during California’s State of Emergency or until modified. Those who meet the criteria will be able to complete their renewal online beginning Dec. 6, the DMV said. The DMV had previously offered yearlong extensions to senior drivers with noncommercial licenses expiring in March through December 2020.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@pe.com or call 951-368-9670.
The Link LonkNovember 06, 2020
https://www.pe.com/2020/11/05/visibility-for-that-right-turn-on-a-red-light-seems-fine-why-cant-i-turn-anyway/
Visibility for that right turn on a red light seems fine, why can’t I turn anyway? - Press-Enterprise
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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