Motorist Finds Signal’s Yellow Cycle Is Gone in a Flash

Dear Street Smart:

What can be done about a traffic signal when the yellow caution light is unusually short? The signal at La Paz Road and Muirlands Boulevard is the one in question.

A number of motorists have found the signal turns red unexpectedly soon, and they have gotten a citation.

One traffic officer acknowledged the yellow signal is only three seconds long. A motorist who got a ticket took a stop watch and timed eight other signals in nearby areas and found they were uniformly five seconds.

The perception is that officers, knowing the short cycle, are using the situation as a speed trap. It seems that it would be in order to have traffic authorities review the situation and make appropriate adjustments.

Wallace Woods

Laguna Hills

Caltrans is responsible for that traffic signal in Mission Viejo, and they say the time allotted to the yellow light is sufficient. The sequence of signal lights is determined by the rate of speed and the amount of traffic in the area, said Rose Orem, a spokeswoman for Caltrans. The signal at the La Paz Road off-ramp from Interstate 5 and Muirlands Boulevard calls for a 3.2-second minimum requirement for the yellow signal, but Caltrans has set the yellow at 3.6 seconds, Orem said.

The signal responds to the presence of vehicles with the aid of about six loop detectors embedded in the road and placed within 54 feet before the crosswalk, Orem said. When there are no vehicles within that 54-foot perimeter, the loop detectors shift the light to the next color, red, yellow or green. This is why the yellow light appears to suddenly change, she said.

Dear Street Smart:

At Ortega Highway and Rancho Viejo Road in San Juan Capistrano, on the northwest corner is a stop sign meant for the right-turn lane. But the intersection is controlled by a traffic light.

If the light is green and I’m turning right, do I have to stop because there’s a stop sign? And why is the stop sign there?

Linda Gunderson

San Juan Capistrano

If you are in the right-turn lane, you must stop for the stop sign even if the light is green, said Ted Simon, city engineer for San Juan Capistrano. Proceed when traffic is clear.

The stop sign is there so that people turning right onto northbound Rancho Viejo don’t collide with those turning on the left from across the street onto Rancho Viejo, Simon said.

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The Orange County Transportation Authority invites the public to share ideas on improving mobility through the heart of Orange County as part of a study to determine if an urban transit system is in Orange County’s future.

Three open houses have been scheduled to elicit public comments on transportation options for the densely populated, heavily trafficked corridor between Fullerton and Irvine.

Earlier this year, the OCTA board of directors selected this six-mile-wide and 28-mile-long corridor for a study of a possible urban rail system or enhanced bus service.

The open houses won’t have a structured agenda, but will allow those who attend an opportunity to view materials and discuss issues with OCTA directors, staff members and transit industry experts. Materials will be available in Spanish and bilingual staff members will participate.

The first open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Rancho Santiago College in the auditorium of Building U.

The second will be from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 27, at the Fullerton Senior Multi-Service Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave. The final open house will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at Irvine City Hall, 1 Civic Center Plaza.

Street Smart appears Mondays in The Times Orange County Edition. Readers are invited to submit comments and questions about traffic, commuting and what makes it difficult to get around in Orange County. Include simple sketches if helpful. Letters may be published in upcoming columns. Please write to Caroline Lemke, c/o Street Smart, The Times Orange County, P.O. Box 2008, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted.