Santa Maria is big, but not that big, and most of the streets here are relatively easy to figure out. Ask anyone who’s driven through this city and they’re likely to point out some intersections or portions of the roadways that give them either heartburn or heart attacks because of aloof drivers and near-miss collisions.
The Sun has curated a handful of somewhat confusing intersections and asked city officials how to safely navigate them.
The Intersection of McCoy and Broadway
Travel in the right-hand lane going east on McCoy just before crossing Broadway and you’ll probably notice something weird as you approach the light: You suddenly—and inexplicably—end up in the left-hand lane without ever making a lane change. How did this happen? Alas, there is an answer.
Back in 2009, the city of Santa Maria added a median on the portion of McCoy between Walgreen’s and the Kohl’s shopping center. This was done to alleviate the safety concerns for motorists making north/south crossings in between the two locations, according to David Beas, the principal civil engineer for Santa Maria.
In the process of adding the median, the stripes were repainted and a left-hand turn lane was added. But along with the improvement came another problem. The two lanes of McCoy seemingly shifted slightly to the right without much warning, allowing drivers in the right-hand lane to continue forward into the left-hand lane without any formal lane change.
But a lane change is required, according to Santa Maria Police Department Sgt. Russ Mengel, who added that drivers in the left-hand lane don’t technically need to signal when shifting to the right a little bit in order to stay in their respective lane. Even if you understand this, you’re still likely to encounter drivers who don’t, and all of the sudden you’re at risk for a collision, according to Mengel. So how does one successfully navigate this intersection?
“Carefully,” Mengel said, adding that you might want to yield to the person in the right-hand lane if the situation calls for it. “It’s just one that you have to pay attention to the markings on the road. People just need to be aware of the roadway. Take it slow. People make mistakes. We just got to take that into account.”
Beas said that usually the police keep the city informed of any problematic intersections, although he said this one hasn’t come up.
“This is an interesting intersection,” Beas said. “This one hasn’t been on the radar, but we do recognize the fact there’s always room for improvement, whether it be a sign or striping.”
The city is responsible for McCoy, while Beas said Caltrans is responsible for Broadway. If there were to be any improvements on the intersection itself, Beas said there’d have to be some coordination between the city and the state.
There may be one possible solution to the intersection. Santa Maria Director of Public Utilities Steve Kahn told the Sun that he’s looking into adding some extra stripes on the road.
The intersection of Depot/Fesler/Railroad
This is a Y-intersection near Rudy’s Auto Dismantler that Beas said causes some confusion among motorists because of its geometric pattern. West Fesler Street offsets by 50 or so feet when crossing Railroad Avenue. Even though there’s a stop sign at each crossing, Beas said it still causes minor accidents.
In fact, Beas said the city applied for a grant to improve the intersection. In six months, he’s hoping the improvements will be made. Until that happens Beas’ recommendation is to simply obey traffic laws and pay attention.
“I think it’ll eliminate the confusion,” Beas said.
The Betteravia off-ramp on southbound Highway 101
For years, motorists were able to make right turns from the two right lanes at the Betteravia Road off-ramp heading south on Highway 101. Not anymore. Caltrans repainted the stripes so that there is only one right-hand turning lane.
The reason for this, according to Beas, was to accommodate the agricultural workers heading to their jobs in the morning. Before, it was causing cars to backup onto the freeway.
Yet, drivers continue to make right-hand turns from the middle lane of the off-ramp, even though it’s no longer a right-hand turning lane. Why?
“People get used to the habits they’ve done before and maybe aren’t as observant as they should be,” Beas said.
There are plenty others, of course. The Sun asked 34-year-old Alejandra Ochoa, a longtime Santa Maria resident, about which portions of the city’s roads seem to cause problems. She identified Jones and Tunnell streets, where they both intersect at Broadway.
“There’s no left turning signs in the middle of the roadway and people still turn,” Ochoa said.
Ochoa also had a few words to say about the roundabouts near the Walmart shopping center, which she said some drivers just don’t know how to use.
According to Beas, the way to properly enter a roundabout is from the left-hand lane. If you’re in the right-hand lane, he said, you must make that right-hand turn. Markings on the road clearly indicate the correct paths of travel, he added.
Staff Writer David Minsky can be reached at dminsky@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 4-11, 2016.