Christy MacBride-Hart, San Clemente
In the recent election, a candidate stated that the Caltrans message board was causing San Clemente’s current traffic problems. During my many years of commuting up Interstate 5, I have not noticed a pattern of traffic near these message boards.
I have had a different theory since the Vista Hermosa interchange was built. On the northbound I-5, Vista Hermosa adds two on-ramps that merge into traffic, Pico adds one, as does Presido. I think these four merging on-ramps create traffic during times of high usage. On the southbound side, the on and off ramps are part of auxiliary lanes for both Vista Hermosa/Pico and Pico/Palizada. My experience is that when merging on-ramps are rebuilt as auxiliary lanes, the traffic in that area decreases.
In the near future, the Pico interchange will be rebuilt, but the Caltrans design displayed at the Community Center a year or so ago does not change this issue. The design for the rebuild showed four merging onramps on the northbound I-5 near Pico, so our current traffic pattern will still be a problem.
