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Crime & Safety

Intersection Worries Local Drivers

The intersection of Rancho California and Ynez Roads is a thorn in the side of many drivers.

After a string of crashes plagued a Temecula intersection, some residents want something to be done.

The intersection of Rancho California and Ynez roads has seen as many crashes since July as it had all last year.

It was the scene of three crashes in August and two crashes in July.

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In all of 2010, it was the scene of five crashes, and in 2009, seven crashes happened there.

The sudden burst of collisions has some residents worried.

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"I dread having to go through that intersection, especially during the morning or afternoon commute times," resident Rachel King said.

The intersection was recently the scene of a multi-car pileup. To read about it, .

Some blame the allegedly poor timing of the traffic lights.

"I can't take my eyes off the light for a second because I might be one of five cars that makes it through the green light," King said.

According to Jerry Gonzalez of the city’s Traffic and Planning Commission, traffic signal timing is dictated by the volume of traffic at an intersection.

“Green time values are developed based on peak hour movements, such as left turns, through and right turns. The yellow and red time values are established based on established standards such as Federal Highway Administration and Cal Trans standards,” Gonzalez explained.

The intersection is part of a synchronized arterial system that has been in place for at least 13 years.

“The Rancho California Road system includes all the signalized intersections between Diaz Road and Margarita Road, including the I-15 ramp signals. The Ynez system includes all the signalized intersections between Tierra Vista and Winchester Road,” Gonzalez added.

One frustrated resident usually has little luck getting through the intersection without consequences.

"There has been many times when I sit and wait to make a left from Ynez onto Rancho California Road. Sometimes it seems like I am at that intersection for 10 minutes," Steve Jerra said. "It can be pretty stressful and frustrating."

In recent months, the traffic planning commission implemented and is still fine tuning a new program that is suppose to keep track of traffic conditions.

"The system is designed to monitor traffic conditions along the corridor and respond to the changes in traffic volumes by adjusting signal timing to streamline the flow of traffic," Gonzalez explained.

To read about the plan, .

The intersection seems like a traffic ticket trap, said Temecula resident Renee Smith.

"Look, I am a careful driver and as I was starting to enter the intersection the light turned yellow and I was pulled over and given a ticket," Smith said. "I tried to explain to the cop that I was already in intersection when the light turned yellow. He didn't seem to care or understand that I didn't run a red light."

Gonzalez explained that because this particular intersection is one of the busier intersections in town, it is challenging to make everyone happy.

"The challenge is implementing traffic signal timing that is equitable for both roadways without causing unnecessary delay to either roadway.  This challenge is a common occurrence at major intersections that carry heavy volumes of traffic," Gonzalez said.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written in response to Temecula Patch’s “Assign a Reporter” contest.

On June 5, Temecula Patch published an article asking readers to give us an assignment. To read that article, click here. Patch chose the one they found most compelling, and then researched and wrote the story.

This assignment came from Canli Mertz, a new resident of Temecula. To read about her assignment, click here.

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