New task force pledges to confront dangerous stretch of highway
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

SYLVIE BELMOND/Acorn Newspapers LOOKING AT OPTIONS- Local officials discuss safety concerns on Highway 118 during a recent meeting at Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy's office. Foy, right and, Mark Lunn, chief of staff, host the first task force meeting which included officials representing Caltrans, the Ventura County Transportation Commission, agricultural and planning interests.

Even as they were on their way to discuss safety concerns about rural Highway 118 between Moorpark and Camarillo, officials were delayed by an accident that closed the two-lane road. There were no fatalities, but the accident demonstrated the ongoing need for something to be done.

In a collaborative attempt to address the issue, local officials and leaders from county and state agencies met yesterday here in Simi Valley to discuss potential strategies to resolve existing hazards on the 118.

The highway is used by trucks and vehicles seeking a shortcut to travel east and west in the county. There were 308 collisions, 161 injuries and one fatality on the road in 2006. Eleven people died on that route in 2005. Statistics show that about 40 percent of the accidents are caused by trucks.

"We can't stop the traffic so we have to focus on safety," said Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, who spearheaded the task force effort that will deal with highway concerns.

"It's really going to take a coordinated effort and fortitude and it ain't gonna be cheap," said Butch Britt, director of transportation for Ventura County. "In my mind the 118 needs to be rebuilt to four lanes to accommodate the traffic."

But residents in nearby Somis don't want that- they're afraid it will destroy the rural character of the area, he said, adding that the California Department of Transportation also has responsibility for some of the existing predicaments.

The taskforce won't be able to do any overall road improvements because a 2005 lawsuit filed by a group of Somis residents requires an Environmental Impact Report study on the two lane path before anything can be done. The study could take up to five years to complete.

"Traffic capacity enhancing can't be considered until the EIR is done," said Moorpark Councilmember Keith Millhouse who serves on the Ventura County Transportation Commission

VCTC is currently trying to get some federal assistance through U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly. (RThousand Oaks).

"The lawsuit does hurt a little bit because the EIR is a lengthy process," Foy said. "But we have other opportunities to do other things, such as traffic control, to mitigate some of these problems."

John Peppe, regional manager for Caltrans, admitted the problems on the 118 are in dire need of fixing.

"I'm in support of correcting the situation. The 118 is a maintenance nightmare for us," Peppe said.

"We want to come up with innovative ideas to reduce death and injuries," said Mark Lunn, Foy's chief of staff and former local CHP chief. "We just want to explore options."

While roadway redesign would help matters in the long run, and traffic enforcement is slated to increase, some factors are beyond the control of authorities, Lunn said.

"We know there's a big concern from the residents, but resources are deployed when needed," said Lunn, who witnessed the 2005 crash on the 118 that killed seven family members at once.

That accident occurred at the intersection of Hitch Boulevard, which doesn't have any signals.

Moorpark officials voted last week to send a letter to the county board of supervisors asking them to reconsider realigning Hitch Boulevard to the intersection of Highway 118 and Grimes Canyon Road because a new traffic light was installed there in 2006.

The county rejected that project about 10 years ago, but recent tragedies may prompt them to reconsider, Millhouse said.

Last September Moorpark Councilmember Janice Parvin hosted a similar meeting to discuss the 118 hazards, and that meeting produced some results.

The CHP just got a new officer who will be dedicated to commercial enforcement in the region, said Capt. Cliff Williams, who is based in Moorpark.

"He will focus his effort on trucks that travel between Moorpark and Somis but could be assigned anywhere in the region," Williams said. "I'm confident he will make a positive effect on the commercial safety aspect of the 118."

While officials work to increase enforcement, Williams suggested motorists can help when they drive cautiously.

The taskforce includes all the stakeholders involved with 118 matters, but it didn't include any Somis representatives. The group will meet again next month.

In the end, Foy said the taskforce will create a list of priorities, and the first goal of the group is to save lives.

"There's no question there will be some opposition, but we have to move forward," he said.