Los Olivos residents sought a quick solution to boost safety at a key intersection in their town, but Caltrans representatives said state laws don’t allow them to implement some of the suggestions.

During a meeting Wednesday night in Los Olivos, Caltrans representatives shared the results of an evaluation along with near- and long-term fixes.

The study stemmed from Los Olivos residents sharing harrowing stories about near-misses and bad crashes on Highway 154 during a meeting earlier this year and renewed the concerns Tuesday night. 

“We need a fix. We need something now,” Tom Nelson, a former law enforcement officer, said Tuesday.

Reviewing collision data revealed a pattern of broadside crashes involving left turns from Foxen Canyon onto the highway, according to Caltrans.

“So, that is a concern we do want to help to improve,” Kathryn Kleinschmidt, Traffic Safety Systems Branch chief, told the crowd of approximately 60 people.

An intersection control evaluation deemed a need for improvements, but adding an all-way stop at the intersection has been ruled out because of uneven traffic on the highway compared with Foxen Canyon Road. Additionally, a traffic light could lead to vehicles queuing.

Instead, Caltrans will explore adding a traffic signal or a roundabout as a long-term solution.

“Long term depends on a few factors. It can be a range anywhere from five to 10 years, I would say,” Kleinschmidt said, eliciting groans from the audience members eager to see fixes sooner. 

“Obviously, we would want to do it quicker, but we have to look at funding, design, getting the right-of-way, stuff like that. If there’s a way to accelerate it, we would. But I just want to be honest with you, some of these things do take longer.”

Caltrans has implemented some measures such as improving signage, including one noting that cross traffic doesn’t stop. 

Other short-term measures under consideration include more signage and striping along with flashing beacons, a low-cost solution that could be implemented quickly.

One woman asked if that length of time would be the same for each alternative, but Kleinschmidt said she hadn’t done a full evaluation on the options.

A man noted that reduced speed limits on Highway 154 wasn’t among options mentioned by Caltrans officials.

“If you just change your speed limit to 35 or 40 miles an hour, that takes you two days to do it, and you’ve got this problem pretty well done until you get a roundabout in,” he said. 

A lower speed limit could make Highway 154 less attractive as a faster route between Santa Barbara and the North County, and help remove it as an option suggested by traffic apps.

“The speed on Highway 154 is a huge factor,” another man said, urging that studies look at the entire segment.

He questioned why they were focused on Foxen Canyon and not the entire corridor.

“We did look at the other intersections. They’re not having the collision issue as much as Foxen Canyon, so this is our focus for tonight,” Kleinschmidt said. 

In addition to engineering, safety efforts include enforcement and education, officials have said. 

Highway 154 drivers don’t necessarily follow the current speed limits as California Highway Patrol officers have nabbed motorists topping 100 mph in recent months.

Kleinschmidt said Caltrans must follow the California Vehicle Code in setting speed limits on state highways.

“We can evaluate the speed. It’s just hard to justify a lower speed limit with the current law if we don’t have the data to support that,” Kleinschmidt said. 

Without data to support the speed limit, traffic tickets wouldn’t be enforceable in court, John Olejnik, planning chief for Caltrans District 5, added.

Another man wondered why Caltrans would convert the four-way stop at Highway 154 and Baseline Avenue/Edison Street into a roundabout. Work on that project, in the works for approximately 10 years, should begin in March.

It’s not just motorist safety that raised concerns. Children regularly cross the highway daily to attend school, residents said. Cyclists also travel the roads regularly in the area.

In addition to engineering, efforts to increase safety on Highway 154 also include enforcement and education, officials have said.

Los Olivos residents weren’t fond of the open-house format, which included a brief presentation before small-group discussions with Caltrans representatives.

“Why won’t you let us ask questions with the whole group listening rather than isolating?” one man asked. 

Caltrans has asked drivers to take a survey about proposed enhancements by going to tinyurl.com/SR154FoxenCanyonRoad.

In addition to written comments at the meeting, people can submit comments by Jan. 19 via email to info-d5@dot.ca.gov or by calling 805.549.3237.