CAMARILLO

First freeway traffic meters activated in Camarillo

Jeremy Childs
Ventura

Caltrans activated Camarillo's first freeway traffic meters on Thursday, located at the Highway 101 on-ramps at Lewis Road.

Caltrans activated the traffic meter at the Highway 101 Lewis Road on-ramp on Thursday, the first to be added in Camarillo.

The new meters are the first step in a joint effort by Caltrans and the city of Camarillo to alleviate traffic congestion on the city's main thoroughfare.

"Ramp metering improves the overall travel time of motorists on the freeway, increases safety by reducing congestion-related accidents and reduces air pollution from vehicle emissions," Caltrans said in a news statement.

Although the traffic meters have been activated, they will not be fully operational for the first couple weeks, according to Caltrans spokesman Michael Comeaux.

"It will be solid green just so the public can get used to seeing it there," Comeaux said.

On March 15, the meters will begin their regular operation of showing red and green traffic signals. According to Caltrans, running a red light on a ramp meter is viewed as a traffic violation under California state law, and drivers can face the same penalties as running any other red light, including points against their driver record.

Watch this file video to learn more about plans for carpool lanes on Highway 101.

The Lewis Road meters will initially operate on a schedule that runs weekdays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The schedule is subject to change based on traffic data collected by Caltrans. 

The northbound traffic meter will allow for two cars per green light and the southbound traffic meter will allow for three cars per green light. Both on-ramps will have two lanes for vehicles to enter. The signal timing will be partly based on freeway traffic conditions determined by roadway sensors, according to officials.

Eventually, the city aims to install traffic meters at more on-ramps, as well as auxiliary traffic lanes between exits and widening the highway to add a carpool lane. Most recently, the city hired two firms, WKE Inc. and Galvin Preservation Associates Inc., to consult on the project.

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