After reading the letter from Steve Woods about the new traffic signal at PCH and Corral Canyon, I had to chuckle. Mr. Woods proclaims, “The traffic signal has succeeded in creating more congestion on PCH and has failed in eliminating serious accidents” The signal has been in for one week!
Who in the world believes that putting a traffic signal on a dangerous left hand turn onto PCH could be anything but a good idea? Having lived in Corral Canyon, I have made that dangerous turn, without a signal, on a daily basis, for over 10 years. It is not for the faint of heart.
On weekends, I have witnessed cars waiting to make a left hand turn, backed up all the way to Solstice Canyon Park. I have seen near misses when a car starts to pull out onto PCH and someone coming from the other direction decides to pull into Corral Canyon. Visitors to the park, who were not familiar with the area, often had trouble navigating through this dangerous intersection. Over the years, I have seen several accidents, one being the fatality of a young mother.
Mr. Woods says he lives in Corral Canyon but how can anyone who lives here not see the value in a traffic light on PCH? At the very least it will slow cars down as they go through this crowded beach area. The pauses in traffic caused by the new light will also make Latigo Canyon’s intersection safer. Is there something else going on here? Is there a hidden agenda to Mr. Woods’s letter?
In my opinion, the only people not in favor of the traffic light should be the sheriff’s department. They have written hundreds of thousands of dollars in speeding tickets along that stretch of PCH.
Sara Grisanti