Parked vehicles stick out into lane
July 24, 2005
Q: I often see trucks and other longer vehicles parked in angle parking spaces and sticking out into the traffic lane, especially on D Street west of Ellis Lake in Marysville. Isn't that illegal?
A: The Department of Motor Vehicles in Sacramento referred the question to local police departments.
Traffic Officer Dennis Hauck of the Marysville Police Department could not be reached for comment.
Officer Robb Koopman of the Yuba City Police Department's traffic enforcement division said he was unaware of any law specifying how far a vehicle can intrude into a traffic lane.
"It's more the officer's judgment on whether the lane is obstructed. If it's obstructed to the point that traffic can't go through, then it's a hazard we'd deal with," said Koopman.
Q: I heard that Highway 99 will be widened to three lanes in each direction between Bogue Road and Bridge Street. If that's true, it will be impossible to make a left turn off of Highway 99 onto streets like Hunn Road where there is no traffic signal.
A: Highway 99 will not be widened to three lanes, but right turn lanes will be added or lengthened at intersections between Lincoln Road and Butte House Road, including Hunn Road, said Shelly Chernicki, spokeswoman for District 3 of the California Department of Transportation.
The improvements will be added when Highway 99 is repaved between Lincoln Road and Butte House Road, starting in the spring of 2007. The project will cost $12.3 million, according to the Caltrans spokeswoman.
Chernicki said she is unaware of any plan to add traffic signals at Hunn Road.
Since You Asked runs on Sundays. It is written by reporter Rob Young. Questions can be sent to him in care of the Appeal-Democrat, P.O. Box 431, Marysville, CA 95901; or faxed to (530) 741-0140. You also may e-mail him at ryoung@appeal-democrat.com.
