CA. - Southbound I-5, Exit 23

OFF THE WIRE
Karen Jewel                              John Del Santo
Chief of Traffic Engineering                         ABATE of California
& Analysis Branch                                         P.O. Box 7998
Dept of Transportation                                  San Diego , CA 92167
District 11                                                       August 12, 2011
4050 Taylor Street
San Diego, CA 9211
 
Dear Ms. Jewel,
 
Thank you for your response to our inquiry regarding the southbound I-5 off-ramp at exit 23 ( Mission Bay Drive ).
 
Your response indicates that the pavement there makes a rider as safe as being in a Mother’s arms….and yet when our rider came down that ramp on  (date ) and decelerated, her back wheel was thrown into a serious wobble which caused her motorcycle to go down.  This is a rider with many years and many miles of motorcycle experience.  The tow truck driver told her that he picks up crashed motorcycles at that location on a regular basis.
 
Another one of our riders used that off-ramp a week later, and experienced a rear-wheel wobble.   Two weeks later, another of our members saw a sport-bike motorcycle down at that location.  Does anyone in your office ride a motorcycle that they could take to that off-ramp and conduct  field trip inspections at that site ?  Because having gone there with a pickup truck  probably did not tell you much.
 
Because I feel that there is a design problem there,  and because I have informed you of a possible problem there,  I will  now be posting this letter to our state websites and discussion lists and will make our correspondence on this area fully available to anyone who has or had a problem at this ramp, and who wants to use our correspondence for a claim that Cal Trans has been previously notified.     
 Thank you for your interest in this matter.
 
 Sincerely,
 
 
John V. Del Santo
Safety Officer w/
ABATE of California