The question: Why would the city of Thousand Oaks install two successive traffic signals only about 80 feet apart on Rancho Conejo Boulevard in Newbury Park, one at Teller Road and the other at Amgen Center Drive?

The answer: At the time the city installed Amgen Center Drive at Rancho Conejo Boulevard, which was after the city installed Teller Road, the topography didn't allow for a four-way intersection, according to Thousand Oaks city officials.

"It's not something that we'd prefer to do," said Robert Sweeting, Thousand Oaks associate traffic engineer. "But that's what we have to work with. We're forced to do that unless everything was to be redone and realigned, and obviously there are buildings and other sorts of things that are there that aren't easily moved. . . . The ideal situation would be a standard four-legged intersection."

One reader criticized the double traffic light setup because a motorist might get through the first yellow light going in a particular direction, and get stuck at the following red light only a couple of car lengths away. The setup seems ridiculousthe reader said.

Are two signal lights too close together? BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers "We do try-for the most part-to program the signals so that if you're on the main road going north or south, you'll get a green through both signals so you don't get through one and have to stop at the next," Sweeting said.

He said he hasn't heard of any complaints about the setup in the past.

Have a traffic-related question or concern? Send it to "Acorn Traffic Man" in care of the address on page 4 or by e-mail to pic@theacorn.com. We'll try to respond as soon as possible.