Will San Diego limit right turns on red lights in new street manual?

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, March 26.

Experts say turning right on red is dangerous, but will the city’s new safety guidance change anything?

More on that next. But first... the headlines….

New state fire risk maps show the amount of acreage deemed very high risk in San Diego County has increased 26 percent over the last 15 years.

That’s according to the State Fire Marshal and CAL FIRE.

The new maps cover the areas of responsibility for local fire departments — mostly the urban and suburban parts of the county.

The new designations come with heightened construction standards and rules about disclosure to homebuyers.

Statewide, areas deemed high risk and very high risk increased 168 percent since the last assessment in 2011.

Deck repairs are getting underway at the Imperial Beach Pier.

Starting today (Wednesday), crews will begin replacing 154 of the pier’s fifteen hundred deck planks.

The pier will remain open during the repairs but could close temporarily at times for safety.

The repairs are part of a two point six million dollar pier maintenance project.

Work on the deck should wrap up next month.

Legoland California is getting a new roller coaster.

Legoland owner Merlin Entertainments announced it’s building identical indoor coasters at both its Carlsbad and Florida parks.

The company is spending 90 million dollars on the two rides, a sum it says is the biggest attraction investment in its history.

It will be the Carlsbad park’s first new coaster built in 20 years.

From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.

Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

AS PRESIDENT TRUMP HEADS INTO HIS NINTH WEEK IN OFFICE, VOTERS REMAIN SPLIT ON HIS JOB PERFORMANCE. PUBLIC MATTERS REPORTER AMITA SHARMA SPOKE WITH TWO LOCAL VOTERS ABOUT THEIR VIEWS. WE BEGIN WITH INDEPENDENT VOTER MERI JO PETRIVELLI (MARY JOE PEH-TRUH-VELL-EE) FOLLOWED BY REPUBLICAN LILIANA ARMENTA (LILY-ANN-UH ARE-MENT-UH).

I am not surprised, but I am disappointed at the way things are going. Things that are important to me are the way that we treat people—the way that we treat immigrants, people of color, women, and those in marginalized communities. I think civil rights are important. I think the way that we educate our children is important. I think the way we treat our allies and our standing in the world is important. So, Liliana, the same question goes to you. What matters to you, and how do you think President Trump is doing on those issues so far? What matters to me is our country, our people, and also our world stance. I believe President Trump is delivering on his America First promise that he campaigned on by tightening up our borders, which is really important to me, especially living here in San Diego. It directly affects us, our families, and our communities. And also lessening the drugs that are coming into the United States—all the fentanyl that has been captured, the gang members. On the broader perspective with America First, it's about taking care of us, the Americans, our farm workers. And with the world events going on, it’s about making sure that we are a strong nation like we were 10 or 15 years ago, and trying to build up to that again. Mary Jo, President Trump has targeted numerous agencies for cuts. The FAA, the EPA, the IRS, research into cancer treatments, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease is losing billions of dollars. He is looking to trim SNAP benefits and hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from Medicaid and possibly Social Security and Medicare. How do you view these reductions? Do we really want to be cutting the people who are making sure our skies are safe? Do we really want to be reducing the ability to ensure we have clean air and clean water, to make sure our farmers are being paid appropriately for the things they’re growing, or for how our children are being educated—whether or not they get lunch or breakfast at school? Sometimes those children only get those meals a day. Who are these cuts serving? That’s another way to look at it. We know who they’re hurting. They’re hurting people who are poor, people who are vulnerable, people who live in communities that don’t have the same kind of resources as others. At the same time these programs are being cut and more cuts might happen, the president is looking to cut taxes for people making $280,000 a year or more. What do you think of that? Is that a good idea? Yes, I think it is a good idea because it’s not about helping the rich, though that’s how a lot of people see it. But I think they have that extra money to reinvest into philanthropy, their communities, and other things—into the economy. And to piggyback on what Mary Jo was saying, I understand her view and how it affects a lot of the community. But the way I see it, we do need that shake-up and cleanup in what the government has been funding. I am a true believer in helping people, but helping people who also follow the law, follow the rules, and work hard. We pay our taxes, we contribute money, and it’s really difficult to be helping everybody when there are so many Americans who don’t get help. There are a lot of homeless veterans. You mentioned veterans. The president is cutting from the VA administration. Are there any cuts you don’t want to see him make? Yes, the only thing I wouldn’t want to see cut is our veterans’ medical care. I’m a veteran myself. We served our country. We earned our benefits, and I just wouldn’t want those to be taken away. Maybe they get privatized, but as long as we’re getting the care we need.

THAT WAS LILIANA ARMENTA AND MERI JO PETRIVELLI SPEAKING WITH AMITA SHARMA.

MAKING RIGHT TURNS ON RED LIGHTS WAS ILLEGAL IN THE UNITED STATES FOR MOST OF THE 20TH CENTURY. METRO REPORTER ANDREW BOWEN SAYS WHILE DRIVERS ARE USED TO THE CONVENIENCE, THE MANEUVER IS FACING GROWING SCRUTINY.

Congress legalized right turn on red a half century ago — believe it or not, in response to the oil crisis of 1973. The idea was to conserve gasoline by reducing vehicle idling at intersections. But a recent study from several California universities found the gas savings have been negligible. SDSU city planning professor Bruce Appleyard co-authored the study, which also found right turn on red is generally unsafe. This is one of the big problems with right turn on red collisions. This is the operational side of it, that the driver is looking left at oncoming traffic and failing to see the pedestrian right in front of them or the cyclist right in front of them. San Diego is preparing an update to its Street Design Manual with new guidelines for when to prohibit right turn on red, particularly in areas with high pedestrian traffic. Appleyard says that could do more than just prevent collisions. It could also make neighborhoods more walkable.  It's not just about safety, but it's also about comfort and livability for pedestrians and cyclists. Rather than just looking at the safety calculations and the quantitative side of things, look at the qualitative side of things. Look at how places are much more comfortable. The city's new Street Design Manual is expected to go before the City Council later this year. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

THE VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT IS EXPANDING ITS SPANISH LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS GROWING INTEREST FROM LOCAL FAMILIES IS DRIVING THE CHANGE.

In Vanessa Mendoza’s math class at Alamosa Park Elementary, her students aren’t just learning geometry. They’re also practicing Spanish. MENDOZA- Todos los cuadrados son rectángulos. ¿Pero todos los rectángulos son cuadrados? STUDENTS - Oooh. This is one of nine classrooms at the elementary school where students are learning in both English and Spanish. Fifth grader Scarlett Nunez says there are lots of benefits. NUÑEZ - It helps you understand what other people are saying. And it also, I've read that, learning other languages helps you not forget things when you get older. And also that it's just fun. Three elementary schools and one middle school currently offer dual language immersion. The district plans to expand the program to additional grade levels and a second middle school campus next year...and a high school campus in two years. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.

SOME DUNG BEETLES ARE NATIVE TO CALIFORNIA BUT MANY OTHERS HAVE BEEN IMPORTED TO PREVENT THE DAMAGE DONE BY CATTLE FARMING. SCI-TECH REPORTER THOMAS FUDGE TELLS US ABOUT THEIR USES AND THEIR AMAZING ABILITY TO ADAPT.

Some dung beetles make dung into big balls that they roll to a hiding place where they lay their eggs. Others, called dwellers, move into a dung pile and set up housekeeping.  “There’s a third group that are called tunnelers. And they tunnel underneath cow pats, and create little brood chambers in these tunnels.”-…where they feed their young. With dung, of course.  Patrick Rohner is a professor at UC San Diego who has made dung beetles his specialty. He says the U.S. Department of Agriculture has imported many of them from Europe and southern Africa to clean up and renew the health of cow pastures.   “For one, they physically remove cow dung from the surface of the soil into the soil, thereby making these nutrients accessible to plants and other organisms. But they also aerate the soil because they often produce these tunnels.” Rohner became interested in dung beetles as a scientist because there are few creatures that adapt so readily to their environment. He says they can look drastically different while being genetically the same.

That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. For your next listen, today’s Midday Edition podcast features interviews with the retiring voice of the Padres Ted Leitner, as well as a local author on traveling solo as a woman. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.