Speeding vans drive him crazy

Fred from Marlborough regularly travels on Route 128 between Waltham and Westwood and has noticed the signs prohibiting trucks from the left lanes.

He also has noticed many delivery vans with roof racks in those lanes and wonders whether the law applies to them.

``My question is: What is the definition of a truck?" he wrote. Even if those vans are allowed, Fred said, it bothers him when he sees them trave ling at speeds as fast as 75 miles an hour.

``It is pretty unnerving to see such vehicles careening down the left -hand lanes at those speeds, given their high center s of gravity and roof top loads," he wrote.

State Police Trooper Thomas Ryan tells us that the law restricting trucks from the left-hand lanes applies to vehicles of 5,000 pounds or more, which could apply to delivery trucks or even large SUVs, he said. Enforcement efforts, however, are targeted toward larger commercial vehicles, such as tractor-trailer rigs, and some officers are dedicated to commercial vehicle enforcement, Ryan said. The penalty for a left lane violation is $100.

On a related note, the National Motorists Association encourages drivers to yield to faster traffic in June, which has been designated ``Lane Courtesy Month."

Lane courtesy, the group said , leads to smoother traffic flow and reduces road rage. For more information, visit its website at www.motorists.org.

We've had several recent queries about the intersection of routes 20, 27 , and 126 in Wayland, where new traffic lights have been installed that make it easier for drivers to turn left from Route 27/126 onto Route 20.

At least in theory, that is. The lights have been in place for several months but have yet to be activated.

``When will the left-turn arrow feature be put into use?" wrote Carol from Wayland in an e -mail. ``Permitting it to remain inactive is terribly inefficient (and frustrating)!"

In February, for those who missed it, Starts & Stops reported that the state Highway Department was rebuilding the intersection and would activate the left-turn arrows after the project was finished, expected to happen sometime this summer.

Last week, a MassHighway spokesman, Erik Abell, told us the state was waiting for Verizon to move utility wires from several poles before continuing with the project. The state now sees the work completed by late summer.

A Verizon spokesman told us they have removed wires from all but one pole and expect to finish up this week, when it will be up to NStar to remove the poles. A spokeswoman for the electric company told us that it also plans to work on the poles this week.

Starts & Stops, a transportation column tailored to the western suburbs, runs every other Thursday. Feedback and questions on transportation topics from road to rail, planes to pedestrians are welcome. We will answer as many inquiries as space allows. Please, no phone calls. E-mail to starts@globe.com with the relevant community in the subject field. The mailing address is Starts & Stops/West, Boston Globe, 111 Speen St., Framingham 01701.