Cities mull over traffic solutions

One option stands above the rest of the possible solutions to deal with the often unbearable traffic on the 55 Freeway and Newport Boulevard, according to a new study by the Orange County Transportation Authority.

The study, which will be presented to the city councils of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach and the OCTA board of directors in the coming weeks, concludes that the so-called “cut and cover” method is preferred to the other six alternatives studied. The cut and cover method calls for an underground extension of the 55 Freeway through downtown Costa Mesa into Newport Beach so that beach-going traffic can be taken off of overburdened downtown streets.

Still, the fix is not a foregone conclusion. The alternative’s cost is estimated to be hundreds of millions of dollars, and it may not be completed for more than a decade.

Three less expensive and time consuming options, including the option of doing nothing at all, have been tapped by the study as possibilities that merit further inquiry, but Costa Mesa Transportation Director Raja Sethuraman said they are far from ideal.

Among other benefits, the cut-and-cover approach would allow for a more pedestrian-friendly downtown Costa Mesa, on Newport Boulevard between 19th and 17th streets, and an uninterrupted commute to the Balboa Peninsula from inland areas, proponents say.

“We did surveys, and we had people identify which option they think is the best option. The cut-and-cover option got picked by the most people in Costa Mesa,” Sethuraman said.

Surveys were taken at community outreach sessions held by the transportation authority and Costa Mesa, and also through mailers and other methods. Only about 300 people, or less than 1% of Costa Mesans, responded in the process of trying to determine the community needs, but Sethuraman said this is standard for a project of this scope.

Aside from surveying residents, the study included many computer simulations of traffic at various intersections in the area and how it would be changed if each alternative were instituted.

Alternatives rejected by the study included a proposal to build a raised freeway extension, hoisted up on concrete pillars, and a proposal to extend the freeway through the Eastside of Costa Mesa, demolishing more than 100 homes and businesses.

Costa Mesa’s City Council will be the first to hear OCTA’s presentation at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave.