Santa Ana : Residents’ Views Sought on 5 Traffic Proposals

Residents in the north-central area of the city will be asked tonight to offer their thoughts on five proposals to ease nearby commuter traffic problems.

Using residents’ comments from the past, city officials have pared their original 18 proposals to five, said George Alvarez, transportation and development engineer.

The latest proposals are to:

Close the Flower Street off-ramp at the Garden Grove Freeway connector road.

Restrict southbound movement on Flower Street by requiring drivers to turn either left or right on Memory Lane. Also, eastbound drivers on Memory would not be able to turn south on Flower between 7 and 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Halt northbound traffic on Flower at North Park Boulevard between 4 and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and also prohibit eastbound traffic on Riviera Street from heading north on Flower between 4 and 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Eliminate one of the two through lanes on westbound Memory Lane. The existing left turn lane and two through lanes would be restriped to form two right turn lanes, one through lane and one left-turn lane. Also, a right-turn green arrow would be installed for eastbound Memory Lane traffic turning south on Bristol Street.

Install four-way stops at 19th Street and Flower; Orange Avenue and Flower; Towner Street and Santa Clara Avenue; Bonnie Brae/Victoria Drive and Santa Clara Avenue.

The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 1025 Memory Lane.

So far, residents have shown little support for any of the proposals to close Flower Street, Alvarez said.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to review the proposals on March 11, he said, and the City Council plans to consider it April 1.

In the meantime, city officials will distribute another batch of questionnaires to residents to find their views on the latest proposals, Alvarez said.

Whatever is decided, he said, the city probably will implement it for about three months and then evaluate its effects.

Also, improvements will be made on Bristol Street between Memory Lane and 17th Street to handle the additional traffic Bristol would receive from any of the road changes, Alvarez said.

Along with improving the road, he said, the city probably will widen portions of Bristol and remove parking on the north side of 17th between Bristol and Flower.