Beach Boulevard’s Conversion to First ‘Superstreet’ OKd

The Orange County Transportation Commission on Monday approved a $24-million plan to convert Beach Boulevard into the county’s first “superstreet,” a high-flow, 19-mile thoroughfare capable of handling unprecedented numbers of cars over the next several decades.

The plan, designed as a demonstration project that eventually could be duplicated on other heavily congested thoroughfares, includes a program of bus turnouts, signal coordination, new travel lanes and intersection improvements that will dramatically increase the car-carrying capacity of one of the county’s most vital arteries.

The commissioners, signaling the need to begin improvements as quickly as possible, allocated an initial $4 million over the next two years to launch the superstreet project as early as next year.

Beach Boulevard, a densely packed expanse of offices, shopping centers, fast-food outlets and filling stations that stretches through eight Orange County cities from La Habra to Huntington Beach, serves as an access way for some of the county’s major tourist attractions, including Knott’s Berry Farm, the Movieland Wax Museum and Huntington state and city beaches.

Moreover, as a state highway once envisioned for eventual development as a freeway, Beach Boulevard is the only major north-south route between the San Gabriel River and Orange freeways that lie several miles away to the west and east.

Accordingly, a road initially designed as an ordinary commercial thoroughfare capable of carrying 45,000 cars a day is carrying up to 80,900 in some locations. Intersections at several locations are backed up through several light cycles. And heavy development contemplated in the next several years will bring a 30% increase in employment and a 22% increase in population to the area immediately around Beach Boulevard.

Congestion Predicted

The result will be gridlock, county traffic planners say. By the year 2005, according to current projections, 14 of the boulevard’s 19 miles will be at or over capacity. Traffic will be literally stopped along some stretches during peak hours.

Traffic planners several years ago rejected the idea of converting the boulevard to a freeway, which would have cost an estimated $500 million or more.

Instead, the “superstreet” concept was adopted, which county planners say could keep cars moving at close to 45 m.p.h. in all but the most congested areas, while protecting nearby businesses from dislocation.

The plan, which will be circulated along with an accompanying environmental impact report for comment during the next several weeks, includes:

- Some widening and restriping to increase the number of lanes along most of the route from six to eight.

- Flyover intersections at Warner Avenue, La Palma Avenue and Imperial Highway. Traffic in the central lanes would be carried on a ramp across the intersections, while two lanes on each side would remain at street level to allow drivers to stop at adjacent businesses or make turns.

- Traffic signal coordination for the entire 19 miles of the highway.

- Extensive intersection widening projects, accompanied by left-turn phasing at seven intersections.

- Restrictions on on-street parking during peak traffic hours between Ellis Avenue and the Artesia Freeway.

- Bus turnouts.

- Access control, median closures and driveway consolidation to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow.

“The western rim of this county sometimes feels like an orphan. It’s an unfortunate perception, and one we can quickly correct” with such steps as the superstreet program, Transportation Commission Chairman James Roosevelt said of the $4-million initial allocation.

Business Protests

The superstreet proposal has not been without controversy. Business owners near Warner Avenue are fearful that the 18-month construction period envisioned for the new flyover will drive away business.

Businessmen all along the route have expressed concerns that the focus on speeding traffic from one end of the thoroughfare to the other, accompanied by on-street parking limits, will tend to discourage impulse shoppers from stopping to make a purchase or to have a bite to eat.

In Stanton, for example, 45% of the city’s retail and service-related businesses are located on Beach Boulevard. Huntington Beach is only slightly less impacted, with 31%.

“The backbone of our economy is essentially the commercial corridor along Beach Boulevard. Obviously, if some of the recommendations of the study would have any impact on that community, we would have concerns,” said Roy Bruckner, Stanton’s interim city manager.

The environmental review, prepared by the consulting firm of Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade and Douglas Inc., concedes that some businesses may be hampered during the construction phase of the project.

But the report says those effects will be largely temporary, and will eventually foster higher property values and increased business revenues--potentially as high as $13 million annually--once improvements are complete.

Based on gasoline and automobile-operating costs, motorists could save up to 3.3 million hours and $23.3 million a year by not spending as much time backed up in traffic, the report suggests.

The report’s recommendations will be up for final adoption by the commission in mid-March, once the public has had an opportunity to comment. Construction could begin as early as August of 1986.