Solutions for Dangerous Intersection Debated

Just about everyone living near the crossing of Sunflower Avenue and Wimbledon Way in Costa Mesa agrees that the intersection is a dangerous one.

However, not all neighbors agree on what kind of safety improvements should be made. And officials of Costa Mesa and Santa Ana, which share Sunflower as a common border, cannot agree on which city should pay for the improvements.

Residents who live in a tract of upscale homes on the Costa Mesa side say it is dangerous to pull out of Wimbledon onto Sunflower: A slight curve obscures fast-moving eastbound traffic. And some say that the stop signs on Wimbledon, which becomes Greenville Street on the north side of Sunflower, are also difficult to see.

But mostly homeowners complain about the many speeding motorists who the use “The Wimbledon 500”--as residents call it--as a shortcut to South Coast Drive.

“There’s a lot of confusion out there,” said Charmaine Bonvicino, who, like many Wimbledon residents and owners of nearby businesses, wants a traffic signal at the intersection.

A traffic light would “help to keep things moving smoothly,” and would permit pedestrians to cross the street safely, she said.

“We must have a traffic light on Greenville,” said James Willems, a local resident and owner of Maranatha Village, the shopping center across Sunflower Street from Wimbleton Village. But other residents fear that a signal will actually increase traffic on Wimbledon.

“We need a cul-de-sac, or another way to avert traffic,” says Rosemary Pfahler, who lives on Wimbledon. Melody Murray and her husband, Vern, agree, and are circulating a petition requesting that the city seal off the street to Sunflower.

“It’s our property values that are at stake,” Melody Murray said, adding that she knows of several neighbors who are willing to pay for a concrete wall and landscaping to create a cul-de-sac on Wimbledon. The estimated cost of $2,000 to $3,000 would be more financially convenient than a $100,000 traffic light, they said.

But meanwhile, residents on both sides of the issue are keeping a tally of accidents and near-accidents at the intersection of Sunflower and Greenville/Wimbledon.

On June 14, a serious accident left two men with permanent injuries when one driver apparently ran the stop sign on Greenville Street, broadsiding an eastbound station wagon on Sunflower, according to police reports. Just last week, three persons were injured when one vehicle pulled out of Greenville and was struck by a westbound auto.

A Costa Mesa study showed that since 1983, 14 accidents have been reported. So far no fatalities have resulted.

“It’s so difficult to know what is the real solution to our problem,” Pfahler said. “I hope it doesn’t take someone’s life before it’s solved.”

At a Costa Mesa City Council meeting in June, about 35 residents voiced concern about safety at the intersection, Willems said. His parked car has been rear-ended, and twice cars have crashed into his shopping center or the adjacent apartment complex.

Council Voted for Light

In July, the council voted to install a traffic light or a warning signal, such as a flashing light, and to seek 50% cooperation from Santa Ana in funding it.

The issue has not yet gone before the Santa Ana City Council, but city officials there are receptive to the the traffic signal idea. But even if a light is installed, the two cities cannot agree on who should pay for what part of it.

Costa Mesa officials say each city should pay 50% of the cost because most of the traffic is from Santa Ana. But Santa Ana officials say Costa Mesa should pay 75% because three legs of the intersection are owned by that city.

Traffic signals in border areas are traditionally funded according to the number of legs each city has in its jurisdiction, said George Alvarez, Santa Ana city traffic engineer.

Bruce Mattern, director of public services for Costa Mesa, said funding does not necessarily have to be on a legs-per-jurisdiction basis.

Not Appeased

“This is not completely out of the ordinary to request 50-50 participation,” he said.

But that has not appeased everyone. “We are illegitimate children because we are in a border area,” Willems said. “We are not getting the attention we deserve.”

Nevertheless, both city councils--despite recommendations of their respective city staff and the Costa Mesa Traffic Commission against such a move--have agreed that a signal is needed. Moreover, both are planning to meet soon to work out the details of a jointly-funded signal, and a settlement is expected soon, they said.

Doesn’t Meet Criteria

“It does meet the criteria for a traffic signal,” Alvarez said. “Now it needs the money.”

But traffic lights cost so much, cities can put up only a few each year, said Bob Hammond, chairman of Costa Mesa’s traffic commission.

Costa Mesa has given the Sunflower-Wimbledon intersection fifth place in a priority list of about 30 traffic signal improvements needed. In Santa Ana’s list, it’s number 13 among 34.

“You just don’t come up with $100,000 every day,” Hammond said.

Hammond said a cul-de-sac sounds like a better solution than a traffic signal. “Off the top of my head, it sounds like a good idea,” he said, adding that the commission did not recommend a traffic light because it could likely increase traffic on the residential streets.

Development Projects

Other possible solutions include slowing speed limits, adding warning lights or restricting left turns onto Sunflower. All would require an approval from Santa Ana.

Willems warned that improvements must be made before development projects begin flooding the area with additional traffic. Mattern said environmental impact reports predict that 5% to 10% more motorists will travel on Sunflower after those projects are completed.

Willems fears that it may take another two years for the plan to be finalized and funded by both cities. Indeed, Alvarez said the traffic light has not been included in the fiscal 1986-87 budget.

“If we install it this year, it will mean that another project will get bumped,” he said.