Countywide : Wieder Cites Innovation on Transportation Panel

County Supervisor Harriett Wieder, who last month began a one-year term as chairman of the county Transportation Commission, says “cooperation and innovation,” such as occurred in the planning of the Beach Boulevard “Super Street” project, will be her theme for the panel.

Wieder said at a commission meeting Monday that she realizes the county cannot hope to solve its serious transportation problems with more money and new freeways, and that people rightfully expect government to do better with existing resources.

Wieder, who waited until Monday to deliver the traditional remarks inaugurating a new chairman’s term, succeeds James Roosevelt, who continues serving on the seven-member commission as an at-large representative.

The panel oversees transportation policy and project financing in Orange County. The Beach Boulevard project involves coordinating traffic signals, removing some curb-side parking, installing center dividers and adding other amenities to the 12 miles of Highway 39 from the hills of La Habra to the sands of Huntington Beach. Wieder has spearheaded the project, which is designed to help eliminate traffic jams at intersections and streamline traffic flow. It involves the cooperation of half a dozen cities.

During Monday’s meeting, the commission’s staff reported that Santa Ana and the California Department of Transportation have ended their dispute over the planned remodeling of the interchange of the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and the Costa Mesa Freeway (Route 55). Santa Ana officials were upset about Caltrans’ plan to eliminate the 1st Street off-ramp on the Santa Ana Freeway due to design difficulties.

According to commission officials, a compromise has been reached that would involve configuring the 4th Street exit so that it serves both streets, with drivers able to choose which street they want after they have entered the off-ramp.

Advertising for bids on the construction work is not expected to begin until 1989.