Dealing With Heavy Traffic

Re Bill Billiter’s recent article on the Costa Mesa Freeway:

The “experimental” commuter lanes on the freeway are dangerous. They create unnecessary delay and a fear for personal safety. The direct result of driving this freeway is frustration, anger and a strong tendency among perfectly nice, normal individuals to choose irrational behaviors. The indirect result is that these perfectly nice, normal individuals do things that endanger themselves and others.

It is obvious to anyone using the freeway that a serious multi-injury accident is inevitable. It is confirmed that more frequent violations are occurring in and out of the lanes, and it is a matter of fact that motorcyclists using the lanes are terminating their lives on a more frequent basis as a result of the lanes.

In defense of maintaining the lanes, the authorities claim that the lanes reduce travel time “for all users.” I have yet to meet anyone who is experiencing this phenomena. My personal experience is that a daily commute from Newport to Riverside, which before the commuter lanes took from 50 to 60 minutes, now takes me anywhere from an hour to an hour and 40 minutes.

It is apparent to even the casual observer that the actual lanes are not busy and that the majority of the users are not “car poolers.” It is equally as apparent that many choose not to use the lanes.

I recommend that the Orange County Transportation Commission open all lanes on the Costa Mesa Freeway for general use. I further suggest that consideration be given to studying and examining alternate methods for more easily entering and leaving the freeway (north and southbound) at the Santa Ana and Garden Grove freeways.

Caltrans reports that there is “little opposition” to the new commuter lanes. They base this contention on relatively “few phone calls.” The fact that the commuter lanes cause accidents, endanger lives, encourage law abiding citizens to break the law, cause frustration and frenzy and reduce travel time for “some” eludes them. Seriously! Why call? They’re not paying attention. I trust and hope that the OCTC is and that they will open the freeway.

TONY A. TURNER

Newport Beach