Putting Roads First Makes Sense

The old conundrum about which came first, the chicken or the egg, may remain unresolved, but in Orange County, the Board of Supervisors has its own innovative answer to the question of which comes first, growth or roads. From now on it will be roads.

That decision was made when the supervisors last Tuesday adopted a $235-million road project, one of the most expensive public works programs in county history. The county board’s goal is to improve traffic conditions in eastern Orange County and relieve some of the congestion on Interstate 5, the backbone of the county’s road and freeway network.

What makes the new road plan unique is that it will be funded entirely by builders before--not during or after--development. New housing will be allowed only if the county determines that road construction is not lagging behind the adopted timetable and the new homes would not cause worse traffic than anticipated when plans were approved.

In a county where growth has far outdistanced the traffic system’s ability to handle it, the road plan is welcome news for motorists in the heavily traveled, 140-square-mile foothill area between Lake Forest and the southern edge of Mission Viejo.

It’s the second major move in recent weeks to help improve traffic conditions. Earlier this month, the supervisors approved a reorganization of its Environmental Management Agency, which centralized all transportation planning into one expanded department under a newly created post of transportation director.

It took county officials a long time to react to the traffic problems that growth was causing, but coordinating its planning, ensuring that adequate road funds are available and cutting back on housing units allowed until the area’s road system is capable of handling the load are sensible approaches that could help ease traffic congestion in other areas, too.