Increased OCTC of $11.1 Million OKd; It’s Up 50%

Efforts to speed road and commuter-rail improvements in Orange County will cost taxpayers more during 1989-90, but county transportation planners decided Monday that such projects are worth the money.

The Orange County Transportation Commission adopted an $11.1-million budget Monday for 1989-90, up $3.7 million or 50% over spending in the current fiscal year ending June 30. Most of the increase is for professional services and consultants who are preparing environmental assessment reports on widening projects for the Santa Ana and Riverside freeways, as well as development of a countywide rail passenger service plan.

The budget discussion revealed that officials are worried about the failure of any agency to plan for the expected addition of 50,000 cars per day on the northbound San Diego Freeway in Costa Mesa once the San Joaquin Hills tollway is built. The tollway, scheduled for completion in the early 1990s, will be an extension of the Corona del Mar Freeway and run between San Juan Capistrano and Newport Beach.

The existing transition road from the northbound Corona del Mar Freeway to the northbound San Diego Freeway is only one lane. The commission added $200,000 to its new budget Monday for environmental studies of plans to correct the situation.

Commission member Dana W. Reed said that construction estimates range from $6 million to $56 million to “fix” the interchange but that no agency now has the money for such a project.

Developer Fee Increase?

Asked if tollway officials should earmark funds for the interchange, Reed said: “They have been discussing raising developer fees (for the tollway), so they should take a look at that possibility.”