Measure M’s Impact on County’s Traffic, Taxes

About 27% of the $3.1 billion to be raised by the proposed one-half-cent sales tax increase, Measure M, will be spent on high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and transitways. Less than 15% will be spent on what we need the most for now and the next 20 years: general purpose freeway lanes. But The Times editorial (Oct. 22) urging a yes vote on Measure M conspicuously never mentions HOV lanes or transitways. Is the Times afraid that these key words would defeat the measure?

Widening the Santa Ana Freeway would include a 27-foot wide transitway in both directions. The San Diego, Orange, and Riverside freeways will be widened by adding HOV lanes. The HOV lanes added to the Costa Mesa Freeway over four years ago, to provide an incentive for motorists to form car pools, have only increased the average vehicle occupancy by less than 1%. Clearly, the incentive has failed to promote enough new car pools to make a difference in traffic congestion; however, the traffic accident rate has increased by as much as 90%.

Does The Times believe that informed voters will always make the right choice?

WAYNE KING

Orange