SANTA ANA : Survey on Traffic Plan Is Inconclusive

Voters in a survey rejected a major rerouting plan proposed to ease congestion from freeway traffic in the city’s northwest area, according to results released Friday.

But the survey of 2,700 residences that followed weeks of angry debate did not result in a resounding victory for opponents because a ballot option to leave the neighborhood’s traffic patterns as is also did not receive the required approval from two-thirds of the voters.

The debate was over an 18-point plan drawn up by the Floral Park Traffic Committee in an attempt to prevent commuters from cutting through the neighborhood bounded by Bristol Street on the west, 17th Street on the north, Broadway on the east and Memory and Sherwood lanes and the Santa Ana Freeway on the north. The residents complained that their narrow residential streets have suffered an onslaught of commuter traffic since construction began on the “Orange Crush” freeway exchange.

“It seems as if people know there’s a problem, and they would like something to be done,” said Norm Canchola, city neighborhood improvement coordinator. “But there’s not the necessary consensus that these are the measures that need to be done.”

He added that there was a strong showing by voters--47.9%--who did not want any traffic changes.

“I think some fences have to be mended,” Canchola said. “To some extent, the neighborhood is polarized. The numbers show it’s almost half and half (on the issue).”

Opponents have criticized the committee for proposing to surround the neighborhood with traffic barriers on the periphery and for suggesting that right-turn-only signs be installed at some intersections to keep commuters out of the area.

Canchola said the city received 1,600 responses in the survey, which was conducted by mail. The results will be presented to the City Council at its meeting Tuesday, and will probably be forwarded to the Environmental and Transportation Advisory Committee for further analysis, officials said.

Although the city received several complaints about the way the survey was handled--some homeowners said they did not receive ballots, and apartment dwellers thought they should be surveyed--Canchola said the City Council would have to decide whether to conduct another survey or attempt to forge a compromise on a new plan.

“Whether (the process) was good, bad or indifferent, (the proposal) did not have overwhelming support in any of the areas,” he said.

The ballots from the neighborhood were divided into four areas in order to gauge where support for the plan was strongest. Ironically, the area that includes Floral Park committee members did not show a majority of support for most of the recommendations.