COUNTYWIDE : Green Light Offered for Traffic Solutions

Buoyed by the success of a pilot program last year, county officials announced Wednesday that they will take suggestions from local residents through March on ways to improve neighborhood traffic problems.

The program begun last year prompted 141 proposals for traffic problems.

County officials said 15% of the proposals--such as new stop signs and better traffic lines--were implemented immediately. Another 34% were added to the county’s seven-year traffic improvement plan, with a potential cost in the tens of millions of dollars.

And 51% were either outside of county jurisdiction or were deemed unworkable--such as proposals to put more stop signs or speed bumps on heavily traveled, high-speed thoroughfares.

The most requested improvement was the widening of the intersection at Moulton Parkway and El Toro Road in Laguna Hills. Construction for that project is to begin in the spring.

Most suggestions came from South County, where most of the county’s unincorporated areas are.

County road program manager Roger Hohnbaum said that when the suggestion program began last year, “We were worried people would take this as a huge gripe session.

“But we got a very, very positive response. A lot of people seemed real enthusiastic and constructive just getting the chance to talk to us and offer their suggestions. It doesn’t take a technician sometimes to figure out solutions to traffic problems.”

Because of the success of last year’s program, residents will have a chance to offer traffic suggestions again through March 31. Suggestions are to be evaluated based on safety, cost and potential to reduce congestion.

Flyers about the program are being circulated through community associations. Residents with suggestions can also send them to: Orange County Environmental Management Agency, Attention: Road Programs Engineer, P.O. Box 4048, Santa Ana, Calif. 92702-4048. People also can call (714) 834-4725.