Laguna Planners Back Traffic Proposal : Transportation: Controversial plan takes the approach that reducing road capacity will decrease use.

A transportation plan that urges “innovative solutions” to ease the city’s traffic woes, such as reducing speed limits or possibly banning cars from a section of downtown, has been unanimously endorsed by the Planning Commission.

The controversial plan, which planning commissioners spent about three hours discussing Wednesday night, now goes to the City Council for consideration next month. But it immediately drew fire from opponents--including the chairman of a traffic committee--who criticized it as unworkable.

The plan rejects traditional transportation planning as counterproductive and environmentally harmful and calls for “traffic-calming” measures such as reducing speed limits, installing speed bumps and discouraging new or widened roads.

“Traffic calming, a move (away) from the belief that the needs of the private automobile are always paramount, is one of these solutions,” the plan says.

Laguna residents, however, are already balking at the plan, which suggests that driving speeds could be reduced in residential areas by narrowing some streets and turning others into cul-de-sacs. The plan also urges investigation of whether a section of Forest Avenue in downtown Laguna Beach should be transformed into a traffic-free pedestrian mall.

“This is a project that will determine the future of the city, the growth and the infrastructure,” resident Darren Esslinger said. “When people find out that the city is promoting bottlenecks and narrowing streets, which make (driving) more difficult . . . they’re going to be upset.”

Indeed, part of the plan’s philosophy is that “if (road) capacity is reduced, usage will decrease accordingly.” Planning Commissioner Becky Jones said most residents who appeal to the city to solve traffic problems would agree with this approach because they are seeking ways to slow vehicles.

“The requests from the neighbors . . . is generally for some kind of traffic relief like speed bumps or stop signs,” she said, adding that changes would not be made quickly and would involve shifting traffic patterns only where reasonable.

“Those specific traffic-calming techniques that are cited, we recognize it would be foolhardy to try them on Coast Highway or Laguna Canyon Road at this time, but they’re very appropriate for the neighborhoods,” Jones said. “Before anything were done, there would be public hearings, input and debate.”

The traffic-calming proposal does not mark the first time Laguna Beach has toyed with innovative transportation solutions. At one point, the city offered free tennis shoes for employees willing to walk to work.

As a proposed amendment to the General Plan, however, the recommendation now being offered to the City Council would have a more far-reaching effect.

The chairman of the city’s Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee, who spoke unofficially against the plan Wednesday night, said that it is inappropriate to insert an unproven “experimental philosophy” into a city’s General Plan.

“Most of the new methods have tried and failed to be the panacea for reducing gridlock and congestion,” Robert Mosier said. “This philosophy is not going to solve the major problem of vehicular traffic congestion in Laguna.”

The plan’s philosophical statement, which was conceived and drafted by city staff and planning commissioners, says that traditional transportation planning methods fail to solve traffic problems because new and wider roads simply attract more cars.

“Above all, the city must realize that it simply cannot build its way out of congestion,” the statement says. Instead, the document suggests that the city encourage car-pooling and public transportation.

Esslinger, however, dismissed that suggestion as unrealistic.

“In Laguna--let’s get serious--are people going to get out of their cars to take a trolley that’s a pain to take anywhere as it is? They’re kicking people out of their cars and not providing any alternative,” he said.

But Jones said the city does have specific ideas about how to make public transportation more attractive. For example, she said, planners might promote express buses for regional commuters that make infrequent stops and buses specifically for beach-goers.

She added that she thinks most residents will be pleased with the new transportation plan since it is in keeping with the city’s ongoing goal of preserving its village atmosphere.

“I think it simply puts on paper things that most Lagunans have believed for a long time,” Jones said.