68 Street Projects OKd : Transportation: County will spend $24.5 million in Measure M sales tax revenue in next 12 months.

The jarring of jackhammers and aroma of asphalt are coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

County transportation officials Monday earmarked $24.5 million for improvements to 68 streets and intersections throughout the county--the first street projects to be financed through Measure M, the half-cent county sales tax approved by county voters in 1990. The agency had already allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to freeway projects.

The local road work will range from signal synchronization to studies of whether Harbor and MacArthur boulevards and Warner Avenue should be streamlined into so-called “super streets” with bus turn-outs, right and left turn pockets, little or no on-street parking and other attempts to speed traffic.

“We want Measure M to touch every single person in Orange County,” said Stan Oftelie, the Orange County Transportation Authority’s chief executive officer. “One way you do that is by putting an emphasis on local streets and roads. We also want to jump start the county’s economy by getting Measure M money out into circulation.”

A recent Chapman University report suggested that the county will soon recover from the recession, aided in large measure by OCTA’s transit and highway projects.

On Monday the OCTA board gave its final approval to its $710.8-million 1992-93 budget, up 68% over the spending plan approved last year. Measure M projects will account for $517.7 million of the new total.

Most of the money will go to the massive Santa Ana Freeway widening project.

At nearly $2 million a day, the transportation agency’s spending over the next 12 months will top what it costs to run the city governments of Santa Ana, Irvine and Newport Beach combined.

Among the municipalities bidding for Measure M local street and road money, Lake Forest prospered with four projects receiving a total of $1.6 million.

“As a new city, they did very, very well,” said Lisa Mills, OCTA’s chief planner. The intersection improvement proposals submitted by Lake Forest “were very good projects with high levels of traffic.”

Although the $24.5 million is earmarked for local improvements, the Santa Ana Freeway widening project also came out a big winner because many of the local projects involved interchanges between streets and the freeway.

Until now, Measure M money has been earmarked primarily for freeway improvements, purchase of railroad rights of way and redesign of the San Diego-Santa Ana freeway interchange known as the El Toro Y.

Overall, Measure M money is split 43% to freeways, 25% to transit, 21% to local streets and roads and 11% to regional arterials.

To obtain Measure M money, cities submitted proposals that were reviewed by OCTA and county staffers. Over 180 applications were received.

All cities except Laguna Beach, Seal Beach and Villa Park submitted bids. Buena Park, Laguna Hills, La Palma, Orange, Tustin and Westminster received funds from OCTA sources other than Measure M.

In addition to funds for the Measure M street projects approved Monday, another $70 million will be given to cities in the next month or two as their prorated share of Measure M receipts. These funds are apportioned by city and are not allocated competitively.

By law, Measure M money cannot be used by cities to free other municipal traffic improvement funds for non-transportation-related purposes. So county officials have been reviewing each city’s budget to ensure that even under the pressure of severe budget constraints, no one is cheating.

Each city’s eligibility for Measure M money is also reviewed by a citizens’ oversight committee, which received three new members Monday when their names were selected by lottery from 160 applicants.

Michael T. Carre of Brea and Diane Taylor of Orange were selected to fill two vacancies from the 3rd Supervisorial District. Michelle Marie Emard of Anaheim was chosen to fill a seat from the 4th District.

Measure M Comes to Your Neighborhood

The Orange County Transportation Authority released the first Measure M funds for local street projects--$24.5 million to be spent over the next fiscal year. Here’s how the money is allocated: Road widening/extension / 27% / $6,500,000 “Super street” projects / 25% / $6,000,000 Improve intersections / 22% / $5,500,000 Improve freeway ramps / 16% / $4,000,000 Signal coordination and new signals / 10% / $2,500,000 Source: Orange County Transportation Authority

Street Projects Get Funding

Measure M will pay for $24.5 million in local street projects during the next year. The money will be used to widen streets, synchronize traffic signals, improve intersections and plan future projects. A sampling of work approved: Area: Countywide Project: Continued construction to transform Beach Boulevard into a “super street” Amount Funded: $5.3 million Area: Countywide Project: Begin signal coordination on at least 18 major regional streets Amount Funded: $1.8 million Area: Countywide Project: Study making Harbor Boulevard, Warner Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard into “super streets” Amount Funded: $689,000 Area: Santa Ana Project: Improve Santa Ana Freeway interchange with Main and Broadway streets Amount Funded: $2 million Area: Irvine Project: Buy right of way to widen Main Street from San Diego Creek to Sunflower Avenue Amount Funded: $1.9 million Area: Santa Ana Project: Buy right of way to widen Bristol Street from Warner Avenue to Memory Lane Amount Funded: $1.2 million Area: Anaheim Project: Improve intersection of State College Boulevard and Orangewood Avenue Amount Funded: $1.1 million Area: Fountain Valley Project: Widen Harbor Boulevard bridge over Santa Ana River at Warner Avenue Amount Funded: $800,000 Area: Lake Forest Project: Improve intersection of Lake Forest Drive and Jeronimo Road Amount Funded: $556,757 Area: Yorba Linda Project: Improve intersection of Imperial Highway and Prospect Avenue Amount Funded: $407,010 Area: Garden Grove Project: Improve intersection of Brookhurst Street and Trask Avenue Amount Funded: $399,990 Area: Huntington Beach Project: Improve intersection of Golden West Street and Pacific Coast Highway Amount Funded: $280,775 Area: Laguna Niguel Project: Widen La Paz Road from Kings Road to Laguna Niguel Regional Park Amount Funded: $85,000 Area: Los Alamitos Project: Improve intersection of Cerritos Avenue and Bloomfield Street Amount Funded: $67,170 NOTE: Some projects may receive additional funding from local or other sources.

Source: Orange County Transportation Authority