LOS ALAMITOS : ‘Super’ Katella Ave. Plan Runs Into Flak

To many residents, turning Katella Avenue into a “super-street” is not a super idea.

Angry at what they call a “project with zero benefits,” residents told the City Council and the Traffic Commission at a joint study session Tuesday that improvements to Katella Avenue to speed up traffic are a waste of money.

“Why are we doing it? Traffic is already moving too fast. It’s going to cost a lot of money. Why don’t we use it for the homeless, or something,” resident Linda Chandler said.

Chandler was one of about 100 people who attended the hearing, held to get community input and assist the council in formulating the city’s comments on a draft environmental report of the project prepared by the county.

County staff members and a team from the Orange County Transportation Authority presented highlights of a draft of the report. In addition, the city staff presented design changes on the proposed improvements in response to residents’ concerns.

Despite the assurances, however, many residents said they were against the project. Of the 12 who spoke, none was in favor of it.

They also expressed concern about safety, loss of business, possible loss of property to right-of-way acquisitions, noise and pollution because of increased traffic. They said they feared the project would change the character of their community.

“The city gains nothing by widening Katella Avenue, but we will lose a lot,” wrote resident Sharon Pollock in a letter read by her husband, Craig. “If people want to drive fast, they have to do it on the freeway.”

Another resident, Beth Davis, who said she studied the county’s draft report, said turning Katella into a super-street would hurt local businesses. “We don’t want people to drive through Los Alamitos straight to Anaheim,” she said.

The residents also expressed dismay that the plan did not include provisions for a bike lane.

The OCTA has proposed converting a 220-mile network of roads into super-streets to solve the county’s chronic traffic problems, including the 14.5-mile stretch of Katella from the San Gabriel Freeway in Los Alamitos to the Orange Freeway in Orange.

According to the OCTA plans, one lane would be added in each direction of Katella. It would also involve re-striping, closing of medians, constructing bus turnouts and restricting street parking.

Mayor Ronald Bates said the council approved the project “in concept” two years ago. However, he added that there is no intention to “turn Katella into a super highway or a freeway.”

“The same 40 m.p.h. speed limit will still be imposed,” he said. “This is not a freeway. No one is going to go 60 m.p.h.”

Bates said the city has the final say on the proposed improvements, adding that the draft environmental report presented a maximum number of options.

Councilman Charles E. Sylvia said that by approving the project, the city can use Measure M money to make improvements on Katella Avenue, which otherwise the city wouldn’t be able to do.

Councilman Robert P. Wahlstrom said the Katella widening is part of a long-term plan to ease traffic congestion countywide. “Let’s try to think of 10 to 20 years from now and plan ahead,” he said.