County Authorizes $120 Million in Road Improvements : Transportation: The projects include resurfacing of major streets, construction of new freeway ramps and conversion of Beach Boulevard into a ‘smart street.’

The county transportation agency voted Monday to release about $120 million for local street improvements over the next five years, including money to finish the modernization of Beach Boulevard as a so-called “smart street” with bus turn-outs, left-turn pockets and other amenities.

“Not only will this program help motorists,” said agency chief Stan Oftelie, “it will also help jump start the local economy.”

The road money is from a special pool of funds generated by a half-cent sales tax, adopted by county voters in 1990, for traffic improvements. Cities and the county must compete for that tax money based on project merit, which is determined partly by technical experts using a point system.

The point system favored street projects that are linked to freeway work. Anaheim was a big winner in Monday’s vote, with several projects selected for funding, including the construction of Gene Autry Way west of Anaheim Stadium and street improvements related to the widening of the Santa Ana Freeway.

In all, the Orange County Transportation Authority board on Monday allocated $38.5 million for the countywide smart street program over the next five years, with expenditures planned for Imperial Highway in La Habra, Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach, Buena Park and La Habra, and Katella Avenue in Anaheim near Disneyland.

Another 22 regional interchange and surface street improvements were selected for $73.1 million in funding over the next five years, among them:

* A new Bake Parkway interchange at the Santa Ana Freeway in Irvine, as part of the El Toro Y reconstruction.

* Extensions and bridge work for Gene Autry Way in Anaheim.

* Improvements to the Bristol Street interchange at the San Diego Freeway.

* Interchange work at MacArthur Boulevard and the San Diego Freeway in Irvine.

* Orangewood Avenue undercrossing work at the Santa Ana Freeway in Anaheim.

* New southbound Bristol Street on-ramp at the San Diego Freeway that will tie into the Costa Mesa Freeway connector, in Costa Mesa.

* A new northbound San Diego Freeway off-ramp at Avenue of the Arts in Costa Mesa.

In addition, 50 projects were selected for so-called arterial highway improvements totaling $14 million over the next two years, with an undetermined amount expected later.

These projects, which mostly involve resurfacing, include:

* Ball Road, Brookhurst Street, Kraemer and Anaheim boulevards, La Palma, Lincoln, Orangethorpe and Lakeview avenues in Anaheim.

* La Mirada Boulevard, Western Avenue and Valley View Street in Buena Park.

* State College and Harbor boulevards, Associated Road and Chapman Avenue in Fullerton.

* Warner, Edinger and Slater avenues and Ward Street in Fountain Valley.

* Beach Boulevard and Talbert Avenue in Huntington Beach.

* Katella and Cerritos avenues in Los Alamitos.

* Bolsa, McFadden and Hazard avenues and Magnolia Street in Westminster.

* Seventeenth, Fairview and Bristol streets in Santa Ana.

* Katella, Cerritos and Lincoln avenues in Cypress.

* Alton and Barranca parkways in Irvine.

* Orangethorpe and Chapman avenues in Placentia.

* Seal Beach Boulevard in Seal Beach.

* La Paz Road in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo.

* Pacific Coast Highway in San Clemente.

Yet another $1.3 million was earmarked for projects, including rail stations, intended to reduce the need for new roads,

In other actions Monday, the OCTA approved a new three-year contract with bus drivers represented by the Teamsters union, which calls for 3% pay hikes annually and new policies that reward drivers who stay healthy.

Also, board members adopted new policies restricting reimbursements to employees who buy home computers and requiring employees to obtain the agency’s permission before “moonlighting” at other jobs. The latter stemmed from the case of a bus maintenance supervisor who had been selling bus parts to other transit agencies while participating in OCTA’s parts performance evaluations. The supervisor has been reassigned.