Rideshare Week Participants Could Help Speed Traffic

It’s Rideshare Week! If you didn’t car-pool or take the bus today, you still have the rest of the week to get with the program. And if sharing a ride for a full five days is too much, try participating in Rideshare Day on Thursday.

Last year, 17,000 people pledged to car-pool, 2,000 pledged to van-pool, 1,200 people said they would take the bus and 1,300 said they would ride their bikes to work. Ride-share officials determined that because fewer cars were on the road, the average speed during last year’s Rideshare Week on Interstate 5 increased 10 m.p.h. and on the Costa Mesa Freeway speeds increased 7 m.p.h.

The Orange County Transportation Authority expects ride-share pledges to exceed 25,000 this week.

Ride-share pledge cards can be obtained through Lucky supermarkets or by calling OCTA at (714) 560-OCTA. People interested in getting a car-pool partner or ride-share information should call (714) 636-RIDE.

In its eighth year, Rideshare Week is a statewide effort that is funded through the California Department of Transportation and corporate sponsorship from the private sector.

Dear Street Smart:

When heading north on West Coast Highway and turning onto Superior Avenue in Newport Beach, there is no sign at Placentia Avenue that tells you you are in Costa Mesa. As this is a major shortcut street to Mesa Verde Drive, it is tough to give directions. Can you help get this corrected?

H. Alan Guzik, Costa Mesa The start of Placentia Avenue off Superior Avenue is still in Newport Beach’s domain. Therefore, it would not be possible to erect a “Welcome to Costa Mesa” sign at that point.

Bob Johnson, a traffic technician for Costa Mesa, said the city’s boundary begins slightly south of Industrial Way at Superior Avenue. In the near future, a sign alerting motorists they have entered Costa Mesa will be installed north of Industrial Way at Superior, Johnson said.

Dear Street Smart:

Being a proponent of good signage providing for better traffic flow, I have a suggestion inspired by some new Caltrans signage as well as by general comments from the community and out-of-town motorists. I noticed that Caltrans recently added a Highway 1 emblem and a straight-ahead arrow to the Newport Beach city limits sign on southbound Newport Boulevard at Industrial Way.

I would like to propose the following:

1. Place a Highway 1 and straight-ahead arrow sign in the large median at the end of the Costa Mesa Freeway.

2. Place Highway 1 emblems and straight-ahead arrow signs on southbound Newport Boulevard at 19th, 18th and 17th streets in downtown Costa Mesa.

Often, there is much confusion from out-of-town motorists as to where the Costa Mesa Freeway and West Coast Highway interchange occurs.

John W. De Witt, Vice Chairman, City of Costa Mesa Parks and Parkways Commission In response to your letter, the traffic operations branch of Caltrans conducted a traffic investigation at southbound Newport Boulevard, said T.H. Wang, Caltrans’ chief of traffic operations south. Investigators concluded the existing signs on southbound Newport Boulevard provide sufficient guidance to motorists heading for West Coast Highway, he said.

An additional Route 1 shield sign on Newport Boulevard may confuse the driver due to the fact that Costa Mesa Freeway shield signs are already in place along Newport Boulevard, Wang said. However, Caltrans’ traffic operations branch will routinely monitor this location to see if further improvements are needed, he said.

Street Smart appears Mondays in The Times Orange County Edition. Readers are invited to submit comments and questions about traffic, commuting and what makes it difficult to get around in Orange County. Include simple sketches if helpful. Letters may be published in upcoming columns. Please write to Caroline Lemke, c/o Street Smart, The Times Orange County, P.O. Box 2008, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. Include your full name, address and day and evening phone numbers. Letters may be edited, and no anonymous letters will be accepted.