Signal Coordination Wouldn’t Solve Laguna’s Traffic Problem

Dear Street Smart:

Surely someone can do a better job of coordinating the traffic lights on South Coast Highway through downtown Laguna Beach, from Broadway to Park Avenue. There are four lights involved, and the flow of traffic through them is slower than a snail’s pace.

Since this is a state highway, I assume Caltrans has jurisdiction. HELP!!!

Richard Turner, Laguna Beach

Traffic signal coordination on South Coast Highway through downtown Laguna Beach would not solve traffic congestion, said Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem. The signals on PCH are coordinated from 7 a.m. to midnight, but many factors hinder free-flowing traffic, she said.

An average of 36,000 vehicles travel this route daily, which is why the vehicle demand frequently exceeds roadway capacity, Orem said. The constant flow of traffic going south on PCH is compounded by those making left turns from Broadway onto southbound PCH, she said.

Traffic signals along that portion of PCH are from 264 to 353 feet apart, allowing only a few cars between intersections, Orem said. Adding to the congestion and the slowdown are motorists attempting to parallel park, heavy pedestrian traffic crossing PCH in the downtown area, and motorists who become inattentive while sightseeing, she said.

For signal coordination to work, all or most of the congestion factors have to be eliminated, Orem said. This seems unlikely, but reducing the number of vehicles will help improve traffic flow through Laguna Beach, she said. Caltrans recommends that motorists car pool or use alternate routes whenever possible and plan errands and trips through the area for non-peak hours.

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Dear Street Smart:

Since we are all aware of the considerable cost of our freeway system, would it be illogical and / or impractical to consider a method to reduce individual lane congestion and utilize our facilities more effectively?

At the minimal risk of being called “copycats,” let’s take a look at the Bayshore (101) Freeway (in the San Francisco Bay Area) diamond-lane approach. They make use of the diamond lanes for car-poolers only during morning and evening rush hours.

Anyone may use these lanes in non-rush hours. This arrangement has been in effect for quite some time and seems to be highly popular with the driving, voting public.

Jack Hubbell, Laguna Niguel

The philosophy behind 24-hour high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes is that car pools should be given preferential treatment at all times, particularly if there are high levels of congestion, said Rose Orem of Caltrans. With traffic congestion on Orange County’s various freeways lasting from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., there is little or no opportunity to open the HOV lane to mixed flow, she said.

During non-congested periods, overall freeway speeds can be maintained at 55 m.p.h. without additional capacity, thereby eliminating the need for opening the HOV lane to mixed-flow use, Orem said. Opening the lane would offer no time advantage to the general purpose traffic if the freeway is already flowing optimally, she said.

However, the presence of the car-pool lane does provide an incentive to ride share by offering predictability of travel and time savings in the event of non-recurring congestion caused by incidents, construction, special events, heavy holiday and weekend traffic or other events, she said.

The California Highway Patrol enforces the state’s HOV lanes, and they believe that 24-hour operations are less confusing to the public than peak-period only, generally safer to operate and easier to enforce.

Last, but not least, Orem said, there is sufficient HOV traffic throughout the day to justify a 24-hour operation.

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The Orange County Transportation Authority has announced the formation of the Aesthetics Advisory Committee to aid its ongoing efforts to improve Orange County roadways.

The committee will advise OCTA on how to beautify streets, freeways and other public structures as part of an Aesthetics Master Plan for Orange County. Improvements include landscaping, murals / paintings, sculptures and various textures and patterns on bridges and walls.

The five-member committee will also review project locations, proposed designs and funding applications. Committee members must be willing to dedicate at least 25 hours a year to OCTA meetings and activities.

The board is seeking individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds who can provide an overall perspective of aesthetics issues. Local artists, historians, museum directors, architects, landscape architects and others who have demonstrated an interest in preserving the history and culture of Orange County are encouraged to apply.

The OCTA Board of Directors will review individual nominations, which are due May 2. The board is expected to name committee members this summer.

For information or to apply, call Ginger Cox at OCTA at (714) 560-5743.

This week is Child Passenger Safety Week. SafetyBeltSafeU.S.A. reminds everyone of the importance of correctly using car seats for children. A recent study found that more than 85% of safety seats are not being used correctly or do not fit properly. For more information, call SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. at (310) 673-2666.