San Joaquin Corridor Makes Connection Despite Divisions

A week ago, signs were unwrapped, convoluted itineraries suddenly seemed straighter, and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor opened. For all its controversy and litigation and ravaged hillsides, there was a touch of contrast in the moment. The road has been a focal point of division, and yet, after the opening, the county really did seem physically smaller somehow, and more connected.

During the 1990s, the San Joaquin corridor and other issues have pitted pro-growth versus pro-environment forces, fostering arguments over tiny songbirds and galvanizing forces north and south. The county has seemed to be engaged in one long debate over the consequences of committing to big-ticket infrastructure items: airports, toll roads, theme park expansions.

For some, the future is bright with new economic potential unfolding after the troubles of bankruptcy. For others, concerns about overdevelopment and quality of life are not resolved, but indeed, are deepening. But for the beginning of the life of this new road at least, the vast territorial distances that can seem to separate distant corners of Orange County gave way to a sense of transportation unity.

The Corona del Mar Freeway, long a truncated strip of pavement funneling inland traffic to the so-called beach cities, suddenly seemed to have a scheme. It was a good idea to make the road available for free on the first few days. Those who have awaited the road eagerly and those who have dreaded it alike could get an introduction and learn of the possibilities.

We rode early Friday on a decidedly unspectacular foggy and wet morning, and were greeted by a toll station whose eerie lights and futuristic towers rose up out of a hilltop like something out of a Steven Spielberg movie. There was no alien creature inside the booth; only a friendly face handing out information about the high-tech toll collections features available to those wishing to use the road regularly.

Riding the entire length again on a clear Sunday we got a fine view of the Saddleback Valley going south, and of the central sprawl of the county going north. So many were trying out the road for themselves that it seemed as if the road had been a fixture on the landscape for years. It was still free, of course, but a third check on Monday morning during the rush hour suggested the paying customers northbound were willing to give it a try.

Clearly there were some problems awaiting resolution, such as the lack of call boxes for motorists, especially in the range of some hills, which seem steeper to the descending family car than the 6% listed on those signs. But all in all, the congestion that has plagued the north-south routes of the county clearly has been given a full dose of relief.

On the first day, Collene Campbell, a former mayor of San Juan Capistrano, talked of feeling like “a little kid with a new toy.” The ride from UC Irvine to the heart of San Juan Capistrano in the early going was 20 minutes by our calculation, a welcome reprieve from what has been described as the worst traffic in California.

Not all are pleased. The intrusion on Laguna Canyon remains a sore point for many. And those who fought the road had made a lasting impression on the general public simply by having that sign for so many years on Laguna Canyon Road. It invited the motorist simply to imagine a tollway running through the pristine countryside. Now it is there.

The environmental objectors did have their day in court. It is clear that with the reduced commutes, there will be significant implications for job and living decisions for many. The new road is officially a factor in our living and business decisions. For supporter and opponent alike, it is now very much a part of the county’s future.