Newport Boulevard Upgrades Considered
The city has two goals for congested Newport Boulevard: improve traffic flow from 19th Street to 17th Street and attract more shoppers to the area north of 19th.
Though formal plans are not in place, the City Council this week listened to a report on how to improve access north of 19th Street. Officials may consider reducing clutter from signs and adding better sidewalks and landscaping to the retail strip that declined after construction of the Costa Mesa Freeway.
Traffic engineers are working to relieve the crunch of cars on Newport at 19th and 17th streets, two of the county’s busiest intersections. Traffic Manager Peter Naghavi said he is working with the California Department of Transportation to look into adding a lane in each direction. Another goal is to improve pedestrian access and parking.
“While we want to consider widening Newport Boulevard, we also want to make sure we leave no negative impact on the public,” Naghavi said.
Formal plans are several months away.
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