How to Frustrate a Lot of People? It Takes Planning

It must be very difficult to plan transportation for an entire county. At least, that’s the impression Orange County planners give. If you didn’t know better, you’d think their mandate is to come up with projects that are unwelcome to large numbers of people.

Anyone can think of a project people actually want (“You know, a bridge between Manhattan and Brooklyn would reduce the need for swimming across”), but it’s much trickier to dream up projects people in the affected areas do not want. That takes real planning and commitment.

In this regard, our local planners are on a roll.

A recap of recent efforts:

* The San Joaquin Hills tollway. Projected ridership has lagged from the day it opened three years ago. Finally, backers got tired of explaining why and simply reduced their projections and increased the toll.

* The El Toro airport. Biggest county project ever, but the latest polls show county residents about evenly divided on whether they want it built. That kind of split would normally catch the eye of an elected body acting in the “public interest,” but so far the Board of Supervisors hasn’t seemed to notice.

* Light rail. This is the kind of project Buzz Lightyear could get behind, but, apparently, not real people. The proposed original 29-mile route slashing through the county has been cut by more than half, after lots of folks basically said, “Thanks but no thanks.”

Planners’ Job: Dream Up Stuff

I’m probably leaving out some other projects, but those are the ones that most readily come to mind. I’m not even counting various highway “improvement” projects that turn some freeway sections into blood-curdling moments for unsuspecting drivers. For some reason, seeing a “Your Tax Dollars at Work” sign at the exact instant a concrete abutment appears in your lane is of little solace.

When it comes to county planners, I know what the problem is.

If you were a planner, full of grand visions and free maps of the county and all the pencils you could use, you’d want to dream up stuff too.

In other words, what’s the point of being a professional planner if, every day, you go into your boss’ office and say, “Sorry, I don’t have any ideas.”

So, you start noodling. You start to dream. Next thing you know, you’ve come up with carpool lanes that get their own overpasses.

But that isn’t enough. You see privately built edifices like Crystal Cathedral or the Trinity Broadcast Network complex and get jealous. You see the pedestrian walkway between South Coast Plaza and the Performing Arts Center area and ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Cool Transport, No Passengers

Eventually, you want your own legacy.

And that’s where you get into trouble.

That’s where you wind up with a light-rail system sporting spiffy lights and cool-looking coaches . . . but no passengers.

‘Tis a conundrum. You can’t make a name for yourself if you don’t build anything. But if you build something people dislike, you’re labeled a failure.

In a sense, it’s a lot like other professions. Sometimes your instincts are right, sometimes they’re not.

It’s like Hollywood studios spending millions on movies that open and close in one weekend.

It’s like a car company designing a dazzling new model and then introducing . . . the Edsel.

It’s like the Dodgers having millions to spend and finishing under .500 for the season.

It’s like me writing--

Oh, never mind.

At this point, you couldn’t blame our local planners for being a little gunshy. They’ve failed to sell their customers on an airport, light rail and a tollway. They must be wondering what they can try next.

With a nod to the Big Apple and its successful track record on public works, might I toss out an idea our local folks haven’t yet tried: How ‘bout a subway?

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Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821 or by writing to him at the Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail to dana.parsons@latimes.com.