OCTA Enlists in Battle to Tame Riverside Route

Stung by criticism that they have ignored problems of chronic traffic jams along the Riverside Freeway, Orange County Transportation Authority officials announced Monday they will make the nagging issue a priority.

Following a string of postponed meetings between OCTA and the Riverside County Transportation Commission over possible solutions--including construction of a freeway through the Cleveland National Forest--OCTA members vowed to focus anew on the matter.

“We’re making this the highest priority right now,” said Steve Wylie, interim director of the transportation authority. Among other actions, the agency will hold a Dec. 11 meeting dedicated to the traffic snarl and follow that with a conference between the two agencies.

“This is a meaty issue,” said Todd Spitzer, a county supervisor and OCTA member. “We need a lot of documentation.”

Wylie’s announcement comes as a possible court battle looms between Riverside County and the state over the route--a legal battle that could, if it proceeds to trial, carry heavy consequences for drivers who make the commute from their homes in Riverside to their jobs in Orange County.

Until now, Riverside County transportation officials have taken the lead on pushing for solutions to the traffic woes the two counties share. The reason for this is that many of the motorists who make the estimated 200,000 trips along the freeway daily are Riverside residents who work in Orange County. Although Riverside County housing is less expensive than Orange County’s, workers are complaining increasingly about the commute.

Riverside officials contend the private toll operation along the freeway--the 91 Express Lanes--is itself contributing to traffic woes because its contract with the state prohibits certain improvements to the freeway. Riverside County officials are demanding the state or a nonprofit agency purchase the toll lanes so the restrictions can be eliminated.

Tollway officials say the Express Lanes are not for sale.

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How long the issue will remain a priority is unclear, however.

After Monday’s OCTA meeting, members announced they were hiring a new director, Arthur Leahy, a Minnesota transportation official who once worked for the MTA in Los Angeles. He will replace Wylie in January.

Despite the coming change in leadership in Orange County, Riverside transportation officials were cheered by the announcement of OCTA’s interest in focusing on Riverside Freeway traffic matters.

“Their involvement is good news,” said Riverside County Transportation Commission spokesman John Standiford.