Costa Mesa project would install new traffic signal, median and bike lanes on Fairview Road

A new traffic signal, a raised concrete median and additional bicycle lanes are among the features Costa Mesa is looking to install on a busy stretch of Fairview Road, with the aim of improving traffic circulation and safety.

The new signal would be at the intersection of Fairview and Village Way, city officials said during a community meeting Wednesday evening. It would enable area residents to more easily cross Fairview as they travel to and from a Stater Bros. supermarket and nearby businesses, officials said.

“This will enable pedestrians to cross safely from the west side [of Fairview] to [the other] side to access the shopping center, so it improves the walkability of the area,” said Raja Sethuraman, the city’s public services director.

The city also plans to stripe more bike lanes in the area and add a raised roadway median that would prevent vehicles from turning left out of the Stater Bros. parking lot to head south on Fairview.

Project manager Nicole Jules said the total budget for the work is about $700,000, with roughly $630,000 of that coming from a federal grant.

Along with improving circulation, a primary purpose is to address a history of collisions in the area, Jules said.

Feedback from the community, she added, will help guide the project’s final design.

Of the approximately 10 people who attended Wednesday’s meeting at City Hall, not everyone was onboard with the plan. John Merrill, a local resident who works for an engineering consulting firm, raised several questions, including whether the intersection chosen for the new traffic signal is the best location.

“Nobody crosses there,” he said.

Flo Martin, who serves on the city’s Bikeway and Walkability Committee, said she supports more traffic signals “because we need to slow traffic down.”

Residents who have questions or comments about the project can email Jules at nicole.jules@costamesaca.gov or call the Transportation Services Division at (714) 754-5343.

luke.money@latimes.com

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