TIMES ORANGE COUNTY POLL : Majority Goes Along With Tollway Plans

Three hotly debated tollways are favored by 51% of Orange County residents, with three of four people agreeing the highways would improve the region’s chronic traffic problems and help accommodate recent growth, according to the Times Orange County Poll.

The poll also found that public backing swelled to 58% after residents heard arguments for and against the roads, with the greatest support coming from the wealthy and residents of the South County communities the highways will cross.

Six of 10 participants in the poll, a telephone survey of 600 randomly selected Orange County adults conducted Feb. 16-18 by Mark Baldassare & Associates, said they would often or sometimes use the tollways. Support for the proposed tollways was highest among motorists who said they would regularly drive the highways.

With increasingly vocal tollway opponents grabbing many of the headlines in recent weeks, supporters of the roads said they were heartened by the results of the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

Though the ultimate fate of the highways is roundly expected to be decided in the courtroom or financial arena, backers said the poll findings will strengthen the resolve of local politicians, who have maintained the roads enjoy the support of a “silent majority.”

“I think this helps reinforce the feelings of a lot of people,” said Newport Beach Mayor John C. Cox Jr., chairman of the San Joaquin Hills tollway agency. “You’re always looking for reinforcement of your position when you’re on the front lines. This will create an additional comfort level for those supporting the corridors.”

But tollway foes were also encouraged by the results, saying the poll indicates that the public is beginning to grow wary of the roads. They expect opposition to mushroom as the debate intensifies in the months to come.

“They’ve had 17 years to sell these roads and the opposition has only galvanized in the last year,” said Norm Grossman, a leader of Laguna Greenbelt Inc. and a staunch tollway opponent. “Considering the time and money they’ve spent promoting these things, the poll results are astonishing. And I think the more publicity these roads get, the more opposition you’ll see.”

As of now, however, the poll paints the portrait of a public that is tired of the troublesome traffic congestion on existing roads. And a solid majority see the tollways as a means to help alleviate the problems.

Taken individually, each of the highways wins a majority among those polled, with the San Joaquin Hills tollway the weakest with 52% in favor and 39% opposed. The proposal to link Interstate 5 in San Juan Capistrano with the Corona del Mar Freeway in Newport Beach has so far engendered the greatest controversy.

The Eastern tollway, which would funnel traffic off the busy Riverside Freeway through rural hills and valleys to the Santa Ana Freeway at Irvine’s northern edge, has the greatest support, with 58% saying they favor construction. The Foothill tollway, which would branch off Interstate 5 in San Clemente and meander north through the hills to Tustin, is backed by 55%.

“I feel we need a solution to our traffic problems,” said Mike Harrington, a Rancho Santa Margarita electrical contractor who participated in the poll. “If the toll roads are what it takes to alleviate it, then we need to build them.”

South County residents, who will reap any motoring rewards from the toll roads but also have to put up with changes in the pristine backcountry that will come with construction, were generally more receptive to the concept than residents elsewhere in the county.

Overall, 57% in the South County favored the tollways compared to 50% in both the west and central sectors and 46% in the North County, where 20% of the residents were undecided.

Asked how often they would use the roads, 36% countywide said “often,” 24% indicated they would “sometimes,” 20% said “rarely” and 17% said “never.” The greatest use would come from the wealthy, with 51% of those making more than $75,000 a year indicating they would use the roads often.

Mohsen Abhari, a Mission Viejo resident, said he sometimes has to sit in traffic for hours to reach business clients. He’ll gladly pay the tolls if it means speeding up his trip.

“It’s worth it,” he said. “But having tolls will probably decrease traffic a little bit. People would not use the road all the time. They’ll use it when it’s really necessary.”

Melissa Ricketts, an Irvine resident and executive vice president for a food manufacturing firm, said tolls are the very reason she opposed the roads.

“I think we do need them, but the only reason I oppose these roads is the toll itself and the fact they’re not going to be financed through taxes,” she said. “It does seem quite high. That’s why I’d balk at using the roads.”

Countywide, 76% said they believe the highways would improve traffic conditions, and 71% felt the toll roads are needed to accommodate recent growth. But 51% agreed that the tollways will trigger even more growth.

“I know we need them, but environmentally I don’t think it’s a good situation,” said Mike Lyons, a San Juan Capistrano painting contractor who participated in the poll. “If you build all of them, it will probably spark more growth. I don’t think we need any more. We’re growing too fast right now.”

The environmental effects of the highways have been a major battleground in recent weeks, but issues such as the destruction of wetlands and uprooting of flora and fauna are not a serious concern with most of the public, the poll indicates.

Only 42% bought tollway opponents’ argument that the roads would result in more driving and increased air pollution. Meanwhile, 44% said the tollways would be harmful to endangered species and wetlands, with 41% disagreeing and a hefty 15% undecided.

In fact, 51% agree that the roads can be built to have minimal effects on the environment. Another 12% are undecided and 37% disagree, among them Rochelle Stahl.

“It would hurt wildlife, and there’s not much natural canyon area left. I’d like to retain those open spaces,” said Stahl, an Irvine chemist. “I feel there’s other ways to deal with the traffic besides toll roads. They could build a monorail right on I-5, down the middle. I feel that would be more environmentally sound instead of encouraging people to use their cars more.”

Countywide support for the tollways increased after participants heard half a dozen pro and con arguments. The initial support of 51% (with 34% opposed and 15% undecided) ballooned to 58% after people heard the arguments, with 37% opposed and the undecided ranks shrinking to 5%.

“We’re at a crucial moment in the public debate about these roads,” noted Santa Ana Mayor Daniel H. Young, a tollway agency board member. “Opponents have been claiming the citizens of Orange County don’t want these toll roads. The facts now are there: The public wants them.”

But he said “the real action is in the court room,” noting that “a judge could in fact stop this process” if lawsuits are brought against the roads.

Nonetheless, Young said he has been “deeply concerned” that vocal opposition could “turn enough votes on the board to make it a problem.” He suggested that the poll results will help “bolster” the zeal of tollway agency board members, in particular with support so high among South County residents perched “in the back yard of these projects.”

“I have great sympathy for the board members from southern Orange County,” Young said. “I think they were feeling the pressure of the activists and were really starting to question whether the community at large supported the roads. I think this poll will convince them they have to hang in there and be strong.”

But opponents such as Tom Rogers contend they’ve “only just begun to fight.”

“I’m surprised the opposition is as high as it is given the lack of publicity the process has had over the past 12 or 15 years,” said Rogers, a San Juan Capistrano rancher and tollway foe. “This has kind of crept up on the public. It’s really been just in the last month or so in South County cities that it has finally dawned on the public that if they don’t do something they’re going to be built.”

He also argued that toll agency board members would be “doing their political careers a disservice” if they take the poll results to mean that county residents solidly believe the roads should be built.

“There are a large number of people who have been deluded into thinking there’s somehow going to be a solution to traffic congestion because of the toll roads,” he said. “This shows we’ve got a bit of a way to go to educate people. Once they know, they’ll rise up in opposition.”

Grossman agreed: “I think this may give the proponents a false sense of security. But clearly the momentum is against them.”

How the Poll Was Conducted

The Times Orange County Poll was conducted by Mark Baldassare & Associates. The telephone survey of 600 Orange County adult residents was conducted Feb. 16-18 using a random sample of listed and unlisted numbers. The margin of error is plus or minus 4% for the total sample. For subgroups, the margin would be larger. All respondents were guaranteed anonymity, but some agreed to be reinterviewed for the poll story.

Reaction to Planned Toll Roads

After hearing all the arguments for and against the toll roads--such as their expected effects on traffic congestion, growth, the environment and air pollution--support for them increased.

Initial Response

Do you favor or oppose the three toll roads?

Favor: 51% Oppose: 34% Don’t know: 15%

After hearing arguments

Do you favor or oppose the three toll roads?

Favor: 58% Oppose: 37% Don’t know: 5%

O.C. OPINION ON PLANNED TOLL ROADS

BASIS OF TOLL ROAD SUPPORT

A majority of Orange County residents favor construction of the three tollways. Support is greatest in South County, weakest in the north. Economics also seems to dictate support, with the wealthy more avidly backing the pay-to-use highways as well as those who are employed.

“In general, do you favor or oppose building the three tollroads in Orange County?”

Favor Oppose Don’t Know Countywide 51% 34% 15% North County 46% 34% 20% West County 50% 36% 14% Central County 50% 36% 14% South County 57% 30% 13% Under $35,000 42% 41% 17% $35,000-$49,999 51% 36% 13% $50,000-$75,000 53% 30% 17% Over $75,000 59% 27% 14% Employed 52% 31% 17% Not Employed 46% 42% 12%

SUPPORT FOR EACH TOLL ROAD Do you favor or oppose building the 23-mile Eastern Tollway, running parallel to the Costa Mesa Freeway from Tustin to Anaheim Hills? Favor: 58% Oppose: 30% Don’t Know: 12%

Do you favor or oppose building the 30-mile Foothill Tollway, running east of the Santa Ana Freeway through the Santa Ana mountains from San Clemente to Tustin ? Favor: 55% Oppose: 35% Don’t Know: 10%

Do you favor or oppose building the 17-mile San Joaquin Hills Tollway, running parallel to Interstate 5 through the coastal hills from San Juan Capistrano to Newport Beach? Favor: 52% Oppose: 39% Don’t Know: 9%

ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF TOLL ROADS “The toll roads will improve traffic conditions.”

Total North West Central South Agree 76% 73% 69% 78% 81% Disagree 20 21 26 18 16 Don’t know 4 6 5 6 3

“The toll roads are needed to accommodate recent growth.”

Total North West Central South Agree 71% 66% 71% 70% 78% Disagree 25 30 26 26 18 Don’t know 4 4 3 4 4

“The toll roads can be built in such a way as to have minimal environmental impacts.”

Total North West Central South Agree 51% 48% 46% 58% 51% Disagree 37 36 39 34 38 Don’t know 12 16 15 8 11

ARGUMENTS AGAINST TOLL ROADS “The toll roads will trigger more growth.”

Total North West Central South Agree 51% 45% 49% 51% 58% Disagree 45 50 48 45 39 Don’t know 4 5 3 4 3

“The toll roads will be harmful to rare and endangered species and sensitive wetlands.”

Total North West Central South Agree 44% 45% 42% 47% 44% Disagree 41 37 38 43 44 Don’t know 15 18 20 10 12

“The toll roads will results in more driving and increased air pollution.”

Total North West Central South Agree 42% 39% 42% 40% 45% Disagree 55 59 54 57 52 Don’t know 3 2 4 3 3

NORTH: Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, Orange, Placentia, Villa Park, Yorba Linda. WEST: Cypress, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Stanton, Seal Beach, Westminster. CENTRAL: Costa Mesa, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Tustin, Tustin Foothills. SOUTH: Capistrano Beach, Dana Point, El Toro, Emerald Bay, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Mission Viejo, Newport Beach, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Silverado, South Laguna. Source: The Times Orange County Poll