Timeline

* 1956 -- The 19th Street bridge is placed on the county of Orange’s

Master Plan of Highways.

* 1958 -- The traffic count on Pacific Coast Highway between the Santa

Ana River and Superior Avenue is 26,000 cars in a 24-hour period during a

weekday over the winter.

* 1960 -- Population in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa 64,114.

* 1970 -- Population 122,082.

* 1973 -- Traffic count on PCH is 33,000.

* 1980 -- Population 145,128.

* 1980s -- Newport Beach is becoming aware of a need for a bridge.

-- Dispute over whether an informal deal was struck between Newport Beach

and Costa Mesa as to whether Costa Mesa agreed to build a bridge in

exchange for building the 55 Freeway.

* 1986 -- Traffic count on PCH is 44,000.

* 1987 -- Residents come together informally to start discussing the

proposed 19th Street bridge.

* 1989 -- Bridge Alternative Study Group formed.

* 1990 -- Population 162,264.

* 1993 -- Santa Ana River Crossings Needs Assessment completed.

-- City workshops on report draw hundreds of protesters.

-- Transportation commission votes 3-0 to recommend against bridges.

-- Costa Mesa General Plan adopted by council with policy saying that the

proposed bridges could not be used to offset any traffic created by new

developments.

-- Council votes 5-0 to pass resolution asking county to remove bridges

from master plan and for joint agreement between cities to study

alternatives.

* 1994 -- Bridge Alternative Study Group endorsed as a city committee.

-- County bankruptcy delays study.

* 1995 -- Transportation duties transferred from Orange County to the

Transportation Authority.

* 1997 -- County traffic study ranks key intersections in Costa Mesa and

Newport Beach as the worst in the county.

* 1998 -- SARX study is resumed at the same time city is trying to

develop a West Side Specific Plan.

-- Taylor Woodrow begins its own traffic study for the Banning Ranch

project.

* 1998 -- 19th to the Beach, a pro-bridge group, is formed.

* 1999 -- Release of the draft EIR is twice delayed and is expected to be

completed in August, 2000.