Raymond Avenue goes one way

Lolita Harper

COSTA MESA -- The City Council unanimously agreed this week to convert

a portion of Raymond Avenue to a one-way street after residents

complained about the number of cars using the road to avoid traffic.

Because of an increase in commercial use on 17th Street -- which runs

parallel to Cabrillo Street and 17th Place -- many cars have been using

Raymond Avenue and Cabrillo to avoid busy traffic spots on the main

thoroughfare, a staff report shows.

Residents on Cabrillo Street had complained about the number of cars

traveling down their otherwise quiet residential street and asked the

city to make a change. A handful of those residents addressed the

council, and others sent letters in support of the change.

The one-way designation will allow traffic from the residential

portion of the Eastside to travel south on Raymond to access the

commercial portion of 17th Street, but would not permit returning traffic

beyond 17th Place, city traffic officials said.

The change is effective between Cabrillo Street and 17th Place.

Cabrillo Street resident Charlotte Johnson wrote a letter saying the

one-way designation for Raymond Avenue would help in regard to the

cut-through traffic from 17th Street but did little to stop those who cut

across her street from Santa Ana Avenue to get to the busy Ralphs

shopping center.

“You and your crew really need to visit our street to realize the

amount of vehicles that enter Cabrillo Street at Santa Ana and exit by

way of Raymond without stopping,” Johnson’s letter read. “This cut

through traffic is also the traffic that speeds on our street.”

Council members also approved speed “humps” -- a smaller version of

speed bumps -- for 17th Place to reduce speed.

* Lolita Harper covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at o7 lolita.harper@latimes.comf7 .