Problem intersection needs council action

Drivers who routinely pass Iris Avenue on East Coast Highway

likely are familiar with what makes the intersection dangerous: It is

a blind hill directly between stop lights at Goldenrod and Marguerite

Avenue, enabling drivers to pick up too much speed. A well-witnessed

accident on Sept. 26 was the most recent reminder of this danger.

Fortunately, while many who saw the accident thought it might involve

a fatality, it resulted only in minor injuries to the 19-year-old

victim.

Following the accident, enough residents spoke up to police and

city officials that last week the Newport Beach City Council rightly

spent time discussing the problem and possible solutions. The

council’s responsiveness to residents’ concerns is deserving of

applause. The message delivered at the meeting, however, was a bit

more of a mixed bag.

Too much of the discussion was on what the city already is doing

-- how $100,000 has been set aside to look at putting crosswalks in

Corona del Mar, among other changes -- and what the limitations are,

specifically that while the California Department of Transportation

controls the road there is only so much the city can do. Of course,

the city is trying to get control from CalTrans as part of the Vision

2004 renovation project. But, while commerce can perhaps wait nearly

two years for beautification, safety cannot. Having identified this

corner as a problem, city officials need to be aggressive in finding

a solution. CalTrans should not be cited as a reason why the problem

cannot be fixed.

What the solution is, only good, open debate will say. Perhaps it

is a flashing yellow light or crosswalk. Perhaps it is distinctive

pedestrian-crossing sign or even a full stop. Whatever it is, there

seems little debate that a solution is needed.

It is needed as soon as possible.