Railing against South Coast Plaza’s CenterLine stance

On Jan. 12, the Orange County Transportation Authority Board of

Directors approved the CenterLine light rail, a 9.3 mile-, 16-station

route traveling from the Depot at Santa Ana to John Wayne Airport.

Unfortunately, the route includes an ill-advised segment in Costa

Mesa that bypasses South Coast Plaza, which was included at the

demand of large stakeholders in the South Coast Metro area.

Originally, the CenterLine route called for an elevated light rail

route following Bristol Street south to Anton Boulevard and making a

turn eastward, with a station at South Coast Plaza. But, in the last

few months, the South Coast Plaza bypass route had surfaced, which

would bury the CenterLine underground, narrow it to a single-track

where it would follow a winding path to avoid the Plaza.

The result: Elimination of the South Coast Plaza station, slower

travel for trains, an estimated $50 million higher price tag, and an

inconvenience to customers and employees, forced to walk a longer

distance to the Plaza.

Paul Freeman, spokesman for C. J. Segerstrom & Sons -- the owner

of South Coast Plaza -- is quoted in the Daily Pilot stating one

reason why the owners are against the original route is because the

CenterLine will have “a stop in our sea of free parking” and that

future expansion for the plaza must be on the Bristol Street side.

And the CenterLine may be in the way.

Let’s try to follow Freeman’s logic.

He says the CenterLine would be in the way of future expansion of

South Coast Plaza, which is to be built on an area currently utilized

as a parking lot. Therefore, the light rail line that is expected to

carry over 20,000 people per day should be prevented from reaching

the doorstep of the plaza.

Huh?

The future development will take away parking spaces and attract

more people, yet a mass transit station closest to the plaza should

be built over one-third of a mile away? Does this strike anyone as

counterintuitive? It seems as the Segerstroms really don’t care about

their customers and employees being inconvenienced to access the

plaza.

Finally, the South Coast Plaza bypass route is going to cost us

more money to build today, and more money in the future when we need

to amend the mistake caused by shortsighted and selfish desires of

the large stakeholders in the South Coast Metro area.

CHRISTIAN KROELLS

Newport Beach