Sales tax plan may fund freeway fixes

Costa Mesa officials have started a two-pronged lobbying effort to

help relieve congestion on the streets where the Costa Mesa Freeway

(55) ends.

Step one: Make a fix for the freeway one of the centerpiece

projects of an extension of the Measure M transportation tax.

Measure M is a 20-year, half-cent sales tax that expires in 2011.

It has generated millions of dollars for large freeway projects as

well as routine street maintenance in Orange County’s 34 cities, and

the Orange County Transportation Authority has been floating trial

balloons to see whether voters would support an extension.

A reauthorization of Measure M would likely go to voters on the

November 2006 ballot. The transportation authority started asking

cities in June what projects they’d like covered by the tax

extension, which could be proposed for 20 or 30 years, said Orange

County Supervisor Bill Campbell, who chairs the transportation

authority’s board.

Costa Mesa officials are working through the League of California

Cities and the transportation authority to get a 55 Freeway project

considered.

“One of the reasons why we feel that the timing is good on this is

that most of the county freeway projects have all been completed,”

Costa Mesa City Manager Allan Roeder said.

Exactly what the 55 Freeway project would be is still uncertain,

but one concept involves several express lanes that would tunnel

under Newport Boulevard from just north of where the freeway now ends

at 19th Street to somewhere between 16th and 17th streets, Roeder

said. No cost estimates are available for such a project.

“I don’t think in looking at the tunnel option any of us

realistically look at it as a means of handling all of the traffic on

the 55,” Roeder said, but he added that it could help ease backups at

the four traffic lights on Newport Boulevard between 19th Street and

17th Street.

There’s also been talk of a plan for elevated ramps, but

“aesthetically it leaves a whole lot, I suspect, to be desired,”

Roeder said.

Business owners also worry commerce on Newport Boulevard would dry

up if some of the traffic is taken away. But congestion has already

spilled onto surrounding streets -- including East 19th Street and

Broadway -- and that’s a concern for the residents, Roeder said.

The city also has asked Caltrans to take an older plan for a 55

Freeway extension out of a master plan for the area.

The older plan would have extended the freeway east of Newport

Boulevard and cut through residential areas, swinging back toward

Newport south of 17th Street.

A recent telephone poll commissioned by the transportation

authority showed 69% of those polled would vote to extend Measure M

if they knew exactly what it would pay for. Respondents were

especially interested in improvements for the Santa Ana (5) and

Riverside (91) freeways.

Campbell said a final list of projects to be covered by the next

Measure M will likely be ready in March.

QUESTION

Which freeways should get priority for projects paid for with

Measure M funds? Call our Readers Hotline at (714) 966-4664 or send

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* ALICIA ROBINSON covers government and politics. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4626 or o7alicia.robinson@latimes.comf7.