Traffic jam

An underground tunnel at 19th Street and an elevated freeway down the middle of Newport Boulevard are among the Orange County Transportation Authority’s possible solutions to Costa Mesa’s 55 Freeway congestion problem.

The authority’s findings, presented during a City Council study session Tuesday, examined as many as eight possibilities aimed at alleviating traffic in Costa Mesa’s downtown, where as many as 100,000 cars pass through Newport Boulevard via the freeway’s terminus.

In the short term, the city will add a lane to Newport Boulevard, said Transportation Manager Peter Naghavi.

“That would take care of us for about seven to 10 years,” he said. “But we are concerned about mitigating traffic in the long-term and want to look at all the possibilities aiming to provide for future transportation needs, while protecting neighborhood residences and businesses.”

Other proposals included adding freeway exits and moving its terminus to 16th Street, or examining how to improve congestion under the current grid.

“These eight alternatives really span what we term to be the simple solutions that can be accomplished rather quickly, with low cost and minimal effects,” said Tony Petros of LSA Associates, the consultant team for the project.

Consultants and Mayor Eric Bever emphasized the study remained in its extremely preliminary stages and that the process would take a number of years — undergoing an extensive review process — before any of the ideas were implemented.

Still, many residents want more outreach from the city and county as the planning continues.

Daniel Pietenpol, who owns five buildings on Newport Boulevard, said he learned about the session only on Tuesday after reading the newspaper.

“I’d like to see more outreach, some consideration of the cost — not just construction, but what will happen to sales tax, jobs,” he said. “There’s a lot of revenue coming to the city from downtown.

“I’d also like to see Newport Beach be a part of this,” he added. “If 40-50% of the traffic is through traffic to Hoag Hospital and [Pacific Coast Highway], why shouldn’t it extend to PCH?”

Councilwomen Linda Dixon and Katrina Foley also expressed frustration at being left out of the loop.

“I had no idea there were public meetings going on and that there were stakeholder meetings going on,” Foley said. “I request that I be put on the list for all future meetings.”

Bever thanked the transportation authority and their consultants for their work on the study, and he said the public will be brought into the process as the proposals became more concrete.

“Now that we have identified eight proposals, the public will be further brought into the process,” he said.

DID YOU KNOW?

 The 55 Freeway was constructed in 1931 as Route 43, and was shortened and renamed as Route 55 in 1959. It became a four-lane highway in 1962 and gained a carpool lane in 1999.

 It had a peak daily traffic volume of 252,000 vehicles and 16,632 trucks in 2006.

 Approximately 100,000 vehicles are shuttled onto 19th Street daily.

 40-50% of the 55’s traffic is through-traffic traveling to West Coast Highway or Hoag Hospital.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.