Board Actions
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March 8, 2010 Board Meeting
Board Approves Acceleration of Orangethorpe Avenue Railroad Grade Separation Projects
The board approved speeding up the construction schedule on the seven railroad grade separation projects along the Orangethorpe rail corridor.
The projects will ease congestion in Fullerton, Placentia and Anaheim by building overpass or underpass bridges, eliminating the need for vehicles to wait at crossings.
Expected to get under way early next year, construction crews will stagger the work. OCTA expects the construction to be completed up to a year earlier than planned.
OCTA is expediting the projects to reduce the length of detours for the community, capitalize on the favorable construction market and maintain eligibility for state funding.
Crews will construct four undercrossings at Raymond Avenue, State College Boulevard, Placentia Avenue and Kramer Boulevard. Orangethorpe Avenue, Tustin Avenue/Rose Drive and Lakeview Avenue will have overcrossings.
OCTA will coordinate with impacted cities and local emergency respondents to minimize traffic delays with continued outreach efforts to residents and business before and during construction.
Carpool Lanes Conversion Plan Gets Green Light
The board approved a plan to move forward with converting the remaining carpool lanes in Orange County to continuous access, which allows carpoolers to enter and exit the lanes at will.
The projects will be rolled out over the next three years, as funding becomes available, with work to complete the conversion of the Costa Mesa Freeway (SR-55) slated to begin later this year.
The goal of the conversions is to improve traffic flow and enhance safety. The Garden Grove Freeway (SR-22) and a portion of the SR-55 already have continuous-access carpool lanes. The Orange Freeway (SR-57) and Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) also are scheduled to implement continuous-access lanes with construction beginning in 2010 and 2011.
Oversight Committee Finds OCTA In Compliance With Measure M Spending For 19th Consecutive Year
The Measure M Taxpayers Oversight Committee (TOC) recently conducted its annual public hearing on Measure M, the half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements approved by voters in 1990.
The TOC unanimously found OCTA in accordance with the Measure M ordinance for the 19th year in a row. This finding was based upon the hearing, fiscal year 2008-09 financial audit results and other information provided to the committee.
At the meeting, TOC members gave reports about their role in the implementation of Measure M and a review of their activities during the past year.
By 2011, Measure M will have made possible $4 billion worth of transportation improvements. Hundreds of local projects that benefit residents every day have been completed. This includes improvements to nearly every freeway in the county, widening streets, signal coordination and intersection improvements. Measure M also made possible Metrolink commuter-rail service in Orange County.
Tunnel Connecting Counties Possible But Financially Challenging
Although challenging, a feasibility study indicates it’s possible to construct a proposed four-lane transportation tunnel connecting Orange County and Riverside County. The project comes with a hefty price tag of $8.6 billion for the first phase with no identified funding.
OCTA staff will return to the board in April to discuss the possibility of involving the private sector to fund construction of the road and operate it as a toll operation.
The proposed tunnel would connect the Foothill Transportation Corridor
(SR-241) / Laguna Freeway (SR-133) in Irvine to the Ontario Freeway (I-15) at Cajalco Road in Corona.