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Study Update

Board Approves Reduced Set of Alternative Strategies

On October  10, 2009, the OCTA Board of Directors approved the Initial Screening Report recommending a reduced set of five alternative strategies for additional engineering and environmental analysis. As part of its action, the Board approved the elimination of several elements comprising the initial conceptual alternatives that did not meet the evaluation criteria. The retained elements were restructured to represent a range of choices with each alternative emphasizing different approaches toward meeting the study’s purpose and need. Following is a summarized description of the Board-approved strategies.

Alternative 1: Baseline Improvements include facilities and services in place today and those transportation improvements funded and committed for implementation prior to 2035.


Alternative 2: Transportation Systems Management/Transportation Demand Management Consists of operational investments, policies and actions aimed at improving traffic movement, promoting travel safety, and increasing transit usage and rideshare.

Alternative 3: Low Arterial & Freeway/High Transit Emphasis Includes completing key elements of the Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) and building a second HOV lane on the I-5 between the SR-55 and the SR-57. It also contains major investments in transit including the following:


  • Go Local Step 2 projects
  • Enhanced BRT
  • Fixed Guideways in Anaheim and Santa Ana
  • Community-based transit circulators
  • Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC) with high-speed train service
  • Bus Rapid Transit routes in dedicated lanes on Harbor Boulevard and State College Boulevard/Bristol Street, connecting John Wayne Airport to ARTIC

Alternative 4: Moderate Arterial & Freeway/High Transit Emphasis Includes the same major investments in transit proposed in Alternative 3 with the addition of a BRT spur line along the Pacific Electric right-of-way (PE ROW). It also includes the following arterial and freeway investments:

  • Full buildout of the MPAH
  • Frontage road improvements along the SR-55 in Costa Mesa
  • Widening of the SR-55 between I-5 and I-405
  • SR-55 HOV lane addition between I-405 and 19th Street
  • HOV drop ramps on I-405 at Bear Street
  • Meats Avenue on SR-55 interchange

Alternative 5: High Arterial & Freeway/Moderate Transit Emphasis Includes the same investments in transit proposed in Alternative 3, except the two north-south BRT routes in dedicated lanes. It also builds upon the arterial and freeway investments proposed in Alternative 4 with the following major investments:

  • Enhancements beyond the buildout of the MPAH
  • Direct HOV connectors between SR-55 and SR-22
  • SR-22/SR-57/I-5 interchange reconstruction
  • SR-22 direct access ramps to downtown Santa Ana via the PE ROW
  • Extension of the SR-55 from its terminus to Industrial Way
  • Toll roads strategies (e.g. subsidized tolls or HOV lanes on portions of the toll roads)

Initial Screening and Evaluation Completed

The study team completed Stage #1 of the Screening and Evaluation Process upon Board approval of the Initial Screening Report. This report describes how the Initial Set of Refined Alternatives was analyzed based on freeway and arterial mobility, land use, environmental impacts, transit, operations, non-motorized choices, and implementation tradeoffs. The results of the report were used to develop the Reduced Set of Alternative Strategies, which will be carried forward for additional environmental and engineering analysis in Stage #2 of the screening and evaluation process.

Policy Advisory Committee and Working Group Meetings

Concurrently, the study team is also preparing to conduct meetings with the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC), the Technical Working Group (TWG) and the Stakeholder Working Group. The next TWG meeting is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2009 to discuss preliminary analysis of the Board-approved Reduced Set of Alternatives.

 

Public Outreach

The study team is currently pursuing briefings to update several City Councils. Also, public open houses are scheduled for Spring 2010. To schedule a presentation, please contact Fernando Chavarria, Outreach Manager, at (714) 560-5306 or at fchavarria@octa.net.