CORONA DEL MAR TODAY

Traffic Study Generating Little Response

Changes in traffic lanes on East Coast Highway between Avocado and Carnation avenues went into place last Tuesday night, but so far the study has generated little feedback from the public, city officials said.

“As of 10 o’clock last night, I had heard one comment, and it was favorable,” Mayor Nancy Gardner told members of the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District on Thursday morning. “I expect to come back to a box full.”

On Monday, however, Gardner said she still hadn’t heard much. One person contacted her was concerned about parking spaces that have been removed, but Gardner told her that the spaces would be replaced if the project moves forward. A third person said he didn’t like the project’s aesthetics, which would be improved if it changes were to be permanent.

Garen Yegenian, owner of Korker Liquor store, has a front-line view of the new merge location, which is in front of his shop at 2229 East Coast Highway. He said several of his customers have complained about the project, and one man said it contributed to a minor traffic collision. Newport Beach police have taken no reports of traffic collisions near the traffic study, said spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. However, a minor collision might not have come to the police department’s attention.

City staff has received a few calls about the project, said Tara Finnigan, a Newport Beach city spokeswoman. But most of the callers, she said, had general questions and were not complaining. City staff is monitoring the traffic flow by driving through the site as well as observing live traffic feeds from a camera.

More information is available on the city website here. You also can participate in an online survey on the city website here. The survey asks respondents about the direction they were traveling and for a rating of one (very dissatisfied) to five (very satisfied). There also is a section for cyclists to rate their experiences.

The traffic study could pave the way for an entryway beautification project; read more here. Plans call for moving the squeeze-lane, where three lanes merge to two, and using the space for landscaping and other improvements.

The Newport City Council approved the traffic study, which the Corona del Mar Business Improvement District is funding, but has not approved the improvement project itself. The traffic study is using delineator poles and paint to remark lanes, and some parking spaces have been removed or moved. The project will continue through September; click here to read more.