Tunnel to Riverside County

WHAT:

A proposed tunnel running through the Cleveland National Forest that would dump an estimated 70,000 vehicles a day onto Highway 133 at the Foothill Toll Road, affecting traffic in Laguna Beach.

WHAT’S BEHIND IT:

The Orange County Transportation Authority and the Riverside County Transportation Planning Agency are examining options to relieve traffic problems on the Riverside (91) Freeway.

Three alternatives are being considered.

Alternative 1 would create another road, to run parallel to the existing 91 corridor, at an estimated cost of between $2.5 and $5 billion.

Alternatives 2 and 3 include a tunnel.

The council appointed Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider and City Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman to a subcommittee to review the proposal. In a report to the council, Pearson-Schneider and Kinsman said that the tunnel was a bad idea for several reasons:

* the roads at the Orange County end of the four-to-six-lane tunnel would become “totally” congested, which could lead South County motorists to take Coast Highway to avoid the congested 5 and 405 freeways;

* traffic on the 91 Freeway has already increased traffic coming from Riverside County to the coast via Laguna Beach. The tunnel would exacerbate that problem;

* the tunnel will not directly alleviate the traffic problem on the 91 because 80% of the anticipated vehicle trips on that corridor would go to the north or to central Orange County; and

* in addition to the estimated $6-billion cost of tunneling, the project would require billions more to improve freeways and the supporting road system at the Orange County end of the tunnel.

WHAT NOW:

The City Council approved a letter to be sent to transportation agencies urging the adoption of Alternative 1, the construction of a road parallel to the 91 Freeway.

Laguna does not stand alone in opposition to the tunnel.

Pearson-Schneider and Kinsman have met with Irvine Co. officials who oppose the tunnel. According to Pearson-Schneider, other South County cities have come to the same conclusion -- that the tunnel would not be a good solution for South County.

WHAT’S SAID:

“We feel it is important at this time for the city to go on record in opposition to the tunnel under the Cleveland National Forest,” Pearson-Schneider said. “It would be more cost-effective to put resources into the option that deals directly with the 91 -- in other words, Alternative 1.”

WHAT’S NEXT:

The two transportation agencies will meet Oct. 28 to vote on the project. PearsonSchneider and Kinsman will attend to voice the council’s opposition.

-- By Barbara Diamond