July News
Hello everyone!
Here’s what’s going on:
Pedestrian Master Plan
There will be a virtual community meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, 7/27) to discuss how we might make Costa Mesa streets more comfortable places to walk. Don't miss this! It is our chance to make it known to the City and to the consultants how important this issue is for us, and how we would like to see the situation improved. The meeting will begin at 6pm and the Zoom link can be found here.
Concert in the Park
This event will be this coming Saturday at Fairview Park. If you've attended our Concerts in the Park before, you may have noticed that it can be very difficult to find a parking space. You may also have noticed that many people bike there. This year, the City is seeking to help alleviate this issue by making it easier for more people to get to the Park in spatially-efficient ways (by bike rather than by car). City staff is planning on setting up a two-way bike lane on the west side of Placentia Ave. (closest to the park) for the entire length between Adams Ave. and Victoria St. This enables many more people than usual to ride comfortably to the event, including all of Mesa Verde as well as huge parts of the Westside neighborhoods. We want a lot of people to have a chance to experience an on-street protected bike lane. Use it if you can and spread the word! Don't forget your locks and blinky lights! (In the map below, the red line is the protected bike lane. Note that it is only on the western side of the street. The areas in orange show the neighborhoods with fairly reasonable access to the bike lanes.)
Merrimac Nearly Complete
Merrimac Way - the short street on the south side of OCC that connects Harbor to Fairview - will be complete very soon. This long-awaited project includes both protected and unprotected bike lanes, and connects to bike paths at either end of the stretch. We hope that the intersections at Harbor and at Fairview are soon invested with as much energy and care as the rest of the path. Take a look soon, and let us know what you think!
Traffic Calming on Meyer Pl.
Meyer Place, like many streets in our city, has a "speeding problem." The city is working on a potential tactical solution to test before considering permanent changes. Stay tuned!
Active Transportation Coordinator
We previously mentioned this news when the position was created, but now the City is accepting applications. This person will be “responsible for leading the development and implementation of the City’s Active Transportation Programs.” The Coordinator will hopefully be a point person for all of the City's efforts in promoting and providing for active, healthy, safe, clean, and enjoyable mobility throughout Costa Mesa. Spread the word if you know anyone who would be a good fit.
What can you do right now to help make our streets better?
The Caltrans Survey is still up! They keep extending it, which is likely due to a lack of feedback. Please share the link with your friends and neighbors, and on your social media feeds. This is for all State Routes within Orange County and the surface streets and intersections within a considerable buffer. Even if you’ve taken it already, you can always jump back in and add more comments - there’s no limit!
Have a great week!
The CMABS Team
