Opinion: Start Planning Now!
Are you fed up with out-of-control traffic on Irvine streets?
Are you tired of circling around and around to find a parking spot?
Let’s take action to get our city to start planning for the future now!
The City Council is doing a great job of protecting our villages from development projects that adversely affect our village characters. However, as more villages are created, our city is not doing enough to address the increasing traffic congestion along Irvine’s major thoroughfares (Jamboree, Culver, Jeffery, Sand Canyon, Barranca and Irvine Blvd). Increasing and lengthening left hand turn pockets, which cut off access to shopping centers and adversely impact small businesses, and adjusting signalization, are not long range solutions.
What is the answer?
The State is requiring Irvine to build tens of thousands of housing units. Irvine will soon have over 280,000 residents and our traffic congestion and parking deficits are only going to get worse. Before we reach gridlock we need to think ahead and find a way to get cars off Irvine streets. How do we do that? Most large cities address the issue by creating passenger-friendly public transportation systems.
Perhaps an Irvine Circulation Only public transportations system would help. I have asked the Transportation Commission to place this issue on their agenda but they have not done so. I submitted a request to the Planning Commission to place the issue on their agenda. Hopefully, they will.
If we can get a number of people to attend the Planning and/or Transportation Commission meetings, maybe we can get the commissions to place the issue of preparing for future increases in traffic congestion and parking deficits on their agendas.
The Transportation Commission meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month and the Planning Commission meets the first and third Thursdays of the Month at 5:30 in the City Council Chambers. Please, come join me at the commission meetings and speak up and present your ideas and concerns.
What are your ideas and concerns?
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3 Comments
Gail Lewis
July 31, 2019 at 8:59 amSusan you wrote: ” The State is requiring Irvine to build tens of thousands of housing units. ” Where did you get this information?
Branda Lin
July 31, 2019 at 10:23 amRegional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) is a required state housing law. Our city can’t say no to building more but the question is where and how? And that’s why Susan’s point is so important. It’s inevitable that we will have more housing/density in our city so we need to talk public transportation and build the infrastructure to support the density now! Workforce housing is important and since the jobs are here, Irvine will be required to build more than our neighboring cities. We need to look ahead, have a long term vision and not just try to mitigate individual plans as we go. A long-term, progressive vision, pro-active steps combined with elements from a Climate Action Plan are the way to move ahead IMO. Thanks Susan for this post! For more info:
http://scagrtpscs.net/Documents/2020/RHNA2017FS.pdf
Sylvia Walker
July 31, 2019 at 10:56 amWell said and good information, Branda.
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