This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Traffic in Lake Forest - Part 2. Specific Concerns

Last week on Friday we looked at the recent Traffic Forum and discussed the general issues that were raised. These included -

  • No unified plan that made sense
  • Concern about Corruption at the City Council level
  • No idea about the General Impact of 5,000 new homes
  • No idea about the Specific impact of 4,000+ new kids on schools
  • Questionable validity of the traffic "model"
  • Poor communication with the residents
  • Marginalization of certain parts of the City.

In Part 2 we look at the specific problems identified by the residents at last week's forum. I'm listing them not in any particular order nor am I offering suggestions, at this point, for correcting the problems. After all 3 traffic forums are complete I'll do a summary and recommendations article.

 

Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

BACK UP AT EL TORO AND RAYMOND

The right hand turn lane on El Toro approaching Raymond (going toward Laguna Hills) is almost always backed up, sometimes for a block or more. It’s nearly impossible to get through the intersection with a single light change. The problem is that Raymond is the sole entry and exit point for the Post Office and for hundreds of people who live in 14 multi-family units in the dead end streets that branch off from the end of Raymond. This problem could be solved by removing the dead end that prevents Floe from being a second entrance/exit for these hundreds of people.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 

BACK UP TRAFFIC AT ROCKFIELD

If you survive the Raymond backup, you’re next challenge on El Toro comes at Rockfield. Traffic along the entire roadway can back up since there are multiple entrances into the shopping center, but it’s especially bad at Rockfield where some traffic wants to turn right (to go to Home Depot).

 

TRAFFIC BELOW ROCKFIELD

The traffic from Rockfield to Bridger going toward the Freeway looks like a game of musical chairs played by angry motorists. Many people turning on El Toro want to go across 5 lanes of traffic in order to go to the Laguna Hills Mall. Others, entering this section from Rockfield want to go across 4 lanes of traffic to get onto the 5 Freeway. Meanwhile, cars are entering and leaving from the Bank of America parking lot. It’s a study in chaos, and it’s also the area where the Planning Commission decided to put a natural gas vehicle fueling station .

 

FAILURE TO COMPLETE PORTOLA EXTENSION

Year after year the County and the City seem to be unable to reach agreement on the extension of the Portola Parkway from Foothill Ranch into Irvine. That extension would take a lot of traffic from Alton which will be needed when the 2,300+ new homes are built in Baker Ranch.

 

MUIRLANDS

If you live on Murin Isle or Oswego, you take your life into your hands when you try to enter Muirlands where the people are speeding to and from Lake Forest Drive. It’s especially difficult to come out of Murin Isle and make a left hand turn.

 

NOISE

Some residents complain about noise in general, and more specifically around Bake and Calle Entrada, especially from motorcycles.

 

241

For years we have been debating the extension of the 241 Toll Road. This extension would take some pressure off the rest of the City because some of the traffic that goes South on the 5 would now be diverted.

 

BETTER COORDINATION

Residents observed that there didn't seem to be a lot of communication between our City and neighboring cities. Irvine was signaled out for special consideration.


SYNCHRONIZATION

One resident believed that the traffic signal synchronization was only East/West and not North/South (that's true). Yet many people travel on the North/South streets (e.g., Muirlands, Trabuco) trying to avoid the 5 Freeway traffic, so it's important to synchronize these traffic signals as well.

NEXT TRAFFIC FORUM

The next forum will be Wednesday night, May 14, at 7 pm at the City Hall. Please show up and let the City know what your concerns are. I'll be there too to record your thoughts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?