OCTA seeks feedback on ways to improve busy Beach Boulevard

The Orange County Transportation Authority is seeking public input on ways to improve Beach Boulevard, the 21-mile route that passes through nine Orange County cities to the Pacific Ocean and carries up to 83,000 vehicles per day.

OCTA and the California Department of Transportation are starting a collaborative project to improve signal synchronization and pedestrian, bicycle and motor vehicle transit on the heavily used state highway.

Beach Boulevard, which stretches between the coast and Whittier Boulevard in La Habra, has boomed since it opened in 1934. Popular locations along its path include Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park and the Bella Terra shopping center in Huntington Beach.

Several public meetings will be held over 18 months before the agencies make their final recommendations to cities. The final plan is intended to provide cities with a guide to make the boulevard better equipped for commuters and keep it aesthetically uniform.

Two community events are set for Saturday: 9 to 11 a.m. at the West Anaheim Youth Center, 320 S. Beach Blvd., Anaheim, and noon to 3 p.m. next to the camping store REI at Bella Terra, 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach.

People also can submit suggestions and concerns through an online survey at beach-survey.com.

The survey weighs options such as bus-only lanes, expanding bus service hours, widening streets and adding lanes and pedestrian bridges.

To learn more about the project, visit bit.ly/2VusQcq.

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