Traffic Relief a Top Concern for Elected Officials 

By Orange County Supervisor Pat Bates and State Senator Mark Wyland
San Clemente Journal

Traffic congestion consistently ranks at or near the top of issues of concern for South Orange County.  As elected officials representing San Clemente, we understand the importance of improved transportation infrastructure for this community. 

With more than three million people living and working in a little less than 800 square miles, Orange County is one of the most densely populated counties in the nation.  It is obvious to most commuters that our current transportation system is straining to accommodate our growing population. 

In addition to getting us to and from work, school and home, our roadways are integral to the economic viability of our county.  Local businesses rely on mobility to transport goods, customers and employees in an efficient manner.

It’s no wonder that Orange County supported Measure M with nearly 70 percent of the vote and that four out of five Orange County voters approved the state transportation bond measure, 1A.  But neither Measure M nor the state transportation bond have sufficient funds allocated to deal with the traffic challenge facing South Orange County and San Clemente.   The extension of the 241 Toll Road, which would connect to the I-5, tackles the traffic issue head-on by creating a desperately needed alternative to I-5.    

Without this extension, called Foothill-South, future freeway traffic on the I-5 in South Orange County will be as bad as the congestion that commuters face on the 91 freeway today.  It will take an hour to get from the San Diego county line to Oso Parkway, if nothing is done.  With Foothill-South, this same commute will take 25 minutes on the freeway and just 15 minutes on the Toll Road.

San Clemente understands the need for this traffic relief alternative.  Annual scientific surveys done for the past five years show that consistently about three out of five San Clemente residents support Foothill-South and more than 70 percent of those who both live and work in San Clemente support the proposed roadway.

The route for Foothill-South chosen by our local elected officials on the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA) Board avoids taking homes and businesses. Additionally, this route was carefully designed in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) and other federal and state agencies to avoid sensitive environmental habitats.  Foothill-South has been on the Master Plan of Arterial Highways since 1981 and is one of the most extensively-analyzed roadway projects in the nation.

The road is needed, the community wants it, and it will be built in a way that is sensitive to the natural environment and the homeowners and businesses of San Clemente.  Building new roads is not easy in this day and age, but traffic gridlock is an unacceptable alternative.

We both support the analysis that has been completed, the decisions that local elected officials have made, and the construction of Foothill-South as soon as possible. 

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Pat Bates  is the Orange County Supervisor for the 5th District and Mark Wyland (R) is the State Senator for the 38th District.  Each represents the city of San Clemente in their respective districts.

Pat Bates quote: “After a quarter-century of planning, it’s time for Foothill-South to be built.”

Mark Wyland quote: “Foothill-South simply completes the 67-mile toll road system that provides enhanced mobility throughout South Orange County.”