Joe Catron

Motorists favor staggered or flexible working hours over car-pooling or riding buses to ease traffic congestion according to an Orange County Transportation Commission survey. The study (Nov. 21) also found that Orange County motorists prefer adding more freeway lanes to the existing system. I believe the study to be a step in the right direction, however, I would suggest immediate further surveys to include business owners and managers to see if they will implement these suggested flexible working hours for their employees.

Our readers wrote letters throughout 198 7 expressing their viewpoints on a variety of issues. Here are condensed versions of some of those letters. We appreciate their taking the time to share their viewpoints and look forward to hearing from you in 1988. Orange County Transportation Commission Chairman and Supervisor Harriett Wieder challenging county business executives to get more involved in resolving our traffic problems is right on target. Car pools are good business and every effort should be made by all Orange County companies to urge their employees to car-,van- or bus-pool when at all possible.

Our readers wrote letters throughout 198 7 expressing their viewpoints on a variety of issues. Here are condensed versions of some of those letters. We appreciate their taking the time to share their viewpoints and look forward to hearing from you in 1988. Orange County Transportation Commission Chairman and Supervisor Harriett Wieder challenging county business executives to get more involved in resolving our traffic problems is right on target. Car pools are good business and every effort should be made by all Orange County companies to urge their employees to car-,van- or bus-pool when at all possible.

"For the Costa Mesa Freeway, we will either establish a four-foot painted buffer . . . or we will convert it to a mixed flow lane." So states Senator John Seymour (R-Anaheim). Les Spahn, Caltrans chief of legislative affairs, says he refuses to predict that this additional 37-inch buffer width "will reduce accidents." An Orange County transportation commission spokesman predicts the taxpayers of Orange County will probably pay more than $3 million to install the 3-foot, 1-inch painted double yellow line.

"For the Costa Mesa Freeway, we will either establish a four-foot painted buffer . . . or we will convert it to a mixed flow lane." So states Senator John Seymour (R-Anaheim). Les Spahn, Caltrans chief of legislative affairs, says he refuses to predict that this additional 37-inch buffer width "will reduce accidents." An Orange County transportation commission spokesman predicts the taxpayers of Orange County will probably pay more than $3 million to install the 3-foot, 1-inch painted double yellow line.

I have served this past 14 months as a member of the Orange County Transportation Commission's Costa Mesa Freeway Advisory Committee. As your readers are probably aware, the committee voted Jan. 7 to recommend to the OCTC making the car-pool lane permanent. Representing Drivers for Highway Safety, I cast the lone no vote. Recently, however, the Auto Club of Southern California notified committee Chairman-elect Richard Edgar that its vote in making the diamond lanes "operational" be changed from yes to no. What is alarming to me is why the Transportation Commission would not consider opening that freeway to general-purpose traffic on all lanes for a short period of time so it could prove beyond a doubt its point that people will be better served with a car-pool lane than if the lane is opened to all traffic.

Your editorial (March 1) about Orange County Transportation Commission Chairman and Supervisor Harriett Wieder challenging county business executives to get more involved in resolving our traffic problems is right on target. Car pools are good business, and every effort should be made by all Orange County companies to urge their employees to car-, van- or bus-pool when at all possible. Employees that join these pools certainly should be given special benefits if at all possible.

Just when you thought it was safe to drive on the Costa Mesa Freeway, a committee of drivers opposed to surrending two lanes of the freeway to buses and car pools produced a disturbing statistic: Accidents on the freeway have increased 77% since the new commuter lanes took effect in November.

Controversial commuter lanes on the Costa Mesa (Route 55) Freeway promoted better traffic flow and more car-pooling during their first year, a Caltrans study said last week. But an organization critical of the commuter lanes immediately disputed the claims made by the state Department of Transportation in its analysis of the commuter lanes. "Absolutely, we dispute the success" of the commuter lanes," said Joe Catron of Yorba Linda, chairman of Drivers for Highway Safety.

It was with great relief that I read . . . that the trial period for the car-pool (lanes) has been extended an additional nine months. I have had to take my small daughter to Childrens Hospital of Orange County on Friday afternoons for the past several months. Before the car-pool lanes were in operation, the trip from Corona del Mar to CHOC would take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Now we drive the distance in less than 20 minutes! Joe Catron, a "Drivers for Highway Safety" founder, is totally off-base in his criticism of the car-pool lane.

Your editorial (March 1) about Orange County Transportation Commission Chairman and Supervisor Harriett Wieder challenging county business executives to get more involved in resolving our traffic problems is right on target. Car pools are good business, and every effort should be made by all Orange County companies to urge their employees to car-, van- or bus-pool when at all possible. Employees that join these pools certainly should be given special benefits if at all possible.

I have served this past 14 months as a member of the Orange County Transportation Commission's Costa Mesa Freeway Advisory Committee. As your readers are probably aware, the committee voted Jan. 7 to recommend to the OCTC making the car-pool lane permanent. Representing Drivers for Highway Safety, I cast the lone no vote. Recently, however, the Auto Club of Southern California notified committee Chairman-elect Richard Edgar that its vote in making the diamond lanes "operational" be changed from yes to no. What is alarming to me is why the Transportation Commission would not consider opening that freeway to general-purpose traffic on all lanes for a short period of time so it could prove beyond a doubt its point that people will be better served with a car-pool lane than if the lane is opened to all traffic.

Motorists favor staggered or flexible working hours over car-pooling or riding buses to ease traffic congestion according to an Orange County Transportation Commission survey. The study (Nov. 21) also found that Orange County motorists prefer adding more freeway lanes to the existing system. I believe the study to be a step in the right direction, however, I would suggest immediate further surveys to include business owners and managers to see if they will implement these suggested flexible working hours for their employees.

What an incredibly small number of voters really put Don Roth in the 4th District supervisor's seat. Amazing. Out of a total of 95,629 people voting, only 1,087 more of them preferred Roth to Beam. Did the endorsement from Supervisor Ralph Clark put Roth on top? Was it the rigid, non-swaying stand Beam took on the car-pool lane issue that prompted 1,087 of the freeway-driving voters in District 4 to vote for Roth? Whatever the reason for that extra 1% of voters in Roth's camp, it all sums up to individual votes.