City Council to tackle traffic problems around Newport Boulevard,

21st Street

Andrew Glazer

BALBOA PENINSULA -- City officials said allowing traffic to run both ways

on 21st Street may help drivers travel through the confusing snarl of

streets they call “Mixmaster.”

The City Council will discuss on Tuesday Public Works Director Don Webb’s

recommendation, which is intended to improve traffic flow, pedestrian

safety and access to McFadden Square.

For years, thousands of visitors to the peninsula have struggled to find

a way to the beach, boardwalk and pier. There is seemingly no logical way

to travel from the main thoroughfare, Newport Boulevard, to the top

tourist spots. On summer days, U-turning, neck-craning, map-reading

tourists clog the streets in their search for fun in the sun. Hence, the

name Mixmaster.

The council, in June 1998, hired a team of private consultants to study

Mixmaster and develop a solution to the traffic troubles. City planners

said sorting out traffic problems is the most important step in a much

larger plan to revitalize the peninsula.

The consultants’ suggestions, for untangling the confusing roadway, were

based on input from the public, said City Councilman Tod Ridgeway, who is

also a member of the city’s Balboa Peninsula Planning Advisory Committee.

“It’s actually one of the first times our consultants have listened to

citizens on any matter,” he said. “We’re very thankful.”

If approved, the city will review, after one year, whether a two-way

street helped clear up the confusing stretch, Ridgeway said. He said

observing the street during busy summer traffic would be the best way to

gauge its affect.

Webb also recommended the city provide a southbound left-turn lane on

Newport Boulevard between 23rd Street and 26th Street to allow better

access to businesses on the bay side.

He also suggested the city put up more signs around the peninsula to help

guide confounded summer tourists and frustrated natives through the

labyrinth.

The entire project would cost the city about $395,000.

The Newport Beach City Council will meet in a study session at 4 p.m. on

Tuesday at City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.