Laguna Beach officials are seeking state funding to synchronize traffic lights on Pacific Coast Highway through Laguna Beach and Dana Point, a move intended to reduce commute times for residents and travelers on the 12-mile stretch. The proposed project would synchronize 40 traffic lights from School/State Park in Laguna Beach south to Doheny Road in Dana Point, aiming to ease gridlock, as Voice of OC reported.
If approved by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), the project would receive approximately $2,688,000, or 80% of its cost, through a Measure M2 grant. Laguna Beach and Dana Point would share the remaining expenses. Laguna Beach specifically would be responsible for a little over $400,000, a cost that city leaders would need to approve after the grant funds are secured, according to a city staff report.
The project targets 24 traffic lights within Laguna Beach and 16 in Dana Point along Pacific Coast Highway. Laguna Beach Assistant City Engineer Tran Tran stated at an Oct. 27 meeting that the proposal does not aim to create a continuously green corridor. Instead, he explained to Voice of OC, the goal is "finding the sweet spot" to achieve more green lights than reds, which means fewer stops, more efficiency, reduced idling, and lower emissions, ultimately resulting in shorter travel times.
Laguna Beach plans to partner with Dana Point and CalTrans for the project. CalTrans is slated to own and maintain the 24 traffic signals within Laguna Beach and has already provided a letter supporting the arrangement. Tran Tran also highlighted proposed infrastructure improvements during his presentation. These include remote access to signal cabinets, which would allow for real-time adjustments to signal timing plans. Currently, the city lacks this remote capability, making changes a process that can take weeks. Other proposed technologies include video cameras to monitor vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle movements, and an emergency evacuation plan allowing the city to remotely activate green lights during evacuations.
Laguna Beach Councilmember Bob Whalen raised a point regarding data collection for the project. He stressed the importance of considering current traffic impacts, specifically mentioning the closure of Pacific Coast Highway at El Morro due to a bluff crack. Whalen suggested that updated traffic counts should ideally wait until CalTrans reopens that section of State Route 1, as the closure affects the normal flow of traffic.
When asked by Councilmember Hallie Jones about the project's duration once initiated, Tran Tran estimated it would take about a year after breaking ground. He expressed confidence in a quick execution, citing his experience with similar projects for other agencies.
This proposed initiative is part of broader efforts to improve traffic flow in Orange County. Tran Tran cited the State College Boulevard/City Drive project, led by Anaheim earlier this summer, which involved improvements at 58 intersections across Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, and Orange through Measure M2. Additionally, a 2025 project coordinated signals at 61 intersections in Brea, Placentia, Anaheim, Orange, and Santa Ana, with the goals of reducing congestion and delays, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and enhancing signal timing across city boundaries.
