Lake Forest details $36 million CIP, reports 36 projects completed and ongoing signal upgrades

Tran Tran, Lake Forest’s traffic engineering manager, presented the city’s 2023–2025 capital improvement program update at the Aug. 4 Traffic and Parking Commission meeting, saying the CIP included seven projects with a total budget of $36,000,000 and that staff had completed 36 CIP projects representing $19,500,000 invested to date.

Tran said the Alton traffic signal synchronization project finished construction and has moved into signal timing, operations and monitoring. “I know that that project included the traffic management center that you all have not gotten a chance to see. I promise that I will tour you guys through our traffic management center,” Tran said. He described the traffic management center as improving the city’s response to signal‑operations concerns.

The presentation listed several park projects completed or substantially complete, including a full replacement of synthetic turf fields at Lake Forest Sports Park and pickleball overlays and court restriping at Pittsburg, Foothill Ranch, Baker Ranch and Borrego Parks. Tran noted contractor Tele Tennis Courts completed several overlays and that Baker Ranch had earlier added pickleball striping to basketball courts.

Under construction, staff highlighted corridor and signal work. Tran said fiber‑optic communications and equipment cabinets are being installed for an OCTA‑partnered signal synchronization project along Bake Parkway and Rockfield, and related work is underway at Portola and Santa Margherita and on Lake Forest Drive regional signal synchronization. “We hope to see this be completed construction wise by the end of this year,” Tran said, while adding that traffic impacts will be felt in the coming months.

Tran outlined other active work: asphalt grinding and overlay on Kenyatta Road near City Hall, the Baker Ranch Community Park turf replacement (substantially complete), and the El Toro irrigation conservation project, for which the city expects approximately $77,000 in grant reimbursement from the Metropolitan Water District.

Projects in earlier phases include five projects in preconstruction tied to the Foothill Corridor Phasing Plan (including El Toro/ Geronimo realignment and raised medians), nine in design and four in pre‑design. Tran said the city installed about 2,600 street name signs and more than 400 overhead traffic signal signs as part of a sign‑replacement effort to meet current reflectivity and sizing standards.

Commissioners asked about outreach for the upcoming Trabuco/Irvine Boulevard widening. Tran said the contractor will mail notices to affected businesses and residents and that the city will deploy portable changeable message signs to advise motorists. Commissioner Patel asked about coordination and timing; Tran said the city would work with the contractor and use social media and the city’s public information officer for additional notifications.

Tran closed the presentation by summarizing the CIP status: 36 projects completed, 16 in various construction phases, five in preconstruction, nine in design and four in pre‑design. “Public works has their hands full,” he said. The commission received the update; no formal action was taken on the CIP at this meeting.

Ending

Tran offered to provide a tour of the traffic management center for commissioners and staff indicated a notice of completion for several projects would be filed in coming weeks.