Active Transportation Committee says 2024 safety projects cut crashes; urges council to set CIP priorities and press Caltrans on Newport Boulevard/55

Active Transportation Committee Chair Andrew Barnes and Vice Chair Moses Nolf presented the committee’s 2024 annual report to the Costa Mesa City Council on April 15, saying infrastructure changes in 2024 reduced crashes on treated corridors and urging the council to set a prioritized list of capital improvement projects and press Caltrans for safety upgrades on the Newport Boulevard/55 corridor.

The committee said the city installed 4.1 miles of new or improved bikeways in 2024 along with protected bike lane treatments, buffered bike lanes, pedestrian bulb-outs, HAWK signals at West 19th Street and Wallace and at the Lions Park/West 18th and Wilson Park intersections, high-visibility crosswalks, and bike/ped detection with leading pedestrian intervals. The committee highlighted grant success and told the council staff secured roughly $7,900,000 in transportation grant awards that funded many of the projects.

Why this matters: Committee members and staff argued the improvements are not just for people walking and biking but make streets safer for all users, including drivers. The…