Tiny Road study favors two-lane complete street with three roundabouts; construction funding still needed

Orange County staff on Jan. 7 presented a conceptual roadway analysis for Tiny Road (north of Bridgewater) that favors a two-lane complete-street design with roundabouts and enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities rather than a four‑lane widening.

Transportation Planning Manager Brian Sanders said the corridor’s alignment, steep vertical curves and documented nighttime crashes and two fatalities support a design that controls speeds and improves sight lines. The preferred alternative would keep two travel lanes (one in each direction), include 11-foot travel lanes, a 22-foot landscaped median, and two 10-foot multi‑use paths; planners also recommended three roundabouts at key intersections and pedestrian hybrid beacons at two locations to protect crossings.

Public outreach and multiple design refinements led staff to conclude that a four-lane widening would bring greater right-of-way impacts and higher costs while producing an auto-centric corridor that would not meet neighborhood goals. The study estimates planning-level costs of about $26.5 million for the preferred two-lane build alternative; the four-lane option would be more expensive (the analysis listed about $31.2 million) and would require greater property takings. Staff said funding is available for design but construction and right-of-way acquisition funding have not yet been identified.

Commissioners questioned property impacts, maintenance cost implications, and protections for wildlife habitat. Sanders said environmental reviews showed no protected species observed and that surveys would be conducted during design. He told commissioners that 11 properties would have minor right-of-way impacts and that property owners had not formally objected during outreach. Commissioner Moore asked for a breakdown of impact-fee contributions and long‑term maintenance costs; staff said the project is not a capacity project funded by impact fees and will require separate funding sources.

Why it matters: The redesign aims to reduce head-on and high-speed collisions, accommodate future pedestrian and bicycle travel, and provide connections to schools, the planned Horizon West park and existing trail networks.

Next steps: Staff will continue design, conduct required environmental and species surveys during engineering, pursue funding during upcoming budget cycles, and bring project hearings for board approval. Interim safety improvements already installed include signage, pavement markings and reflectors.