Costa Mesa approves Fairview Road/Belfast Avenue traffic signal to improve crossings and access

The council voted to approve construction of a traffic signal at Fairview Road and Belfast Avenue, a project staff said will provide a high‑visibility crosswalk, a bulb‑out to shorten pedestrian crossing distance, a northbound left‑turn pocket extension and intersection lighting. Public works staff noted the challenge of coordinating the new signal with closely spaced existing signals on Fairview and presented a signal‑timing simulation to demonstrate coordination.

Funding and timeline: The low responsive bid was $683,584; with a 10% contingency staff estimated the total project cost at $751,943. Funding sources are gas‑tax and OCTA Measure M2 fair share; staff said a city CIP contribution covers the remaining gap. Staff estimated construction completion in spring 2027.

Public response and council debate: Neighbors were split—some residents, including parents of teenage drivers and long‑time residents, said the intersection is hazardous and asked for the signal; others opposed adding a signal at that location and preferred traffic calming or corridor improvements. Council voted 5–2 to approve the project; Council Members Reynolds and Maher voted no and asked staff to accelerate corridor‑level multimodal work in the area.