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Commission backs reclassifying El Toro Road to 4 lanes to align with OCTA projections and keep Measure M funding
Summary
Staff recommended and the commission voted to support a general‑plan circulation amendment reclassifying El Toro Road between Marguerite Parkway and Cielo Entrada from a 'major arterial' (6 lanes) to a 'primary arterial' (4 lanes); staff said OCTA traffic projections and Measure M funding eligibility motivated the change.
The Planning and Transportation Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of a city‑initiated general‑plan amendment (GPA2025‑0001) that would change the circulation map designation for El Toro Road between Marguerite Parkway and Cielo Entrada from a major arterial (6‑lane) to a primary arterial (4‑lane).
Mario Gutierrez, the city’s transportation engineer, told commissioners that Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) forecasts show lower projected traffic growth since COVID and that the county’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways (MPAH) has been updated accordingly. Gutierrez explained the capacity thresholds cited in the staff report: a major arterial (6 lanes) has an approximate daily capacity of 56,300 vehicles per day, while a primary arterial (4 lanes) has about 37,500 vpd. Gutierrez said the current physical configuration within Mission Viejo ranges from three to five lanes in segments, and that a reclassification would reduce the city’s long‑term obligation to add multiple additional lanes in the future and help the city remain eligible for Measure M funding used for pavement rehabilitation and signal synchronization projects.
Commissioners asked about developer funding for future widening, the length of roadway affected and the traffic‑flow analysis through 2045; Gutierrez said developer impact fees could contribute depending on the project, that the affected stretch is roughly 1,000 feet where an additional lane might be needed in the future, and that modeling showed intersections and roadway segments would meet the city’s level‑of‑service thresholds under a 4‑lane assumption. With OCTA already approving the change on its end, staff said the commission’s recommendation would go to the city council for final approval the next day. The commission voted to recommend adoption of the resolution supporting the amendment; the item passed unanimously.
