Countywide : Caltrans Urged to Open Car-Pool Lane

More than two dozen transportation coordinators from local companies asked Caltrans on Friday to open a 14-mile stretch of a recently completed car-pool lane on the San Diego Freeway, despite a lawsuit challenging the safety of the lanes.

The car-pool lane on the northbound portion of the freeway between the Santa Ana and Corona del Mar freeways was scheduled to be opened Friday. But attorneys for the California Department of Transportation decided this week to keep the lanes closed while they await Thursday’s hearing in Orange County Superior Court.

A group called Drivers for Highway Safety sued Caltrans over the car-pool lanes, saying the lanes could create hazards and that Caltrans has not showed the lanes will ease traffic flow.

The petition from the transportation coordinators probably will have no effect on Caltrans’ decision on when to open the lane, spokesman Albert Miranda said Friday. Officials have already decided to wait to hear what the judge says next week, he said.

“We’re going to try to open them as soon as we get a decision from the court,” Miranda said.

The 25 transportation coordinators signing the petition wanted to show Caltrans that workers who use car pools want the lanes open as quickly as possible, said John Lenz, transportation coordinator for Avco Financial Services in Irvine.

“We feel that Caltrans needs better support and we, as transportation professionals, stand behind them,” Lenz said.

The petition was presented Friday to Caltrans officials in Santa Ana. It was signed by managers of transportation associations serving business parks in Irvine and Cypress, Lenz said. Also signing were officials from Fluor Corp., Avco, Mazda and Raytheon.