(March 10, 2009) -- Following-up on a story first reported this morning (March 10) by LBReport.com, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) says its staff met in 2008 with LB city management staff, the staffs of 3rd dist. Councilmembers Gary DeLong and Patrick O'Donnell and advised them of its plans (with Caltrans) to close the 7th St. westward entryway into LB from the northbound 405 freeway for roughly a year of construction...starting in early 2010.

OCTA said it also met more recently with area resident groups.

Image source: OCTA

Image source: OCTA

In response to questions posed by LBReport.com, Christina Byrne, Community Relations Officer described officially approved detours as follows:

• Northbound 405 drivers can exit on Seal Beach Blvd., go south to Westminster Blvd, then west on Westminster to Studebaker Rd., and then north back to the 22 (and westward into LB).

  OR

• Northbound 405 drivers can continue north on the 405 to Palo Verde Ave., go south to Atherton St., east to Studebaker Rd., and south to the westward 22 into LB.

  OR

• Northbound 405 drivers can exit early at Westminster Ave. and drive straight west to Studebaker Rd., before turning north to get to the westward 22 into LB.

Ms. Byrne said detours had been discussed with and approved by LB City Traffic Engineer Dave Roseman. [LBReport.com phoned Mr. Roseman's office and left a message at the start of business today; a response is pending]

The detours and related matters are scheduled to be discussed by OCTA at a community meeting at Kettering Elementary School on Thursday March 12 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

With respect to public outreach, Ms. Byrne said:

• OCTA staff met with representatives of the City Managers office on April 2, 2008 and with Councilman DeLong's office on June 11, 2008, and with Councilman O'Donnell's office on June 16, 2008 and gave them a "heads up" about the project.

• OCTA held "open houses" [community meetings] on the project at Kettering Elementary School last year, and met with the University Park Estates homeowners in Sept. 2008, and the Bixby Hill Homeowners Association in January 2009, plus representatives of LB's Veterans Hospital, the LB Area Chamber Commerce and, in the last few weeks, with LB Airport. OCTA also met with some businesses along detour corridors (detour details above).

• The agency also distributed door hangers in the area

• Regarding detours, Ms. Byrne said OCTA has been coordinating directly with LB's City Traffic Engineers office for well over a year to develop the detours.

As previously reported by LBReport.com 3rd dist. Councilman Gary DeLong used email to spread the word about the upcoming Kettering meeting to neighborhood groups.

"Attached is a flyer I received from the Orange County Transportation Authority earlier today," he emailed some 3rd dist. neighborhood group leaders on or about March 4-5 "Since this closure will impact your neighborhood, you may wish to attend the community meeting on March 12th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Kettering Elementary School. I would also suggest that you forward this information along to your neighbors."

A few hours after LBReport.com moved its story, the office of 4th dist. Councilman Patrick O'Donnell sent out an email blast:

Good afternoon! The office of Councilmember Patrick O'Donnell would like to inform you of an upcoming project that may have significant impact on local street traffic. The West County Connectors (WCC) project is currently in final design and will commence construction in early 2010. Construction will take place at the intersection of the 22, 405 and 605 freeways, and will add an additional carpool lane and carpool lane connectors. During construction the northbound 405 to eastbound [typo, actually westbound] 22 (7th Street Bridge) will be closed for approximately 1 year, which will detour traffic onto neighboring streets. Our office was just informed that a public meeting will be taking place this Thursday at Kettering Elementary School. At this meeting, the construction schedule and detour information will be discussed.

The meeting will take place as follows:

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time: 6:00- 8:00 p.m.
Location: Kettering Elementary School- 550 Silvera Avenue

Councilman O'Donnell's email also included details from OCTA's website.

Ms. Byrne said OCTA bought paid ads in the Press-Telegram and Gazette newspapers to reach the public about the upcoming Kettering meeting. To our knowledge, neither outlet has yet reported the story as newsworthy on its newspages; as of this afternoon (March 10), we saw no ads for the meeting on either of the outlets' websites.

LBReport.com, which has been in continual commercial operation in Long Beach for almost nine years, is in the process of making a Public Records Act to OCTA to obtain information on how much public money OCTA spent on its print ads.

LBReport.com Community Correspondent Daryl Supernaw uncovered the story which LBReport.com broke this morning. We received no press releases or other contacts from OCTA or Caltrans on the matter.

OCTA has agreed to add LBReport.com to its media distribution list for future press releases.

Further to follow on LBReport.com.

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