Welcome to District 12 Orange County

What is being planned?
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), District 12 Orange County, is proposing to improve mobility and enhance safety on the State Route 22 (SR-22) freeway. The alternatives for the proposed West Orange County Connection project may include Transportation System Management (TSM)/Expanded Bus Service, High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes and direct connectors, and/or a direct arterial link from SR-22 to downtown Santa Ana via OCTA's Pacific Electric right-of-way. SR-22 is one of only two east/west freeways in Orange County. Because of its unique location, it crosses most of the major north/south freeways and arterial corridors in central Orange County and consequently has become a vital link in providing mobility to Orange County residents, employees, and visitors. As a result of increased population and travel, it does not have the sufficient capacity to handle the current and future traffic demands.

Why a hearing?
Caltrans is holding two Public Hearings to afford residents along the SR-22 corridor and interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposed project. Feedback received from these meetings will assist Caltrans in finding the best solutions to operationally improve SR-22. It is anticipated the public feedback from these hearings will assist Caltrans and the Orange County Transportation Authority in finding the best solutions to operationally improve SR-22 through the effectiveness of cooperative planning.

When and where for the hearings?

Wednesday, September 26, 2001
5:30pm - 7:30pm
OCTA
Garden Grove Community Center
11300 Stanford Avenue
Garden Grove, CA 92863

Wednesday, October 3, 2001
5:30pm - 7:30pm
OCTA
600 South Main Street
Orange, CA 92863

How long is the public comment period?
There will be approximately a 60-day public review period for this project, from August 31, 2001 to October 30, 2001.

Where is the environmental document available for review?
The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement (DEIR/EIS), as well as the technical reports will be available for review at the following locations beginning August 31, 2001:

Caltrans District 12 Office Orange County Transportation Authority
3347 Michelson Drive Suite 100 550 South Main Street
Irvine, CA 92821 Orange, CA 92863
(949) 724-2000 (714) 560-5422

Santa Ana Public Library Garden Grove Branch Library
26 Civic Center Plaza 11200 Stanford Avenue
Santa Ana, California 92701 Garden Grove, California 92840
(714) 647-5250 (714) 530-0711

The Los Alamitos/Rossmoor Branch Library
12700 Montecito
Seal Beach, CA. 90740
(562) 430-1048

Special Accommodations?
Under Title II of the American with Disabilities Act, Caltrans does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its facilities and services. The public Hearing and parking facilities are wheelchair accessible. Special accommodations such as translation to another language, sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, and other auxiliary aids and/or services may be provided if requested by 5:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, September 14, 2001, by calling Caltrans Public Information Office at (949) 724-2748.

Contacts?
For additional information on the SR-22 West Orange County Connection project, please visit the Caltrans website at www.dot.ca.gov/dist12, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) website at www.octa.net, or call the Caltrans Transportation Helpline at (800) 724-0353 or the Orange County Transportation Hotline at (714) 560-5422.

Comments?
Caltrans encourages interested parties to review the DEIR/EIS and accompanying documents and provide written comments by 5:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time, Friday, October 30, 2001. Comments may be submitted via the Caltrans website (www.dot.ca.gov), or written comments may be submitted at the Public Hearings or by mail to:

Caltrans District 12 Orange County
Attention Division of Planning
c/o Leslie Manderscheid
3337 Michelson Drive, Suite 380
Irvine, CA 92612-8894