Mobility Element

This Mobility Element is the City’s blueprint for moving people, goods, and resources throughout the community. Moving beyond mere functionality, the City seeks to improve the quality of life in Santa Ana by providing more complete streets, offering ways to be more active, and conserving our natural resources. In planning the city’s transportation system for the 21st century, the City is also making our community safer, more affordable, and more livable.

Santa Ana is a city in motion. Santa Ana’s circulation system of over 500 miles of roads keeps this thriving city of over 335,000 people on the move. Yet each of us thinks about our transportation choices in very different ways. For youth, it is about walking or biking to a school, a park, or a friend’s home. For adults, it is about getting safely and conveniently around Santa Ana or making sure children are safe in their travels. For commerce, it is about ensuring access to goods, services, and customers to improve business opportunities.

Santa Ana’s circulation system has been a vital part of its history, dating back to 1869 when the city was originally founded. At that time, the circulation system consisted primarily of dirt roads that connected agricultural fields and farms to the shops and post office. In the 1880s, the Southern Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railroad brought rail transportation to the community, opening it to commerce and housing development. Seventy-five years later, freeways were constructed and later expanded, which provided convenient access for Santa Ana residents and businesses to the greater metropolitan area.

Santa Ana’s circulation system continued to evolve, with added commuter rail and transit routes not only offering options for getting around without a car, but also making Santa Ana the transit and rail hub of Orange County. Looking forward, the City will continue to advance mobility through the OC Streetcar and significant investments in bikeways and pedestrian infrastructure.

Other City planning documents related to circulation are the Alternative Transportation, Safe Mobility, Safe Routes to School, and Street Standard plans.

Through the community engagement process for this General Plan, participants identified numerous circulation and mobility considerations and values that they believe should form the basis of and be addressed by this element. Specifically, participants highlighted the following topics, areas of concern, and community strengths:

• Increase the amount of active transportation opportunities
• Alleviate parking congestion in commercial areas and neighborhoods
• Improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Expand the availability and frequency of transit
• Address high traffic speeds and congestion

A comprehensive and multimodal circulation system that facilitates the safe and efficient movement of people, enhances commerce, and promotes a sustainable community.

• Policy M-1.1
  Safety
  Achieve zero fatalities from traffic collisions through education, enforcement, and infrastructure design.
  
• Policy M-1.2
  Balanced Multimodal Network
  Provide a balanced and equitable multimodal circulation network that reflects current and changing needs.
  
• Policy M-1.3
  Traffic Management Systems
  Utilize technology to efficiently move people and vehicles and manage motor vehicle speeds.
  
• Policy M-1.4
  Motor vehicle level of service
  Maintain at least a vehicle level of service “D” for intersections of arterial streets, except in areas planned for high intensity development or traffic safety projects.
  
• Policy M-1.5
  Multimodal Level of Service
  Ensure that new development and City projects maintain or improve the current level of service for all modes of transportation.
  
• Policy M-1.6
  Complete streets
  Transform travelways to accommodate all users through street design and amenities, such as sidewalks, trees, landscaping, street furniture, and bus shelters.
  
• Policy M-1.7
  Proactive Mitigation
  Proactively mitigate existing and new potential air quality, noise, congestion, safety, and other impacts from the transportation network on residents and business, especially in environmental justice communities.
  
• Policy M-1.8
  Environmental Sustainability
  Consider air and water quality, noise reduction, neighborhood character, and street-level aesthetics when making improvements to travelways.
  
• Policy M-1.9
  Regional Consistency
  Ensure the street network is consistent with standards set in the OCTA Master Plan of Arterial Highways and the Congestion Management Program.
  
• Policy M-1.10
  Intergovernmental Coordination
  Collaborate with federal, state, SCAG, OCTA, rail authorities, and other agencies to fund and improve the regional transportation system.
  
• Policy M-1.11
  Emerging Services
  Promote the development of innovative and safe travel and delivery services through partnerships with business and industry leaders.
  

An integrated system of travelways that connects the city to the region, employment centers, and key destinations, making Santa Ana the leader in regional transportation.

• Policy M-2.1
  interstate Freeways
  Support Caltrans and OCTA efforts to improve freeway safety, while addressing impacts to neighborhoods.
  
• Policy M-2.2
  Transit Services
  Support OCTA, Caltrans, and other regional and local transportation providers to enhance existing transit services to provide residents, workers and visitors with safe, affordable, accessible, convenient, reliable, and attractive transit services.
  
• Policy M-2.3
  Regional Transportation Center
  Continue to promote and develop the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC) as a major transportation hub linking Amtrak, Metrolink, the OC Streetcar, other regional systems, and first and last mile connections.
  
• Policy M-2.4
  Commuter Rail
  Support the expansion of commuter rail services and Santa Ana’s role as a destination along the Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor.
  
• Policy M-2.5
  OC Streetcar
  Support development and expansion of the OC Streetcar project, connecting neighborhoods, employment centers, and Downtown Santa Ana to activity centers in Orange County.
  
• Policy M-2.6
  High frequency transit corridors
  Work with OCTA to support the improvement of transit opportunity corridors to facilitate high frequency transit (e.g., bus rapid transit and other modes) along designated corridors in Santa Ana.
  
• Policy M-2.7
  Regional Mobility Access
  Enhance access to regional transit, including first and last mile connections, to encourage the use of public transit.
  
• Policy M-2.8
  Grade Separations
  Encourage the installation and improvement of grade separations at rail crossings that minimize impacts to adjacent properties and nonmotorized users.
  
• Policy M-2.9
  Goods Movement
  Maintain a network of truck routes limited to arterial streets to allow for goods movement and protect residential neighborhoods from adverse impacts.
  

A safe, balanced, and integrated network of travelways for nonmotorized modes of transportation that connects people to activity centers, inspiring healthy and active lifestyles.

• Policy M-3.1
  Nonmotorized Travelway Network
  Expand and maintain a citywide network of nonmotorized travelways within both the public and private realms that create linkages between neighborhoods, recreational amenities, schools, employment centers, neighborhood serving commercial, and activity centers.
  
• Policy M-3.2
  Nonmotorized Travelway Amenities
  Enhance nonmotorized travelways with amenities such as landscaping, shade trees, lighting, benches, crosswalks, rest stops, bicycle parking, and support facilities that promote a pleasant and safe experience.
  
• Policy M-3.3
  Safe Routes to Schools and Parks
  Lead the development and implementation of safe routes to schools and parks by partnering with the school districts, residents, property owners, and community stakeholders.
  
• Policy M-3.4
  Regional Coordination
  Coordinate development of the City’s active transportation and transit network with adjacent jurisdictions, OCTA, and other appropriate agencies.
  
• Policy M-3.5
  Education and Encouragement
  Encourage active transportation choices through education, special events, and programs.
  
• Policy M-3.6
  Transit Connectivity
  Enhance first and last mile connectivity to transit facilities through safe, accessible, and convenient linkages.
  
• Policy M-3.7
  Complete Streets Design
  Enhance streets to facilitate safe walking, bicycling, and other nonmotorized forms of transportation through community participatory design.
  
• Policy M-3.8
  Santa Ana River and Golden Loop
  Proactively pursue the improvement and restoration of the Santa Ana River natural habitat and the completion of the Golden Loop to serve as a multiuse recreational amenity.
  
• Policy M-3.9
  Neighborhood Traffic
  Develop innovative strategies to calm neighborhood traffic, increase safety, and eliminate collisions, while also maintaining access for emergency response.
  

Coordinated transportation planning efforts with land use and design strategies that encourage sustainable development and achieve broader community goals.

• Policy M-4.1
  Intense Development Areas
  Program multimodal transportation and public realm improvements that support new development in areas along transit corridors and areas planned for high intensity development.
  
• Policy M-4.2
  Project Review
  Encourage active transportation, transit use, and connectivity through physical improvements and public realm amenities identified during the City’s Development Review process.
  
• Policy M-4.3
  Transportation Management
  Coordinate with OCTA, employers, and developers to utilize TDM (transportation demand management) strategies and education to reduce vehicle trips and parking demands.
  
• Policy M-4.4
  Fair Share Impacts
  Ensure that all development projects pay their fair share of the system improvements necessary to accommodate the transportation needs of their projects.
  
• Policy M-4.5
  Land Use Development Design
  Ensure that building placement and design features create a desirable and active streetscape, by prioritizing pedestrian access directly from the street and placing parking lots to the rear of a development site.
  
• Policy M-4.6
  Roadway Capacity Alternatives
  Promote reductions in automobile trips and vehicle miles traveled by encouraging transit use and nonmotorized transportation as alternatives to augmenting roadway capacity.
  
• Policy M-4.7
  Parking
  Explore and implement a flexible menu of parking options and other strategies to efficiently coordinate the response to parking demands.
  
• Policy M-4.8
  Noise Mitigation
  Encourage physical and operational improvements to reduce noise levels around major roads, freeways, and rail corridors, in particular around sensitive land uses.
  
• Policy M-4.9
  Air Pollution Mitigation
  Utilize land use, building, site planning, and technology solutions to mitigate exposure to transportation-related air pollution, especially in environmental justice focus areas.
  

A transportation system that is attractive, safe, state-of-the-art, and supports community, environmental, and conservation goals.

• Policy M-5.1
  Enhanced Street Design
  Improve the beauty, character, and function of travelways with amenities such as landscaped parkways and medians, bike lanes, public art, and other amenities.
  
• Policy M-5.2
  Rail Corridors
  Coordinate with rail service providers to improve and maintain the aesthetics of rail corridors, reduce noise levels, and mitigate traffic conflicts and other environmental hazards.
  
• Policy M-5.3
  Travel Views
  Promote the undergrounding of utilities and the reduction of visual clutter along travelways.
  
• Policy M-5.4
  Green Streets
  Leverage opportunities along streets and public rights-of-way to improve water quality through use of landscaping, permeable pavement, and other best management practices.
  
• Policy M-5.5
  Street Design
  Design and retrofit streets based on their combined land use context and road function to achieve safety objectives.
  
• Policy M-5.6
  Clean Fuels and Vehicles
  Encourage the use of alternative fuel vehicles and mobility technologies through the installation of supporting infrastructure.
  
• Policy M-5.7
  Infrastructure Condition
  Enhance travelway safety by maintaining streets, alleys, bridges, sidewalks, lighting, and other transportation infrastructure in excellent condition.
  
• Policy M-5.8
  Traffic Safety
  Prioritize the safety of all travelway users when designing transportation improvement and rehabilitation projects.n.
  

Each policy in the City of Santa Ana General Plan is listed under the most related goal and element. Some policies, however, also reinforce other goals housed in different elements.

To provide a more complete picture of all of the policies that support the goals of this element, Table M-1 lists each Mobility goal in the far left column and, in columns to the right, identifies related policy numbers from other elements.

Goal M-2, for example, is supported not only by the policies in this element (M-1.1 through M-5.8), but also by Policy CN-3.11 in the Conservation Element, Policy N-1.3 in the Noise Element, Policy S-2.3 in the Safety Element, and Policy UD-7.5 in the Urban Design Element.

An implementation plan is a coordinated series of actions the City desires to take in the future that are intended to advance, over the long term, the City’s Shared Vision, Core Values, and the General Plan goals and policies. An implementation plan is thus a follow-up measure for this element. Taken as a whole, these programs represent the City’s best thinking today on what actions should be taken to address the considerations and concerns of the community and make sure that the plan’s aspirations are achieved.

Implementation is in large part contingent upon adequate funding. Many of these actions can be pursued through initiatives already underway. Other programs will require additional resources. Therefore, the exact mix and timing of programs the City may pursue will in part be opportunity driven, dependent on the availability of funding, staffing, and other necessary resources. The Time Frame in the Implementation Table below is the target for completion of the Action.

This element may be implemented by amendments to existing plans, ordinances, development standards and design guidelines; capital investments/projects; and interagency/interjurisdictional coordination. The following table identifies the implementation action, the responsible City agency, and targeted timeline for accomplishment.