Re: Portola Class 2 bikeway and SB 261 Toll Road in Irvine

[Jim Baross]

Bill asked below. This response is going wider to maybe pedal-up others action.

The CT District down here in San Diego (13?) holds a walk-bike public forum several times a year. Does your District?

Attend it ... 

or lobby a legislator to get one going.

Learn the people. 

Speak up. 

Find who to follow up with. 

Follow up 

Jim Baross

On Sun, Aug 3, 2025, 4:17 PM William Sellin <wase...@gmail.com> wrote:

Can anyone get Caltrans to address this Class 2 intersections with the 261 Toll Road southbound (exit and entrance) from Portola?

Irvine’s Class 2 bikeway should be a priority over the Toll Road Authority / CalTrans highway.

The eastbound Bike Lane should be extended over the conflict / weave zone and along the left of the right turn only lane to the entrance.

Best Practices of the Complete Streets toolkit should extend the bike lane across the entrance and exit from the toll road, 

and the current standard green bike lane marking should be applied.  

Portola is a heavily used bikeway and the application of paint would make this major gateway into Irvine’s bike friendly city should be a high priority.

Respectfully, but getting frustrated with 5 months of no response... 

Bill Sellin 
714.943.3678
WASe...@gmail.com

Infrastructure Review Committee

OCBike.org

Area Liaison to Caltrans District 12

CABOBike.org

League of American Bicyclists
Certified Bicycle Advocate

On Mar 3, 2025, at 12:47 PM, William Sellin <wase...@gmail.com> wrote:

For your consideration;

The Portola’s Class 2 bikeway west the 261 toll road is worth marking, 

and of course, with the current best practices complete streets treatment with extensions across the RTOL weave as well as across the entrance and exit intersections.

Current lane eastbound marking results in cyclist taking the #3 travel lane, or proceeding illegally through the RTOL - either corking up turning traffic or riding the gutter and being set up for high speed right hooks from the RTOL.

The west bound conflict across the high speed exit makes for a long conflict zone for cyclists proceeding westbound and would be supported with an extension.

<Portola Class 2 Comstock to 261.png>

The City of Irvine is adding green highlights to bike lane and weave / conflict zones and the failure of Caltrans to consistently use the State’s own best practice / complete streets marking

where regional bikeways are broken by highways is obvious here and at other intersections across Orange County.

Please let us know if Caltrans has plans to connect this gap in the regional Class 2 bikeway created by the 261 highway interchange.

Respectfully,

 

Bill Sellin 
714.943.3678
WASe...@gmail.com

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Infrastructure Review Committee

      OCBike.org

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Area Liaison to Caltrans District 12

      CABOBike.org