CMABS News: November 14, 2024
Hey everyone! As always there is a lot happening to make our streets better in Costa Mesa. Let’s dive in ⤵️
Join us for our election post mortem meet-up at Green Cheek Beer Co., November 18 at 5pm!
Phew. These elections have given us a lot to digest when it comes to the future of active transportation. Want to debrief with some fellow safe streets advocates? If so, come hang with us this Monday, November 18th at 5pm at Green Cheek Beer Co. in Costa Mesa for a post-election social. Remember that parking is crazy tight so consider riding a bike, taking the bus (OCTA Route 55 to Baker/Century will get you close), carpooling, or Ubering. Look for the CMABS sign–we’ll be in the back of the outdoor patio! And bundle up because it could get a touch chilly.
The election is over! Who won?
The votes are still dribbling in but we have a pretty good sense of who won most of the Costa Mesa City Council seats, as well as the seats for state and federal representatives. Obviously Republican Donald Trump won the US Presidency and Democratic US Representative Adam Schiff will take over Diane Feinstein’s old seat in the Senate, defeating Republican and former MLB player Steve Garvey. At the local level, Democrat Dave Min has secured a very narrow victory over Republican Scott Baugh in the 48th US Congressional District, Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris will retain her seat as the State Assembly Representative for the 73rd District, and Republican Steve Choi will take over the 37th District State Senate seat from the outgoing Min, defeating quasi-incumbent Democrat Josh Newman (Newman was running in effectively a new district following redistricting).
As for the City Council races, three of the races are effectively decided: John Stephens is on track to maintain his Mayor’s seat, while Loren Gameros has also won re-election in an uncontested race. Mike Buley has almost certainly prevailed in District 1 over challenger and current Chair of the Planning Commission Adam Ereth.
District 6, however, remains too close to call. Jeff Pettis currently leads incumbent and Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Harlan by 97 votes, and the margin continues to tighten with each successive ballot drop. So keep an eye on this race: it might not be decided until Thanksgiving.
Micromobility America comes to Costa Mesa
We were a bit late to this one but Micromobility America will be holding its annual conference at the OC Fairgrounds today and tomorrow, November 14th and November 15th. This is an industry showcase of all things small and electric, from scooters to e-bikes to NEVs. If you have some time (and some $$ - tickets are pricey) it might be worth checking out!
Join Lillördag - Costa Mesa’s weekly social bike ride!
When? Every Wednesday Night
@6:15pm meet up
@6:30pm ride begins
Where? Lions Park in Costa Mesa, meet by the bathrooms on 18th street
What? Casual/Party pace bike ride, 10-15 mile rides around the area. 🚨Bring lights! 🚨
There is a City Council meeting on November 19, 2024, one day after our general meeting. At this time there is no agenda, but based on the City Notices page, we expect a report on Traffic Impact Fees to be part of that meeting. Keep an eye on the city’s Legistar page for updates.
Public Works adds RFBs to the Avenue of the Arts and completes a Class II bike lane on Santa Ana Avenue
The updates are small but mighty: first, Public Works added rectangular rapid flashing beacons, a.k.a. RFBs, a.k.a. “blinky pedestrian lights” to the midblock crosswalk on the Avenue of the Arts near Anton Boulevard. This area sees surges of pedestrian traffic around showtimes at the nearby Segerstrom Center and due to other events, so this is a great update!
Public Works also restriped Santa Ana Avenue south of E. 17th Street to include green painted Class II bike lanes (with huge buffers to help narrow the lanes) and added a four-way stop at Santa Ana and Ogle Street. This stretch sees a lot of speeding so we hope the 4-way stop will help!
That’s all for now. Have a great week!
