The City of Irvine held a community meeting on March 25 for feedback on street crossing improvements along the Venta Spur Trail in northern Irvine, which currently intersects multiple streets mid-block.
The project plans to add crosswalks with pedestrian-activated signals on Yale Avenue, Eastwood and Westwood, which do not have nearby signalized crossings. As part of a larger effort to better connect the east-west corridor to Irvine’s larger trail network, the study will add to a separate pedestrian bridge project between the Venta Spur and the Jeffrey Open Space Trail, which recently secured federal funding and is in its design phase.
“What pedestrians need to do is go to the nearest intersection and cross there, but a lot of times that doesn’t happen. So they end up crossing at locations where there’s a no crossing sign,” project manager Amir Ainechi said. “It just feels discontinuous.”
Following Transportation Commission review, the crosswalks are planned for completion by winter 2027 and may include more trail signage and curb ramps. The Westwood crossing will be designed to accommodate after-school Sierra Vista Middle School traffic, according to Stantec traffic consultant Keith Rutherford.
“A lot of parents are concerned with students using on-street bicycle lanes, given vehicles being next to the students and speeds,” Ainechi said. “This is an off-street facility, and, to the extent that street crossings can be improved to make them as safe and convenient as possible, I would assume it would be more inviting for students and their parents.”
The city identified Venta Spur connectivity issues, caused by its routing along a former railroad right-of-way, as a top priority in its 2022 Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Prioritization Study. Subsequent city council budget reviews provided funding sourced from developer fees to the bridge over Jeffrey beginning in 2023 and $500,000 for the current crossing improvements in 2025.
While some attendees voiced concerns over increased trail traffic and driver inconvenience due to additional crosswalks, others said the signalized crossings could improve their cycling commutes.
“Currently, I’m having to take more on-street in fairly intense traffic,” Irvine resident and transit activist Alex Lewis said. “I’m having to basically blend school traffic, driving, biking as well as some cut-through traffic from the neighborhoods to the north. The result is, basically, it is very, very hazardous to use the Venta Spur Trail despite it being the most direct route to my work.”
The city’s Public Works and Sustainability Department will complete its preliminary study over the summer, after which it plans to hold another community meeting and finalize designs by winter. Residents are encouraged to provide feedback by emailing Ainechi at [email protected].
