The City of Costa Mesa has set a transportation goal of “A balanced, inclusive, uncongested, safe and energy-efficient system.” In support of this goal and as part of an ongoing General Plan update, the City commissioned this Multi-Purpose Trails Master Plan to define walking and cycling infrastructure improvements consistent with SB 375’s Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) and to help promote active transportation within the City and region.
This plan specifically addresses cycling and walking connections between two existing popular trails, the Santa Ana River Trail at the western city limit and the Bayview Trail along Newport Bay to the east. The need for improved connections through this corridor was identified by previous planning studies, including the 2009 OCTA Commuter Bikeways Strategic Plan (2009).

Potential routes were defined by the City along flood control channels, as well as along Adams Avenue between existing paths at Fairview Park and Harbor Boulevard, especially focusing on access to Orange Coast College (OCC), the nexus of the study area. The KTU+A team was tasked with determining the best alternative in support of the City’s transportation goals. Since this plan represents an important step in identifying community needs and concerns related to cycling and walking, two general public meetings addressed each half of the study area, as well as a meeting with OCC design students to review active transportation planning projects they have developed for the campus area.

This Multi-Purpose Trails Master Plan was funded by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) through a Sustainability Program grant.