Warner Avenue improvements

Warner Avenue is a regionally significant arterial roadway, providing east-west travel through the City. To enhance safety, mobility and overall quality of life in the neighborhood, the City is Santa Ana proposes to improve and widen the 1-mile segment of Warner Avenue from Main Street to Grand Avenue from four to six lanes. When completed, the proposed improvements will improve pedestrian and bicycle mobility and safety while creating a consistent major arterial facility as designated in the City’s General Plan Circulation Element and in the County of Orange’s Master Plan of Arterial Highways. The recommended alignment was selected to maximize benefits while minimizing overall impacts to the community.

Project objectives

The proposed scope for Warner Avenue Improvements and Widening project from Main Street to Grand Avenue includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorist.
Reduce traffic congestion and provide traffic calming.
Improve storm water drainage, water quality, and air quality.
Undergrounding of utilities.
Greater public access with ADA improvements and dedicated bike lanes.
Compliance with Complete Streets Act (accommodates all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists).
Enhanced community beautification with significant public investment.

Project benefits

The proposed improvements have been designed utilizing Complete Streets principals to provide safe, comfortable, and convenient travel for all users – pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists.

Safety: The narrow travel lanes and raised median will deter speeding through the project segment; Landscape parkways will provide a safe buffer between pedestrians and motorists; Bicyclists will travel in a designated bike lane instead of mixing flow with vehicles and pedestrians; Safety enhancement are proposed at the rail road crossing; Collisions are potentially reduced with controlled left movements and improved traffic flow.
Accessibility: Installation of wider sidewalks, ADA compliant curb ramps, and bike lanes will greatly improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Traffic Flow: In the year 2020 this segment of Warner Avenue is projected to have a level of service (LOS ) rating of “F” (a road in a constant traffic jam). However, with the proposed improvements, the segment will operate at a LOS “A” (free flow traffic).
Widening the roadway will also eliminate the existing bottleneck occurring at both ends of the project limits where six lanes merge to four lanes. Ultimately, the proposed Warner Avenue improvements will provide safe mobility for all users while improving traffic flow.

Documents for public review and comments

After careful consideration of public input obtained from the two open house meetings and the Scoping Meeting, the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) was prepared and available for a 45-day public review period beginning on January 12, 2015. All interested parties were invited to submit written comments on these documents until February 26, 2015.

Public meetings

Past meetings

May 22, 2012 - Open House Meeting to provide background and gather feedback
June 12, 2012 - Presentation to South Main Business Association
July 10, 2012 - Open House Meeting to obtain comments and feedback
October 18, 2012 - Scoping Meeting to discuss CEQA and EIR process
February 13, 2013 - Meeting with Cherry Aerospace
May 13, 2013 - ETAC Meeting
February 3, 2015 - Public Meeting to present the Draft EIR and gather comments
February 7, 2015 - Public Meeting to present the Draft EIR and gather comments
April 8, 2015 - Meeting with various coalitions (Santa Ana Active Streets, Equity for All, and others) to go over project information and right-of-way process
April 29, 2015 - Q&A Session at a special meeting called by the Delhi Neighborhood Association
May 21, 2015 - Provided updated information and right of way process to the Delhi Neighborhood Association at their regular scheduled neighborhood meeting
June 18, 2015 - Provided updated information and right of way process to the Delhi Neighborhood Association at their regular scheduled neighborhood meeting
July 23, 2015 - Provided updated information Delhi Neighborhood Association and other interested parties
September 1, 2015 - City Council adopted the Environmental Impact Report
June 8, 2017 – Provided updated information to Delhi Neighborhood Association and other interested parties
October 24, 2017 – Provide updated information to Delhi Neighborhood Association and other interested parties
April 17, 2018 – Council meeting for Relocation Plan Warner Phase 1.
April 25, 2018 - Provided updated information to the Delhi Neighborhood Association
October 16, 2018 – Council meeting for Underground Utility District No. 37 Establishment
July 17, 2019 - Provided updated information to the Delhi Neighborhood Association
January 29, 2020 - Provided updated information to the Delhi Neighborhood Association
February 18, 2020 – Council meeting for Relocation Plan Warner Phase 2. Relocation plan is available here
November 30, 2020 – Provided updated information to the Delhi Neighborhood Association. Presentation is available here
June 28, 2021 – Provided updated information to the Delhi Neighborhood Association. Presentation is available here

Project schedule

Check out our Capital Improvement Program webpage to find out about the project schedule.