Council Approves Pedestrian-Friendly Plan for Los Rios

Repaving Los Rios Street will likely be the first step in improving traffic flow in San Juan Capistrano's .

Lack of funding, however, may hinder other improvements to the area identified in a $2-million preliminary plan that won the approval of the City Council on Tuesday. 

The plan was pieced together by the merchants and residents of the Los Rios Historic District, the oldest continuously-occupied neighborhood in California.

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The changes identified in the plan aim to make the area more friendly to pedestrians while maintaining two-way traffic on the street, despite a proposal from consultants who suggested restricting vehicular access to one direction.

"This council is obviously very aware of how important Los Rios Street is … we will push staff to apply for outside funding sources," said .

Although there may be some money earmarked in the city's capital improvement budget to repave the district's thoroughfare, city staffers will need to look to grants from other government agencies to fund the other changes. Those include adding more effective speed bumps, directional signs, landscaping, lighting and benches, said Teri Delcamp, San Juan Capistrano's historic preservation manager.

"It’s been 26 years that I’ve been there and that street has not been paved," resident Allan Niccola told the City Council. "There are structural cracks, spider cracks ... when it rains, it undermines the road."

Niccola also said the addition of lights should be a priority. "It’s crucial that we get some lights, it’s very dark on our end of the street ... my family does not feel safe," he said.

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Overall, the consensus among the members of the City Council and its advisory boards is that the area should maintain its rustic feel. Design elements will echo those in .

A final plan with specific cost estimates will be brought back to the council, Delcamp said.