NEWPORT BEACH

The City Council will review proposed changes to the controversial traffic phasing ordinance on Dec. 14, hoping the changes won’t leave either environmentalists or developers feeling sideswiped.

Used as a tool for managing growth, reducing congestion and paying for road improvements, the ordinance was drafted by environmentalists in the late 1970s, but has since become vulnerable to legal challenges.

When a project increases traffic at a signaled intersection by more than 300 trips a day, the ordinance takes effect. Its purpose is to keep intersections operating at or below 90% of capacity.

The problem with the ordinance is that developers are required to improve an intersection only when a project causes it to exceed 90% of its capacity, despite the fact that many previous projects contributed to the decline of the intersection.