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Midtown Specific Plan PLANNING AREA ACCESS At present, primary east.west access to the Midtown planning area is via First Street on the south and Seventeenth Street on the north. Main Street and Broadway provide primary arterial access to the downtown/civic center complex from the north and the south. An "enhanced intersection" has been designated for Seventeenth Street and Main Stree~ and Seventeenth and Broadway, through General Plan Amendment No. 92.9. The intersection improvements will include increasing the number or "tanes at the inlersection approach to increase capacity. The exact configuration of the intersection will be based on detailed traffic and land use analysis. Freeway access to the Midtown area is provided by Interslate 5, either from the Main Street Interchange to the north, or the Seventeenth Street inlerchange to the northeast. Once improvements are complete, access to the planning area from the southeast will be provided by the FirsVFourth Street interchange. Even though competing employment centers have more convenient freeway access, the Midtown area benefits directly from its easy mass transit access. Bus access to the planning area is direct due mostly to the area's location near the Civic Center complex and the location of OCTA's main transit terminal at Broadway and Fifth Streel. Commuter rail access is currently being provided at the Sanla Ana Regional Transportation Center, and bus service Is availabie for direct access to the Midtown area. As described above, bolh METROLlNK and fixed guideway services will be available in the future. The implication for the planning area Is that in the future Its accessibility by rapid transit will be excellenl, which over the long term will increase the attractiveness of the area as a business location, The planning area will also increasingiy benefit adjacent residential neighborhoods with its convenience to jobs, shopping and regional transit VISUAL STRENGIHS AND WEAKNESSES An inventory or Midtown's visual strengths and weaknesses is documenled on Exhibit 4, Visual Strengths and Weaknesses. The following process was employed for this visual assessmenl. The photographic inventory, building survey, and physical constraints mapping of Midlown conducted for Ihe design charette were reviewed 10 gain familiarity with the planning area. . A walking and driving survey was conducted by the consulting team to confirm the inventory dala. , . Chapter 2: Existing Conditions Ordinance NS-2671 a 13