NEWPORT BEACH

City officials said allowing two-way traffic on 21st Street may help drivers travel through the snarl of streets called the “Mixmaster.” The City Council at tonight’s meeting will discuss a recommendation by Public Works Director Don Webb to improve traffic flow, pedestrian safety and access to McFadden Square. For years, thousands of visitors to the peninsula have struggled to find a way to the beach, boardwalk and pier. There is seemingly no logical way to travel from the main thoroughfare, Newport Boulevard, to the top tourist spots. On summer days, U-turning, neck-craning, map-reading tourists clog the streets. The efforts to improve traffic are part of a bigger plan to revitalize the Balboa Peninsula. The traffic project would cost the city about $395,000. The City Council will meet in a study session at 4 this afternoon at City Hall, 3300 Newport Blvd.