Our View: While commuters stuck in long lines getting on and off freeways might not see it yet, progress is being made on the traffic front.

The quiet, uneventful City Council meetings of recent years -- which stand in stark contrast to the tumultuous days experienced in 2000 and 2001 -- make it appear that residents have few complaints about life in Temecula anymore.

Another measure of the level of satisfaction in a city is the number of people who step forward to challenge incumbents in an election. Only one person -- local businessman James Stewart -- came forward this year to take on three sitting council members. While Stewart offers a few valid criticisms of the council, we find no reason for voters to alter course and urge them to re-elect Ron Roberts and Jeff Comerchero, and to give Maryann Edwards a full term.

Roberts and Comerchero have served the city well in their combined 23 years on the council. Roberts, a retired CHP officer, has been the city's chief liaison to a variety of regional agencies and helped make sure cities' interests aren't steamrolled in favor of some nebulous "greater good," and watched out for Temecula in particular. While some have questioned his role as a member of county Supervisor Jeff Stone's staff, we have yet to see any sort of conflict arise and see value to having a set of eyes and ears on the county's day-to-day activities.

Comerchero's role as president of one of the largest development companies in the area -- the Rancon Group -- has also raised some eyebrows. Yet, he assumed that role after the bulk of development issues in the city were settled, and has been very aware of the line between his private and public jobs. Comerchero was a driving force behind the development of the Children's Museum and the community theater, helping breathe new life into Old Town, and sees the city's focus turning toward even more cultural opportunities.

Edwards was appointed to the council when Stone won his supervisor's seat two years ago, but she is hardly a newcomer to the community. A 17-year resident, she served on the Traffic/Public Safety Commission, then after losing a council bid in 1999, was elected to the Temecula school board two years later. A tireless champion of the community, Edwards jokingly -- but accurately -- calls herself a "professional volunteer." Her connections to the school district have helped mend strained relations there, and her boundless energy and enthusiasm for the city set the bar high for the rest of the council.

With Temecula's growth spurt essentially behind it, the attention of city leaders in recent years has been primarily and appropriately trained on improving the so-called "quality of life" for residents. Chief among those issues is and has long been traffic, and while commuters stuck in long lines getting on and off freeways might not see it yet, progress is being made. It's just that progress -- especially when the state and federal governments are key players in it -- can be excruciatingly slow.

In recent years, money has been set aside and acquired for a new freeway interchange at the north end of town, and plans are moving ahead to rebuild the Highway 79 South interchange. So are plans for two "bypasses" to funnel traffic around the city to the east and west, with potentially even a new interchange south of town.

These major developments did not happen in a vacuum. They came about because of the efforts of a strong staff and leadership of a city council intent on improving the quality of life in Temecula, and with the courage to challenge the status quo, even suing to force the county to change the way it does business with developers.

Returning Roberts, Comerchero and Edwards to the City Council is the best way to assure that progress continues unabated.