A group pushing a controversial initiative to reduce traffic in Oxnard by limiting development turned in petitions Wednesday, hoping to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

Two boxes of petitions supporting the Oxnard Traffic Initiative were delivered to City Hall shortly after 8:30 a.m., City Clerk Daniel Martinez said.

The group estimated it collected 7,560 signatures, Martinez said. For the measure to qualify for the ballot, there must be 5,977 verified voters' signatures, or 10 percent of those registered in the city, Martinez said.

Proponents failed to get 8,964 signatures, or 15 percent, required for a special election in June — a previously stated goal.

Councilman Tim Flynn, who is spearheading the initiative, said backers consciously decided against a special election because it would have cost taxpayers a lot more money. Also, the city's general elections, held every other November, draw more voters to the polls, he said.

"We wanted to keep our options open," Flynn said.

About 50 people have contacted the City Clerk's Office, asking to remove their names from the petitions, Martinez said.

Opponents seized on that by saying it shows growing disillusionment with the initiative once the facts are spelled out.

"That's pretty telling about the support for the traffic initiative itself," said Tom Cady, chairman of Citizens for a Safe & Prosperous Oxnard, an ad-hoc group of business and development interests fighting the proposal.

Opponents argue that the initiative is a no-growth measure that does nothing to fix traffic. City officials say it will rob the city of $359 million in developer fees, money that can be used to fix congestion.

Supporters dispute the assertion.

The petitions now go to Ventura County's Elections Division, where workers will start a labor-intensive process of verifying signatures.

If approved, the initiative would apply to residential proposals of six or more homes or commercial projects exceeding 5,000 square feet within five miles of deficient intersections.

Traffic engineers rate intersections from A to F. The initiative would prohibit development near intersections rated D or F unless congestion problems are fixed. If no solution is available, a proposed development would have to be approved by voters.

The initiative does not spell out who is responsible for improving intersections.

If supporters get the required number of signatures, Martinez has 30 days to take the initiative to the City Council.

Council members then can ask for a report on the matter, which would take another 30 days; approve the initiative as law; or vote to put it on the ballot.