What Do YOU Think: Would a Toll Road to Trestles Destroy San Onofre?

September 14, 2007 Uncategorized 9

 

“We’re not buying their pronouncements,” he said. “They have a history of pollution on the San Joaquin Hills (toll road). Their filters failed, and the public had to pick up the tab. 

That’s Dan Silver, executive director of the Endangered Habitats League, talking to The Register about his lack of faith in TCA’s proposal to prevent runoff from the proposed Foothill-South 241 Toll Road Extenstion from reaching Trestles beach. Apparently, the agency in charge of the toll roads has promised us yet again that they have a plan to keep Trestles (and San Mateo Creek) clean. However, they made this same promise when they proposed building the San Joaquin Hills (73) Toll Road through Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. And what happened there? Just sayin’…

OK, I should stop blathering now and let YOU spesk your mind. Do YOU think the 241 can be extended to San Onofre in an “environmentally sensitive” way? Or are they on track to not just break another promise, but also break the law?

I want to hear what you have to say, so please tell me what you think about TCA’s plan to deal with runoff prom the proposed Toll Road to Trestles.

Go ahead. Make my day. Fire away, and have your say! 🙂

9 Comments

  2. This is asked sincerely,

    If we don’t build a new road in South County, how would you alleviate the traffic?

    Overlay a map of San Fransisco over Orange County and you will see why what works in SF will not work here.

    I can understand they may be proposing the road in the bad location – so tell us where it should be built.

  3. good question amigo—– the populations on all of SC’s coastlines as predicted for many years have increased dramatically. OC Gov bodies at all levels refuses to regulate growth, period. The problem is gov created and sponsored because in this highly conservative area in which we live developers and the allied trades coupt our democracy. It’s hard to hear that but a brief examination of the secy of state’s records on donations to pol candidates bears that out time and again. We will jam every last home buying human that our developer/construction/real estate/republican masters want in here. So…… get used to traffic, crime, crap and pollution….. there is almost nothing that can be done until as Wendall Barry wrote– we address the root causes…. In my view we never will. Saying that we need more roads to accomidate increased traffic flow is like saying I am fat– I must do something about it…I will buy bigger pants….. sorry about the bad news but that’s the way it is…. I was born and raised here and loved it for most of the last 60 years…it’s better days are over sad to say…. the truth is because of our lame stewardship we deserve this…

  4. Oh—– of course the other answer is widen the I 5………muuuuuuuuch wider…….. and look for bigger pants because our masters want us muuuuuuuch fatter…

  5. DP & buck-

    Good question. Now here’s my answer: BEGIN BY CONNECTING THE 73 TO THE 241 AT THE 5/73 INTERCHANGE. We’ll then have a “toll road beltway”, and we’ll actually have a use for the 73. Now doesn’t that sound smarter than a silly toll road to nowhere?

    Also, how about investing in smarter transit options? How about expanding Metrolink service in South County AND running more OCTA Express Bus Lines to Metrolink stations? That might actually ENCOURAGE MORE PEOPLE TO GET OFF THE FREEWAYS! Ha!

    Now doesn’t that all sound better than a silly toll road to nowhere?

  6. OK, how about this for an answer:

    1. Extend the 241 to the 5/73 interchange, and create a “beltway” by connecting the 73 to the 241.

    2. Expand Metrolink rail service in South County.

    3. Create more express bus lines to Metrolink stations.

    4. Make all new developments “smart growth” developments that are close to work and shopping and transit (ie Metrolink stations and/or express bus lines).

    Not only is that a short-term solution for the 241, but that’s also a longer-term solution for getting more people off the freeways. Now doesn’t that sound smart?

  8. I used the 73 toll road a few weeks ago, paid the $2 toll, and got a “notice of toll evasion” today. This is bogus, they have me on video camera putting in $2 (it’s clear the money went in), the machine confirmed it, and I have a witness.

    I thought these people were pretty professional, but apparently when it comes to other peoples money they won’t bother to check a simple video. The fine is $47.50 plus $2 they want me to pay a second time. $97 if not paid in 1 week. That’s not a lot of money to me, but they have no right to ask for it.

    The only thing I can think of that would explain this is if the machine considered us a second car, with the “previous car” also being us. It did take some time to find clean bills for the machine to use. Again, video surveillance would make this obvious.

    In any case, they have right in front of them the proof that I paid. This is theft through incompetence, plain and simple.

  9. Build the road.

    Study after study has debunked the environmentalists’ pseudo-science – This road will not damage “sensitive ecosystems”, and even if it did, who is more important – people or frogs???

    The “light rail” and other mass-transit boondoggles have not panned out for Californians. We prefer our cars and probably always will. As more people move to this area, we will need more and better roads. If we don’t build to keep up with our population growth, we’ll become a “third-world county” (I just returned from Manila, Philippines, and if you haven’t seen the traffic there, trust me you won’t like it!)

    Build the road!

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