| Did someone read the Caltrans DEIR? |
Pacifica Tribune, Letters to the Editor, 5/7/13. "PH1A opinion" by PH1A members (below)
"Editor: Pacificans
for Highway One Alternatives (PH1A) wishes to express its concerns and
hopes regarding Pacifica government leadership on Highway 1 congestion
options. PH1A is concerned that the City Council, on March 25, refused
to take action to review the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR)
for the Caltrans Highway 1 widening project. Public comments, including
an "Open Letter" to the City Council signed by almost 40 people,
encouraged City Council consideration of the DEIR. Yet the City Council
took no action, despite the number of speakers in favor of thorough City
review of Caltrans' plans. Speakers in favor of review outnumbered
those favoring "no Council action" by approximately 4 to 1. Since that
meeting, individual City Council members have affirmed their commitment
to a full review of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) when it
is released.
PH1A hopes that the City Council will fully and adequately review the FEIR, due to be issued this June. Full review of the FEIR by the Pacifica City Council should include, but not be limited to:
•A review of construction impacts: traffic delay, noise, dust, project duration, impacts on local business, etc. •A review of options to mitigate congestion: --Synchronized and interconnected traffic lights; --Improved signal timing; --Expansion of existing road shoulders, for improving emergency: --Roundabouts; access: -- Auto and pedestrian underpasses; --Changing school schedules; --Providing school commuters; --Enhanced SamTrans options during rush hour/congestion periods.
PH1A hopes that the City Council will fully and adequately review the FEIR, due to be issued this June. Full review of the FEIR by the Pacifica City Council should include, but not be limited to:
•A review of construction impacts: traffic delay, noise, dust, project duration, impacts on local business, etc. •A review of options to mitigate congestion: --Synchronized and interconnected traffic lights; --Improved signal timing; --Expansion of existing road shoulders, for improving emergency: --Roundabouts; access: -- Auto and pedestrian underpasses; --Changing school schedules; --Providing school commuters; --Enhanced SamTrans options during rush hour/congestion periods.
| Commerce begins where the congested road dead-ends |
PH1A looks forward to a full review of Caltrans' plans by the Pacifica City Council in order to facilitate the broadest possible discussion regarding Highway 1 congestion relief, with due consideration given to the quality of life for Pacificans and visitors, traffic, pedestrian access, business, neighborhood, and environmental concerns.
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Reference - PH1A website/members lists the following as "steering committee": Pete Shoemaker, chair, Hal Bohner, Peter Loeb, Mike Ferreira, Leo Leon, Todd Bray, Andrew Leone, Mitch Reid, Carlos Davidson, Ron Maykel. And the "open letter" 3/6/19 signed by 39.
Related Fix Pacifica articles search: San Mateo Transportation, and Highway 1 articles.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
15 comments:
These opponents to the safety widening offer all sorts of suggestions, none of which is a decision...All their "suggestions" lead to more study, and years of delay. I get stuck in this traffic jam every morning. I cannot take the bus; can't walk or bike to work; don't expect the schools to buy buses because they cannot afford them; don't want an overpass because that is way too Los Angeles industrial and neighbors would go ape.
Let's fess up folks: some people will never support the safety widening. Thousands of other Pacifica commuters anticipate the project completion.
The alternatives offered by PH1A (sounds like a flu virus) were studied and rejected by Caltrans and the SMCTA.
@939 Oh man that's so funny. So, now we're calling it 'the safety widening'? Awesome.
so all this harping on alternatives and "lack" of study is really sabotage? And we continue to get stuck in traffic?
Ignore for the moment no one takes a bus. Wasn't one of the safety widening opponents Cynthia Kaufman on the school board for 4 years? Did Ms. Kaufman get any discussion about the schools buying buses or changing start times, or this too just hot air? Would love to hear Ms. Kaufman's reply about forcing the school community to pay for buses they cannot afford...
Talk about garden variety paralysis by analysis!!
It's not a "safety widening." It's to decrease traffic congestion. Read the DEIR.
And no, all the alternatives offered by PH1A were not studied and rejected by Caltrans. Read the DEIR.
Oh, we're calling it a Safety Widening? Wow. Those creative juices are really flowing. Who needs Madison Ave? Are we going to get a cute little mascot and a theme song, too?
good, this keeps the hippies busy while we slyly replace them on the planning commish. DOH!
I'm with the prior poster on commute safety. Why would anyone let 40 letter signers or even 200 outweigh the requirements of thousands who suffer this stretch of road--the only way out of town. If this isn't a safety issue, I don't know what is. I guess I am going to have to rummage thru the newspaper to find that letter from the firefighters supporting the widening. Some folks simply don't want to recognize the truth about travel safety...or the fact that Pacifica commuters are never going to do what the opponents want.
Here's a suggestion for the opponents to make their point--- get all your folks to take the bus or a skate board . Take the bus for the next 6 months. Daily. If traffic evaporates, you win. If not I win.
Put your butt where your mouth is...vehicularly speaking that is...
547 don't bother with your rummage. everyone read the letter. not a surprise to anyone. most public safety professionals want more room on the roads. that's neither a revelation, nor, in itself, a compelling argument for widening. if the traffic congestion is relieved by some method other than widening will the firemen protest? doubtful. although others might.
still, that letter has take on epic, even mythical, importance in your campaign to widen that road.
work it, baby, work it!
@528 Funny place for a confession of deceitful or unethical behavior. Or are you just an admirer of such? You're in the right town!
Ha, public safety. If Caltrans were at all interested in public safety why isn't the SE and SW corners of SR1 and Fasslar ADA compliant? Furthermore why is crossing any of the SR1 intersections in town such a traumatizing experience for every pedestrian. No, Caltrans isn't doing the widening for public safety, it's doing it because the guy at the top of District 4, Bijan Sartipi was once a lowly project manager and one of his projects was the widening, his signature is on several documents from the 1990's as the project manager for the widening idea, and now he wants to finish the job.
Caltrans doesn't do public safety.
9:49 5 dollar fine for whining!
Don't know about Bijan Sartipi and his personal mission, but anyone who believes Caltrans is a benevolent behemoth on a mission to provide happy motoring and public service is naive.
Simply follow the money and the egos for the truth about how large-scale highway projects happen or don't happen. When roads and real estate intersect it's always about the money.
Bijan wants to be big on the coast. Tunnel? Done. Highway 1? Looks like some trouble with the natives. If he can just get this part done, the rest will be easy.
Plaque, maybe a statue, at Caltrans World HQ for the man who opened up the SMC Coast, project by project.
Keep pissing off Caltrans Hippies and they will send Pacifica all the faulty bolts from the Bay Bridge.
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