Time to fix the highway 1 problem

Pacifica Tribune/Opinion My Turn column, 2/12/14. "Highway 1 court delay deliver deliberate." by Mark Stechbart

"You're from Pacifica, and your case is against highway safety?"

Highway 1 court delay deliberate.

"Lately there has been buzz about the Highway 1 safety repair. People are interested in when the city will finally go forward with this 30-year effort and needed improvement. In addition, there is a very noisy minority of longtime naysayers who don't want anything built, anywhere, anytime. Opponents hint at all manner of unsuitable "alternatives" like take the bus, walk to work, or force the school district to change start times (rejected by PSD). A lawsuit was filed against the highway safety repair and improvement. This lawsuit was quickly dismissed as not having any standing. Sure enough, the second one was launched attacking the Environmental Impact Report. Incidentally, the EIR report was delayed so that the opposition could have more time to check in with comments and suggestions. That suit is slowly working its way through the courts. A court hearing is expected in September. Just another tactic in the delay game used by this group.

There has been a call to have a public hearing concerning the repair and improvement. Most people in town agree this would be a good exercise when all the facts are settled. There has also been noise from those who want no repair to have that hearing right away. There is no point in having a public hearing while the lawsuit, filed by members of this opposition group, works through the legal morass, and they know that. What would be the point? Nothing to decide if the entire safety widening is hung up in court.

I would urge those that are undecided about the highway improvement, and are having difficulty navigating all the noise created by the opposition, take a drive down to Half Moon Bay, turn left off Highway 1 onto 92, and take a look at the Main St/92 section of highway that was improved. That's pretty much what we are going to see here. People in Half Moon Bay, on both sides of the battle over the need to repair that section, love the relief from the nightmare backups they were regularly stuck in. It's time the 18,000 commuters that have to brave Fassler and Highway 1 each day have our bottle neck repaired and made safe."

Submitted by Bob Hutchinson

Note: photograph by AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais of the US Supreme Court from Salon.com.

Posted by Kathy Meeh