Pacifica Tribune Letters to the Editor, 10/26/14.
"Widen the highway" by Robert Hutchinson
| Just another "alternative", from the anti-highway solution world. This will work, really |
"Editor:Beware, some people are trying to scare you into believing the widening of Highway One will not be good for Pacifica.
Here are some of the scare tactics they're using lately:
2 "Creates a Bottleneck." They're failing to take into account the extended and dedicated turn lanes at Vallemar and Fassler that will remove the turning traffic from the actual highway allowing through traffic to flow.
Why don't we talk about the real reason this group is against this project? They feel the widening will induce growth. That's it. That is their real reason. They don't want alternatives. They just want to stop this project and they'll say anything to scare people. And that is why they have come up with one unworkable "alternative" after the other, like an overpass at Vallemar, changing school start times, and timing the lights which have all been shown not to be viable (by experts) including our
Firefighters who say the old highway delays emergency vehicles now. That's fine if you feel you don't want more growth though. But don't try selling fabricated theories on why this is so bad and you have better alternatives.
If you want to see some renditions of the attractive modern highway and read more please visit this Facebook group Pacificans For Highway One Modernization www.facebook.com/groups/FixHighwayOne which already has over 240 members."
Note the photo/graphic of a flying car is from Car humor.
Posted by Kathy Meeh
10 comments:
You forgot the part where 99% of all Pacificans are for this dumb project.
EDITOR: I also want to point out that the highway widening project has wide support as reflected by our Facebook group. Over 75 members of the group are from out of town. As a matter of fact, there's support for the highway widening from places as far away as Hawaii and Minnesota, that's how badly people want this project rammed through -- it's a nation-wide issue!
Hutch said... "Why don't we talk about the real reason this group is against this project? They feel the widening will induce growth. That's it. That is their real reason. They don't want alternatives. They just want to stop this project and they'll say anything to scare people. And that is why they have come up with one unworkable "alternative" after the other, like an overpass at Vallemar, changing school start times, and timing the lights which have all been shown not to be viable (by experts..."
To flip your question, why don't the pro widening people also share their true intent? Is widening is really only about development in the quarry? Why hasn't the city allowed open discussion about the purpose and what citizens want? "Experts" have not concluded that a mix of alternatives will not positively impact congestion / safety -- a set of alternatives together was never studied. The approach you are suggesting - widening -- is outdated and not appropriate for the community of Pacifica. (Ms. Meeh's choice of photos of fighter planes that can zip through town is just one of the many reasons it's a bad approach.)
(Only one candidate has asked the question of 'what is the project intended to do?' and that's Ruchames. Because of that he is getting one of my votes.)
If Ruchames had informed himself about the issues by reading any of the many documents about the highway widening, he would know the answer to the question of what the project is intended to do. Because he hasn't done basic homework, he will not get a vote from me.
If there was a real public discussion then the "growth" element would not be a hidden agenda anymore - you should encourage public forums on the widening Hutch, but you don't because it is the Fixies who have a real hidden agenda.
I don't think I have "hidden" that fact that I am in favor of smart growth. I don't think anyone who's in favor of this has a hidden agenda. I was publically in favor of Peebles developing the quarry. The nimby's said there was too much traffic way back then in 2006 to build in the quarry. Now we have a traffic solution and viola, they are against it. Sure the widened highway will induce some growth. Normal people don't see that as necessarily bad. Hippies do.
"If there was a real public discussion then the "growth" element would not be a hidden agenda anymore"
The highway issue has been discussed for years.
Who's Viola?
Six days to go.
932 That's right. It's time for a vote. We vote when a single house is proposed for the quarry. Highway One is much more important to Pacifica. Deserves a public referendum to settle the issue.
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