Save our highway funding

 

This letter has been sent to defend our highway funding, directed to the two county agencies funding the project.  All Pacifica commuters and taxpayers should be concerned that this city council will abandon our highway widening funding without a timely public vote.

 

San Mateo County Transportation Authority

Jim Harnett, CEO

1250 San Carlos Ave.
San Carlos, CA 94070-1306

 

City/County Assoc. of Governments

Sandy Wong Executive Director

San Mateo County Office Building

555 County Center,  Fifth Floor

Redwood City, Ca.  94063                                              April 12, 2017

 

Re:  Pacifica Hwy 1 safety widening statement for both Boards of Directors, via email.

 

I represent a Pacifica organization of concerned citizens which is vitally interested in the proposed Hwy 1 widening to improve our horrible AM and PM commute. I urge both organizations to keep the $4 million allocated for the Hwy 1 widening work in the transportation plan.  We cannot allow this current Pacifica council majority to break faith with Pacifica voters and abandon the project funding.

 

Pacifica voters overwhelmingly supported the sales tax increase specifically for transportation in the 2004 Measure A vote.  Hwy 1 is a critical north-south arterial, the only way out of town for over half of Pacifica residents.  Hwy 1 carries coast-side commuters, tourists, other commerce and emergency vehicles—all of which are caught in this one mile bottleneck. Hwy 1 is a regional highway that deserves the full support of the funding agencies.

 

The Pacifica Council passed a resolution stating Hwy 1 widening will only be supported if the public votes to do so. We have called for an election to determine if the public supports the widening. We expect the election decision to be made at the Council’s April 24 meeting. We also expect the question to be on the June 2018 primary ballot so a larger cross-section of the community will debate and vote on the matter.

 

We do not expect this new Council majority to ask that the $4 million be protected.  In fact without a public vote, they will probably delay until all funding expires.  But again, Pacifica voters supported transportation funding through Measure A and will continue to pay the sales tax increase for another 16 years. If Hwy 1 widening funding is cut, Pacifica taxpayers keep paying but the funding goes to other towns in the county.

 

Therefore we urge both agencies to wait about pulling the Hwy 1 funding.  Pacifica commuters and taxpayers must have the final say with a public vote.

 

Sincerely

Jim Wagner, chair

Pacifica Business and Community

PAC.