The I-5 decision: Time for a new direction

By Duncan McFetridge & Jim Mills

Friday, February 25, 2011 at midnight

The world is changing and the demands facing our region – high energy costs, foreign oil dependence, water scarcity, transportation, housing, jobs, rising sea level – are, to put it mildly, taxing. But now, in a time of need, a leader steps forward and does the astonishing: state Sen. Christine Kehoe introduces legislation to meet the environmental and social challenges of a new century by prioritizing transit over the building of Interstate 5. Yes, someone steps up to meet the real resource needs of the San Diego region and gives priority to the people, their health and their communities.

It is time for change and widening I-5 is not the solution. On the other hand, the I-5 corridor is tailor-made for successful transit because a second track for the Coaster already has right of way and is just waiting to be built. And it makes sense, because to the south, the Coaster connects with the heart of region, downtown San Diego , and to the north it connects with the Sprinter, which runs inland to the cities of Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. Thus the Coaster is a vital link in connecting most of the city centers in the subregion by rail. All of these cities are undertaking major infill transit-based projects which mean transit stations will be in walking distance to many urban residents. In addition, fast, efficient double tracking rail can handle the capacity of four lanes of freeways and will thus reduce congestion instead of producing more traffic.

SANDAG wants you to believe that it is funding freeway expansion and transit at the same time. But the so-called transit plan is off somewhere in the distant future. What is being funded, expanded and built now is the same thing that has been funded and built for the past 40 years: freeways and sprawl development.

The so-called argument for building I-5 is a clever rehash of old propaganda: that the people want it, that it’s vital for the economy, that it’s necessary to relieve congestion and that it is part of a balanced transit-freeway approach that SANDAG calls the hybrid plan. But the fact is every argument for building I-5 is a salesman’s pitch filled with half-truths and developer propaganda. In truth, I-5 is exactly what the people don’t want, don’t need and, if it is ever expanded, will be obsolete the moment it is finished because it doesn’t serve the people or their community. Instead, it actually creates more congestion by promoting ever more distant subdivisions of resource land.

Here is the truth about a first-class transit system option:

• Fact 1: To find out what the people want, look at the latest authoritative survey of San Diego voters and see that an overwhelming majority prefer transit over freeways and infill transit-oriented development over sprawl housing (transitsandiego.org/transitsandiego/pdf/San_Diego_Transit_Preference_Survey.pdf).

• Fact 2: Roads don’t relieve congestion, they produce it.

• Fact 3: In a time of severe energy dependence and resource limits threatening our national security and quality of life, transit-based communities save resources and create jobs.

• Fact 4: When we build freeways to expensive future sprawl homes, we deny infrastructure to the urban areas where it is needed by most of the people.

• Fact 5: By making us ever more auto-dependent, freeways pose serious health threats to people, air quality and the environment.

• Fact 6: Transit can help lower our dependence on foreign oil. Cars consume two-thirds of our daily addiction of 20 million barrels. Military officers warn us that our foreign oil consumption constitutes a threat to national security. If the nation were to have 10 percent transit ridership, we could lessen our dependence on foreign oil by 40 percent.

The people are ahead of most local politicians and know that before gasoline hits $5 a gallon, we must begin to change from unsustainable resource-guzzling sprawl to efficient, pedestrian-friendly community building. Kehoe has made a courageous first step in that direction and citizens need to follow up by giving vigorous support to her legislative effort. Let’s leave the failed policies and sprawl-is-good-for-you propaganda behind and support a community transportation plan that works for the future.

McFetridge is director of Transitsandiego.org. Mills is a past president of the Metropolitan Transit System and was Senate president pro tem from 1971-80.

Courtesty of the San Diego Union Tribune February 25, 2011

Carlsbad City Council Takes Issue with I-5 Expansion Plans!

Council takes issue with I-5 expansion plans

by Alyx Sariol Coast News Group

 

CARLSBAD — City staff reported Nov. 16 that they have found Caltrans’ proposed I-5 widening project plans to contain insufficient details and lacking in clarity on its impact to Carlsbad if the project moves forward.

Staff’s statement on the project’s shortcomings came after months spent reviewing the detailed Draft Environmental Impact Report and Study, or EIR/EIS. They presented the analysis to City Council members at a workshop Nov. 16.

Senior Planner Scott Donnell and other staff members highlighted “significant concerns” in the proposal, including a lack of transparency on the project’s impact to Carlsbad.

“The analysis of impacts to Carlsbad is incomplete and the information provided is inadequate,” Donnell said. “The EIR needs to be revised to clarify that.”

Proposed impacts include the replacement of bridges and under crossings; additional High Occupancy Vehicle lanes; sound wall barriers; and the addition of Direct Access Ramps, Donnell said.

Staff cited concerns with these plans, like the projected loss of lagoon and farmland along I-5 and an increase in noise and pollution that has not been slated for mitigation by sound walls in some areas.

Donnell also noted that Caltrans conducted an “inadequate analysis of our city policies,” while also neglecting the coastal policy and city noise regulations.

In addition to the widening construction, Caltrans has designated $50 million for “community enhancement projects” for property within the project’s footprint.

They include trail connections at various points in Carlsbad, as well as beautification of the La Costa Park and Ride area.

“It’s an attempt by Caltrans to mitigate some of the other impacts of the project,” Director of Transportation Skip Hammann said.

Hammann noted that the earmarked budget for improvement projects is more than necessary to complete them, and Caltrans is open to other project ideas from city staff.

Hammann discussed several projects suggested by staff members, including a realignment of Carlsbad Boulevard and Palomar Airport Road; Carlsbad Village Drive gateway improvements; and the expansion of Chestnut Avenue, linking Holiday Park with Pine Avenue Park.

Hammann provided a rough estimate of an additional $50 million to complete staff’s recommended projects.

“We can ask for these things, but how likely is it that Caltrans will consider them, we don’t know,” Hammann said.

Caltrans will consider Carlsbad staff’s comments and suggestions, as well as other public input, before releasing their preferred widening alternative and a final EIR/EIS. They are expected to release a decision sometime next year.

San Diego County residents are encouraged to comment on the project by the Nov. 22 deadline. Comments can be made online at www.keepsandiegomoving.com/I-5-Corridor/I-5-intro.aspx

Read more: Coast News Group - Making Waves in Your Neighborhood

Did Carlsbad Spend a Ton of Money on The Power Plant and Ignore the People on I-5?

It seems incomprehensible that the City of Carlsbad has had the wherewithal to make animations of the proposed I-5 expansion project a year ago, when the EIR/EIS was just recently released. Seems they actually had a heads-up on what this might be like way before the citizens knew what it could, or would become. Maybe just an artists rendering, but certainly seems an accurate depiction of what is proposed.

While citizens were worrying about the freeway expansion, and the City of Carlsbad was seemingly ignoring it, they were spending money apparently doing video animations of the expansion, while vilifying the appearance of a proposed new power plant. Note the conspicuous absence of any sound walls to block the views? Note that only the "ugly" power plant is shown as an obstacle to views in the one video. Note the "flyover" entrance to the HOV lanes? Talk about ugliness in Carlsbad!

Note that the cities of Solana Beach. Del Mar, Vista and the Sierra Club joined with Carlsbad to fight against this power plant. Carlsbad pulled out all the stops, and focused much energy to try and get this power plant stopped. Yet, why haven't they done the same with the I-5 Freeway expansion? Don't these city officials see concrete as ugliness? Don't they see sound walls as blocks to the "natural beauty of our coastal views". Must be that a few hundred yards of industrial plant blockage of the view is worth fighting for, but miles of ugliness of concrete sound wall and concrete is just fine, because we're not hearing much from our elected officials.

If Carlsbad spent as much time and energy concerned about their citizens, and the effects of the I-5 widening project, as they have on the NRG Power Plant project, we'd be giving them accolades. Instead, they deserve onions as I see it. Or maybe just stink weed.