Support Open Space and Alternatives to Highway 1 Widening

By Richard Tiburcio Campbell

I will work to preserve the open space and hillside protections that currently exist in the City's General Plan, and will support alternatives to CalTrans' proposal to widen Hwy 1

To move this City forward, I will work to get the City's new General Plan approved. The General Plan is the City's blueprint for future development, and will dictate where and what type of development may occur in the City. Everything is on the table. Ultimately, the new General Plan should provide certainty to those who wish to invest in or City, so we must finalize the General Plan as quickly as possible. In doing so, I will work on the Council to ensure we preserve our Hillside Preservation Districts, and the protections that our current planning and zoning requirements give to the beaches and open spaces that make Pacifica so special.

HIGHWAY 1 WIDENING ALTERNATIVES

I am in favor of alternatives to the widening plan proposed by CalTrans. CalTrans' plans will not relieve congestion in the long term. Once completed it will take only a few years before we are all sitting in six lanes of traffic. Why? As explained by economist Anthony Downs 40 years ago, the "fundamental law of highway expansion" is that vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increases proportionally to highway expansion because:

-Highway expansions induce growth (for instance south of Devils Slide), which increases traffic;
-Highway expansions increases the amount people choose to drive because of the short-term traffic relief offered by the expansion. The increase in driving soon wipes out the gains. This is the concept of "induced demand."
-Prevents exploration alternatives, for example, more public transportation, creation of frontage roads, pedestrian bridges, student drop-off areas.

Architect Andres Duany (Pacificans may remember him as the architect for Don Peeble's proposed project in the Quarry) notes in his book "Suburban Nation: in the Chapter "Why Adding Lanes Makes Traffic Worse":

"The simple truth is that building more highways and widening existing roads, almost always motivated by concern over traffic, does nothing to reduce traffic. In the long run it actually increases traffic. This is so counter-intuitive that it bears repeating: adding lanes makes traffic worse." (pg. 88).

I would focus on the real issue: morning traffic congestion on northbound lands associated with local school traffic. To solve this issue, the City will need to show real leadership in its relationship with Caltrans, and push for real solutions, such as:

- creating a turnaround and drop off at the Police Station for northbound parents who drop their children off at Vallemar school (and avoid contributing to the traffic jam at this intersection),

-building a pedestrian overpass over Highway 1 at Reina Del Mar to speed traffic through that intersection,

-time the lights (which I understand CalTrans may be finally acknowledging is something that would work to alleviate some congestion).

-install a frontage road between Fassler and Reina Del Mar in the Quarry.

There are many other alternatives that could work together to alleviate congestion in the long term, including working with the School Board to stagger school start times by even just 5 minutes more.

Because CalTrans never acknowledged that school-related traffic is the cause of the morning backup, it did not seriously consider these alternatives.

In conclusion, I would note that I am the only candidate who stood up and remarked on this issue when it counted, namely, during the draft EIR comment period, and in front of Council during its deliberation of the widening.

I am the only candidate endorsed by Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives.