League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
	San Mateo County, CA June 3, 2014 Election
	Measure E Main Street Bridge Safety & Accessibility Act City of Half Moon Bay Majority Approval Required Fail: 1,053 / 36.8% Yes votes ...... 1,807 / 63.2% No votes See Also: Index of all Measures

Arguments For Measure E

Arguments Against Measure E

It's easy to like Measure E. The Main Street Bridge needs major upgrades. 113 years have taken their toll on the bridge's old concrete - wide cracks and separations have formed and threaten the bridge's structural integrity. It is too narrow for modern vehicles and the sharp southbound turn doesn't meet CalTrans safety standards - it was designed for horses and buggies! Stand there a few minutes - vehicles routinely cross the centerline approaching from the north. Scars and paint marks on the rails bear witness. On foot, walkways are substandard. In a wheelchair, they are non-ADA compliant and difficult to negotiate. These are not just the claims of the City Council or Measure E's supporters. They are backed by CalTrans safety inspectors, who rate the bridge 24 on a safety scale of 1-100. Last year, after three years of analysis and community outreach, the City Council saw the need to move forward. It decided that fixing the bridge's design safety defects and preserving grant funding are issues of paramount importance. Measure E affirms the policy decision of the Council we elected to lead Half Moon Bay as "the official policy" of its voters. Measure E provides flexibility to design a project that eliminates the structural defects (cracks, displaced concrete, water intrusion), corrects design flaws (width and alignment), and makes the bridge safer. It preserves grant funding eligibility - 88% of the project costs will be covered by federal dollars - a savings to local taxpayers. The "band-aid" approach favored by bridge project opponents doesn't meet grant funding criteria. Help us find a solution for a safer bridge! Vote YES on Measure E! /s/ John Muller, Mayor /s/ Marina Fraser, Vice-Mayor /s/ Shahrzad Pantera, Concerned Mother and Community Advocate /s/ Albert J. Adreveno, Former Mayor and Senior Citizen /s/ Andre Turner, Project Manager Rebuttal to Arguments For It's easy to like ice cream but that doesn't mean it's particularly good for you. The only people Measure E is good for is the City Council and their high priced consultants. They say there is no funding for rehabilitation without widening. This is simply not true. They say the bridge is at risk of collapse. This is preposterously untrue. CalTran's inspector is so comfortable with the bridge that he wrote in his 2013 inspection that the bridge "has been deemed capable of carrying all legal loads." (Horses, buggies, farmers' tractors, and yes, even buses, too.) What bridge inspector in his right mind would suggest that a bridge is in danger of failure can safely carry 40 tons day in and day out, without issues? Think about it. If the Council were sincere about your opinion they would have asked you what you thought before spending $500,000 of your money, with nothing to show for it. Every single person who has appeared in front of the Council has pleaded for an intelligent and fiscally responsible rehabilitation. Measure E and Measure F remain nothing more than the City Council's obvious and odious attempt to confuse you, the voters, and to insure that they will not need to face the consequences of their actions as they run for re-election this November. Don't let them get away with it. Vote NO on Measure E and the City Council's games and YES on Measure F. and the right of the people to govern. http://www.hmbbridge.com /s/ George Gipe /s/ John Lynch

A year and a half ago, the City of Half Moon Bay signed a $1.7 million contract with URS, an engineering and construction firm. The contract specified that the Main Street Bridge be demolished and a new wider bridge be designed and built. Total costs would exceed $8 million. It would take 2 years and Main Street would be blocked for construction. When the citizens of HMB found out, they were stunned. If downtown were cut off from 92, visitors and customers for Main Street businesses would disappear. The Chamber of Commerce estimates that losses could mount to $5 million. Businesses would close and people would lose their jobs. The Main Street merchants were livid. But the merchants were not alone. 100 percent of the speakers at Council meetings were aghast at the destruction of a trailblazing structure and the willful disregard for the 2,700 citizens who signed petitions. And everyone is worried that a wide thoroughfare into the historic downtown will destroy our town's charming character and tourist economy. Because the City has refused to listen, we citizens pooled our money, hired our own engineering firm, and created an alternative bridge repair plan. Our plan will not strangle the local economy and is eligible for federal funding. Our plan: addresses all potential safety concerns brings the bridge up to modern disability requirements keeps the bridge open during construction takes less time and costs less money Make no mistake. Measure E is an attempt to defeat our efforts and to confuse you, the voter, in the hope that you'll allow them to continue to rake in grant money to spend as they wish. Please visit http://www.hmbbridge.com for details, including pictures on how the bridge should be repaired. Then vote NO on Measure E. We have a better plan. http://www.hmbbridge.com /s/ David Eblovi /s/ Mark Heath, Chiropractor /s/ Luciano Arruda /s/ John Lynch Rebuttal to Arguments Against Opponents of Measure E are "stunned" that the City Council wants to upgrade the Main Street Bridge. They are "aghast" at the horrible specter of making the bridge wider and correcting its improper alignment. They are "livid" at the thought of southbound trucks and buses no longer crossing the centerline when entering the bridge, bicyclists safely in bike lanes, and pedestrians on wider, ADA compliant, walkways. Now for the facts: For the past several years the bridge has scored a safety rating of 24 out of 100 points by CalTrans, due to its deteriorated condition and outdated design, making it among the worst in California. Since 2010, the Council has been pursuing plans to upgrade the bridge to modern safety standards. These efforts have resulted in the City receiving federal grant funds that will cover 88% of the project costs. Another grant is for construction of wider, wheelchair accessible walkways. Three different engineering firms have stated that these improvements can be made without closing the bridge for significant periods, without altering the character of downtown and while minimizing impacts to nearby businesses. In truth, project opponents have no plans to fund and fix the bridge. Their sole objectives are obstruction and delay. That's why the City Council has placed both Measures E and F on the ballot. We bet voters will choose SAFETY and ACCESSIBILITY. Help us fix the bridge! Vote YES on Measure E and NO on Measure F! /s/ John Muller, Mayor /s/ Albert J. Adreveno, 4 Time Mayor HMB and Senior Citizen /s/ Richard Kirchter, ADA Advocate /s/ David Lea, Farmer /s/ Allan Alifano, Business Owner