I'm against widening Highway 1

By John Keener

Widening Highway 1 won't work to reduce congestion, will be a commuting nightmare, and will cost $55 million. That's why I'm opposed to it.

I am opposed to the widening project because it won't work to reduce traffic congestion during peak commute hours. This is because at either end of the project, three lanes will merge down to the original two lanes in each direction, causing mini-traffic jams. Other Caltrans widening projects have resulted in similar problems, notably in Santa Cruz and Sonoma Counties.

Funded mostly by San Mateo County Measure A funds derived from a 1/2 cent surcharge on sales tax within the county, the current price tag of the Highway 1 widening proposal is estimated to be $55 million. I question the use of taxpayer funds without adequate public input. Comments on the Environmental Impact Reports for the widening project that were inconsistent with Caltrans' vision were rejected.

Caltrans approved its Final Environmental Impact Report on August 2013. At this point, the decision on widening Highway 1 is a yes or no vote -- no modifications are permitted to Caltrans' plan without starting over. The major hurdle before construction can begin is a formal request by the Pacifica City Council to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority for the $55 million needed to fund the project. I think such a request is a waste of taxpayer money on a design that won't alleviate congestion and is out of scale with community needs.

So I oppose funding the Caltrans plan. Open the process to the public and explore alternative solutions that will effectively reduce traffic congestion on the Highway 1 corridor. Instead of requesting the $55 million, I support asking for funding for alternatives to widening, and for projects Pacifica really needs, like repaving our streets.