|
RESPONSE TO MAILER SHOWS STRONG SUPPORT FOR 241 TOLL ROAD
Comment cards returned to the Transportation Corridor Agencies are 15-to-1 in favor of the 241 completion.
IRVINE, Calif. (August 20, 2008) – A strong majority of South Orange County residents who received a recent Transportation Corridor Agencies mailer about the final segment of the 241 Toll Road favor the roadway project. Of 68,000 cards mailed, 1,542 were returned expressing support for the project and 168 indicated opposition. The mailers were sent to residents in South Orange County communities impacted by growing congestion on Interstate 5, including San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Mission Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Niguel and Lake Forest. The online support list for the project (www.241completion.com) has topped 12,775 names.
The following are excerpts of comments made by supporters:
241 Needed to Ease Congestion
“Traffic congestion is at critical levels every day. We have no other access to other routes to leave San Clemente.” (Dorothy Carlson, San Clemente)
“I am tired of fighting traffic every weekend on the 5 through my home area of San Clemente. As soon as I get on the 5 in San Clemente, it is either a dead stop or a slow crawl. I have to take side streets just to get from one side of town to the other.” (Daleanne and Ed Martin, San Clemente)
“We live here in San Clemente and drive on the 5 freeway daily. There are numerous bad injury accidents on the stretch through San Clemente due to traffic congestion. Ask the highway patrol- they will confirm the frequency of injury accidents. Please, for the safety of our families in San Clemente, put the Toll Road through. It’s time now!” (Adriana Paladin and Steve Jones, San Clemente)
241 provides a safe, alternative route
“It is urgent that there is a ‘route of escape’ (other than the I-5) in case of emergency.” (Eileen and Jim Hammett, San Clemente)
“If the alarms at San Onofre go off, how is everyone going to get away quickly? The 241 extension should have been built by now!” (Jack Nguyen, San Clemente)
241 is safe for the environment
“As an urban planner and environmentalist, I support the well-planned continuation of the 241 Toll Road. Easing traffic congestion will help the environment – both physical and social!” (Marilyn Simpson, San Juan Capistrano)
“Far greater damage will occur by NOT finishing the 241- to the environment, air quality and quality of life.” (Christopher and Lori Albrick, San Clemente)
241 will not impact surfing conditions at Trestles
“The 241 extension is a must-have. I used to surf Trestles. Opponent’s arguments are meritless. We need traffic relief now!” (Richard M. Calahan, Mission Viejo)
“I surf Trestles and I want the 241 extension so I can get through San Clemente to surf it.” (David Hess, San Juan Capistrano)
The 241 completion will provide an alternative route to Interstate 5 freeway for motorists travelling between San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties, resulting in much-needed traffic relief. A recent independent peer review of studies concerning the 241 completion and resources at Trestles beach conducted by researcher Richard Seymour of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography verified that the project will not harm the surf or wave formation.
About THE 241
The 241 Toll Road extension has been the subject of regional planning efforts for decades. The 16-mile alignment was selected after exhaustive study and a collaborative effort by local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Highway Administration, Caltrans, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and TCA. The group met more than 50 times over six years. The recommendation on the alignment by the state and federal transportation and environmental agencies in the collaborative was unanimous.
Studies show that the project is needed to relieve traffic if the economy, environment and quality of life to the region are to be maintained. Traffic forecasts for the year 2025 estimate a 60 percent increase in traffic at the Orange/San Diego County line, which would transform the current commute of 25 minutes into more than an hour.
Independent scientific studies have confirmed that the roadway will have negligible impact on San Onofre State Beach Park and the surfing break at Trestles Beach.
ABOUT TCA
About 300,000 trips are taken on The Toll Roads each weekday. The Toll Roads are operated by the Foothill/Eastern and San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agencies, two joint powers authorities formed in 1986 to plan, finance, construct, and operate Orange County's 67-mile public toll road system. Fifty-one miles of the system are complete. More info: www.thetollroads.com.
|
