Action Alert: Hwy 1 Sneak Lanes and Speed Limits (again)
by Micah Posner, People Power
"There's more than one way to widen a freeway" Supervisor
Jan Beautz, after the defeat of Measure J
In an affront to both common sense and democracy, the Regional
Transportation is moving ahead to widen a section of Highway One
using existing transportation funds and is soliciting your input
on Nov 17th, 6:30PM on the fifth floor of the county building- 501
Ocean.
The project would put "auxiliary lanes", (termed sneak
lanes by those of us familiar with how they came about) between
Morissey and Soquel. As the RTC is determined to sneak this project
around the Voters' decision, the only way to stop them is with a
massive outpouring of public opposition. We need you to come to
the public hearing with 3 friends and tell them that when you said
no, you meant no. It also wouldn't hurt to ask the RTC why they
are still bent on widening freeways with oil supplies running out.
We'll make it fun meeting, with guerilla theatre, signs and a community
feel to the public hearing.
In addition to going to the public hearing, the RTC needs to hear
from us by email at info@sccrtc.org.
WE ALSO NEED YOUR HELP getting people to the meeting and getting
petition signatures, particularly in South and Central County. If
you can volunteer, please call Micah right away at 425-0665. Farmers
Markets are particularly good places to get signatures and happen
in Watsonville on November 11th and Cabrillo on November 12th. It
will take a lot of community energy to stop the freeway juggernaut.
WE CAN DO IT!
AND
The Santa Cruz City Council continues to try to raise speed limits
so as to reduce speed limits. Another example of government sense
vs common sense.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8th, in the late afternoon (we don't know the
exact time), the City Council will once again consider raising the
speed limit on up to 17 streets, despite the fact that the basic
idea was voted down, by a 4 to 3 vote, 4 weeks ago.
Mayor Rotkin is claiming that the hundreds of people who contacted
the city council didn't understand the issue. Additionally, because
the issue is coming up again, a whole new round of public testimony
will be considered.
EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED THE CITY COUNCIL, PLEASE DO
SO AGAIN AT: citycouncil@ci.santa-cruz.ca.us.
Better yet, if you really want to make sure the speed limits don't
get raised, come to the meeting Nov. 8th meeting. Some members of
the Council view this issue as administrative business. The best
way for them to know that this is important to you is for them to
see you at the City Council Chambers, 809 Center Street. They will
talk about the item in the afternoon. To get a better idea exactly
when, call the City Clerk at 420-5020.
If you are unfamiliar with this issue, the reason that they are
considering raising the speed limits is that police are unable to
use radar to enforce speed limits on 17 streets in Santa Cruz due
to state law. However, as was shown in a two-year demonstration
project, the police do not have the resources to effectively enforce
the speed limit on more than one street at a time anyway. Given
the resources available, raising the speed limit on more than one
street will simply encourage higher speeds.
The most effective way to reduce automobile speeds is to do inexpensive
traffic calming measures such as plastic bollards, cones, asphalt
median islands, narrowing lane widths, widening bike lanes and sidewalks,
flashing barricades, planting trees, installing speed bumps, and
other measures. Once traffic calming measures have reduced speeds,
we can submit new speed surveys and regain the use of radar for
enforcement.
Micah Posner, People Power
224 Walnut Ave.,
Suite C Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 425-0665
info@peoplepowersc.org
http://www.peoplepowersc.org
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