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RTC actions on December 1, 2011 yield disappointment

Highway 1 Widening Takes Priority over Repairing Local Roads

Published Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Reproduced by kind permission from the Campaign for Sensible Transportation. Please consider becoming a member of or donating to this organization so it may continue its important work.

SCCRTC votes that Redwood Lodge Road washout repair has lower priority than widening Highway 1
SCCRTC votes that Redwood Lodge Road washout repair has lower priority than widening Highway 1

At the December 1 meeting, the Commission held a public hearing on Item 20, with the main question being on whether to spend $4 million on continuing the process of widening Highway 1, or to spend that money instead on repairing storm-damaged roads in our county (see images at the Campaign for Sensible Transportation's website) and other needed alternatives to highway-widening.

Commissioners Mark Stone and Ellen Pirie introduced their letter to the Commission, in which they proposed a compromise: That the allocation of the $4 million toward moving forward with the next segment of Highway 1 (Soquel Drive to 41st Avenue) be delayed, and that money spent instead on projects proposed by the Cities and the County. (View a copy of their letter, and their revised budget.) In their letter, they also urged the Commission to support the continued funding of Highway 1 widening "when the next opportunity arises for the RTC to request STIP [State] funding"—expected to occur in two years.

After extensive public testimony, with essentially every speaker favoring the Stone/Pirie compromise (even Chris Mann of the Santa Cruz Business Council supported it), Commissioner Leopold moved to support the staff recommendation, modified to incorporate the Stone/Pirie compromise and suggested budget. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Pirie, who emphasized her commitment to support Highway 1 widening at the next opportunity. Commissioner Lane offered a friendly amendment to transfer $150,000 from the $850,000 Highway 1/Highway 9 intersection improvement project to the Bike/Ped bridge over Branciforte Creek at the levee, which was accepted.

In the ensuing discussion, Commissioner Pirie, perhaps sensing a likely tie vote (nay: Commissioners Nicol, Johnson, Montesino, Robinson, Hagen and Bustichi), proposed an amendment to emphasize the "intent" (later "commitment") to pursue funding for Highway 1 widening at the next STIP cycle, which lost on a 6 to 6 vote. After that it was downhill, and a motion by Commissioner Nicol just to endorse the staff recommendation, passed 9 to 3, with Lane, Coonerty and Leopold voting "no".

How long will it take, and how much will it cost to widen Highway 1?

At the RTC's meeting of November 17, 2011, the RTC's Executive Director George Dondero supplied a report regarding construction of HOV lanes. Dondero was responding to a motion made at the September 15 meeting by Commissioner Lane (seconded by Commissioner Caput), asking for "an updated timeline regarding construction of the HOV lanes project as a whole with milestones, costs and funding sources to see if the project is still viable under the current economic conditions". (This motion passed 10-1, with Commissioner Bustichi voting "no".)

In summary, Dondero's report concludes that over a 25-year time frame, assuming that funds from the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) are used to the maximum extent available, and assuming that voters will approve a half-cent increase in our sales tax, that a total of $165 million to $213 million would become available—not nearly enough to provide the estimated $500 million cost for the entire HOV Lane Widening Project.

Additional details regarding the RTC hearing on December 1

Read the full agenda packet for this meeting. Item 20 (for the public hearing) starts on page 97 of this PDF. Starting on page 103 is an extensive table of projects for which funds are requested, including the seven road repair projects illustrated by the photos.

RTC staff is recommending partial funding for only two of these seven road repair projects—only $2 million for projects whose total cost is over $5 million. If the $4 million recommended for continuing the Highway 1 widening process (between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue over-crossings—total estimated cost is $27 million), were shifted to road repairs, more of these seven could be repaired.

[County Public Works Director John Presleigh had earlier (on September 15) requested that the Commission consider asking the State Transportation Commission (CTC) for an extension on Highway 1 widening projects, to allow STIP funding to be used for repairing our local roads.]