Transportation Funding Task Force Finds Common Ground in Small Scale Projects
The Transportation Funding Task Force, headed by Fred Keeley, has finished its first round of public workshops and has been funded for the coming year by the County's Regional Transportation Commission. Some 500 people attended workshops and/or filled out workbooks over the course of five public meetings throughout the county.
As was reported in the Sentinel, there was remarkably little talk about widening Highway 1 during the five public meetings that were held to ask Santa Cruz County residents what transportation improvements would make their lives better. The majority of the feedback focused on simple, low cost repairs and improvements in peoples' neighborhoods.
Participants said that they want potholes filled. They want bike paths, bike lanes and sidewalks. They want school buses.
People Power members did a great job of presenting their views at the task force meetings. As one of our adversaries said, "There was one of them at every table." Members respectfully and convincingly brought their point of view to the discussion. We have been heard, if not by the politicians with vested interests, at least by regular people who are sick of our current transportation system and are looking something betterâor at least a way to walk to a store.
Fred Keeley now has the daunting task of trying to create a first draft of a ballot measure. He will present that to the community in a series of workshops around the end of the year.
To review the comments submitted to the Regional Transportation Commission go to www.tftaskforce.org or call Michael Brown at 460-3200.