Should Highway 1 be Widened?

1. Should Highway 1
be widened?

2. The County Regional
Transportation
Commission (RTC) plans
an eight-lane widening
project from Santa Cruz
to Aptos, including new
Caltrans Brochure
HOV (High Occupancy
Vehicle) through lanes, and exit-to-exit
“auxiliary” lanes. The currently estimated
cost = $640 million.

3. Soquel Ave. to Morrissey Blvd. is a
segment within the proposed HOV
lanes project limits.

4. In 2004, county voters defeated
Measure J, a sales tax measure to
widen the highway. It required a
2/3 vote to pass, but was defeated
with a “no” vote of 57% county-
wide, being approved by only 43%,
far less than the required 2/3.

5. Despite the vote against the
widening, the Regional
Transportation Commission began
widening the highway in segments.
The first segment was
completed (except for
the landscaping) in
2008.

6. Soquel/Morrissey is the second segment.
La Fonda Bridge would be lengthened to
provide space for the full eight lanes. All
the trees and shrubs would be removed,
and replaced by walls of concrete.

7. Caltrans is jumping the gun.

8. Caltrans is jumping the gun.
 Soquel/Morrissey is a segment of the total
project.

9. Caltrans is jumping the gun.
 Soquel/Morrissey is a segment of the total
project.
 The Environmental Impact Report for the
total project is not due to be released until
2013.

10. Caltrans is jumping the gun.
 Soquel/Morrissey is a segment of the total
project.
 The Environmental Impact Report for the
total project is not due to be released until
2013.
 Caltrans has issued an environmental
Negative Declaration for Soquel/Morrissey.

11. Caltrans is jumping the gun.
 Soquel/Morrissey is a segment of the total
project.
 The Environmental Impact Report for the
total project is not due to be released until
2013.
 Caltrans has issued an environmental
Negative Declaration for Soquel/Morrissey.
 Construction is to begin in July, 2011.

12. Jumping the gun is illegal.
California law clearly states that the environmental
study of a total project must not be segmented in
order to avoid analysis of the overall project
impacts.

13. In October, 2009:
The lawsuit requests the court to stop the
Soquel/Morrissey Project until the Environmental
Impact Report for the total Highway 1 project is
completed, with full consideration of alternatives.

14. When a highway is
widened:
The new capacity
allows people to
live farther from
work, generating
new trips and
longer trips.

15. When a highway is
widened:
New cars fill up the space (Generated Traffic).

16. When a highway is widened from 4 to 6 lanes,
this graph shows what happens to each side
of the highway if the demand grows at 2%
per year:
Historically, demand on Highway 1 has grown
at 6% per year.

17. Thus, any congestion relief resulting
from adding lanes to Highway 1 is
not likely to last for more than five
years. Caltrans does not account for
Generated Traffic, even though its
existence is well-studied and
documented.

18. How is congestion relief
like the melting of ice?

19. Ice
➡ Water
Near the freezing point, only a small
temperature change is needed to
transform ice to water. It's a phase
transition.

20. Likewise, when a highway is at
capacity, only a small reduction
in the number of vehicles is
needed to relieve congestion.
It's also a phase transition.
Congestion ➡ Free-flow traffic

21. Congestion ➡ Free-flow traffic
One way to reduce the number of
vehicles is to install ramp metering,
but ramp meters have not been
analyzed for Highway 1.

22. What the Campaign stands for:
 Transportation investments that
make non-auto travel safe, attractive
and convenient:

23. What the Campaign stands for:
 Transportation investments that
make non-auto travel safe, attractive
and convenient:
 A better bus system
 Improved bikeways and routes
 A better rail system
 Implementation of ride-sharing
 Walkable, livable communities
 Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

24. Providing better mobility
is essential for a viable
transportation system.

25. Some bus routes, like the UCSC routes
and the 17 Express shown above, are
overloaded.

26. Over 145 “Rails with
Trails” exist in the U.S.
They are popular, and
extremely safe.
Our rail line is an ideal
candidate.
Improved bikeways and routes
would increase bike commuting.

27. Acquiring our rail line will allow it to
be used for transporting passengers
in addition to freight.

28. Safe Routes to School
A lifetime of
being active can
begin on the way
to school.
Safe routes to school will allow
people not to drive.

29. Ride-sharing Programs
Santa Cruz-based RideSpring reduces
solo-drive commuting with carpool
matching and alternative commute
incentives.

30. Walkable Communities
Many communities
are working to
make their spaces
more walkable, and
therefore more
livable.
Athens, Georgia
Walkable communities reduce car trips.

31. In a well planned
community, people don't
feel forced to drive.

32. But the RTC's Top Priority
is for Highway Widening
As long as the top funding
priority is for highway
widening, we won't be able
to achieve a well planned
community.

33. Popular opinion supports
sustainable transportation:
“We must accept that global warming is a problem
and should have long term planning in Santa Cruz
County that will result in less individual car use and
more efficient transportation choices.”

34. Popular opinion supports
sustainable transportation:
“We must accept that global warming is a problem
and should have long term planning in Santa Cruz
County that will result in less individual car use and
more efficient transportation choices.”
Agree = 75%

35. “We need to drastically reduce our reliance on
cars in Santa Cruz County, even if doing so is
difficult for us to do today.”

36. “We need to drastically reduce our reliance on
cars in Santa Cruz County, even if doing so is
difficult for us to do today.”
Agree = 59%

37. Back to the Campaign's
Lawsuit:
 Winning our lawsuit will guide us to a
more sustainable community.
 Our lawsuit will cost a total of $40,000
in fees, plus about $6,000 in costs.
 So far we have raised over $43,000
from supportive community members.
 We need to complete the job.

38. Please consider helping us
complete the job by making a
donation to the Campaign for
Sensible Transportation.
Just click here to donate.

39. References
 A copy of our lawsuit may be found here.
 A short video by Peter Calthorpe on
transit-oriented development may be
found here.
 Visit RideSpring to see a short video about
how they provide alternative commute
services to employers.

40. More References
 To learn more about Safe Routes to
School, click here.
 To learn more about Generated Traffic,
Latent Demand and Induced Travel, an
excellent recent paper is that by Todd
Litman. To obtain a copy, click here.

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