Speeding Our Way on the 241... And Bypassing San Diego

{This is Part 5 of my special report on the proposed extension of the 241 Toll Road to San Onofre State Beach (aka Trestles). If you'd like, you can read Part 1 here, Part 2 here, Part 3 here, and Part 4 here. As the debate heats up over Trestles and the 241, I'd like to go in depth and examine all the issues involved... And I'd love for you to come along for the ride as we explore what can be done to relieve traffic in South Orange County AND Save Trestles Beach. Enjoy! : ) }

Why must poor San Diego always end up being screwed? They can't have a mayor who actually won the vote in 2004... But they can have one who was picked by Time as one of America's worst mayors. They had a Congressman who sold out their best interests (as well as the nation's national security interests) to the highest bidder, but the new replacement doesn't seem to be much better. And now just as San Diego faces a possible loss of the Chargers, and a total loss of trust on Wall Street, and as the region deals with numerous other pressing issues...

Their crazy neighbors up north draw up plans to build a toll road in their backyard, and they don't even have the courtesy to talk to them about it.

So why does TCA want to screw San Diego? Follow me down below for more...

(Cross-posted at Calitics)

Even though the final third of the 241 Extension falls into San Diego County, no one in San Diego has had ANY say in this project. TCA has not gone to SANDAG for approval. They have not consulted anyone on their County Board of Supervisors. In fact, TCA has not consulted anyone in San Diego about this project that may very well destroy one of San Diego County's best beaches AND exacerbate their traffic woes in the north part of the county.

From OC Weekly:

"We really haven't had any part in the process," says Bill Horn, a San Diego County supervisor whose district includes San Onofre State Beach. "There've been no public hearings, no notifications; at least District 5 hasn't. If it's gone through SANDAG, I haven't seen it."

Horn and other San Diegans worry that the toll road will exacerbate San Diego's already-hellish traffic by dumping more of Orange County's southbound traffic onto the 5 freeway. "It's already a problem for us," says Horn.

"No one has run it past anybody within our jurisdiction," says Imperial Beach Councilwoman and former Coastal Commissioner Patricia McCoy. "This is an onslaught on our state parks; is nothing sacred anymore?"

I guess nothing in San Diego is, according to TCA. However, what about the surfers there who enjoy surfing at Trestles? What about the campers who enjoy the San Mateo campground?

I guess these folks at TCA don't care because it's not in their backyard...

But what if it were?

Would they feel the same way if a toll road were to be built through Corona del Mar?

Or Crystal Cove?

Or dare I say, Laguna?

But instead, it's poor Trestles, and they don't seem to care...

Even if they're screwing everyone in San Diego by destroying their beach.