Legislature’s Transportation Priorities are Dead Wrong
Legislature’s Transportation Priorities are Dead Wrong
Editor,
Our legislature has its top transport priority, and it is not safety of motorists or pedestrians or bicyclists or children on scooters.
So, what is it?
If you want to see our leaders’ highest transport priority, read our Legislature’s priority mandate in Section 99401.5 of the Public Utilities Code.
Or consider the stillborn Strategic Highway Safety Plan, which was the topic of the highway safety advocates “summit” in April in Sacramento. On paper the plan is a great idea, but thanks to our Legislature it’s dead on arrival.
Why? Just look at our transport law. First, look at the numbers:
Zero days without a traffic fatality in California since Sept. 12, 2000.
For 2003 (the most recent year which total statistics are available):
Fifty-nine seconds between reported traffic accidents in California.
One person killed every two hours and four minutes as a result of traffic accidents in California.
One out of every 117 persons living in California injured in a traffic accident in California.
One out of every 59 licensed drivers was involved in a fatal or injury accident.
When the Legislature says that the countries and cities shall not spend a single penny on streets and highways until all unmet transit needs are met (furnished by the taxpayers at 99 percent subsidy levels) then highway safety improvements like Don Pacheco Y interchange are “on hold” until transit advocates get everything on their wish list satisfied.
This is backwards. It should be just the opposite – no transit spending unless and until all highway safety improvements are finished.
At least the voters in each county should have the right to decide their highest priority for transport.
Look what VTA did when we needed median barriers on U.S. Highway 101 between Gilroy and Morgan Hill. The VTA’s leader said “No money for medians on U.S. 101,” at the same time they transferred $52.29 million to their employees’ pension plan.
Later, after more accidents and deaths from cross-over collisions, we finally got them. The final price? Less than $2 million.
Traffic safety initiatives are not our leaders’ No. 1 transportation priority.
But with so many adults speeding on streets and highways, running red lights, driving intoxicated/stoned, and most children (especially teens) not wearing helmets, we’re bunch of hypocrites to cast stones at our berserk transport policy from our berserk Legislature.
Joseph P. Thompson
Hollister
