Caltrans Completes EIR for Cold Spring Bridge Project

» Marc McGinnes wrote on 07.11.09 @ 08:24 AM

Despite efforts over the past two years to stop this deeply flawed and fiscally irresponsible suicide diversion (not prevention) project, Caltrans and project supporters have been hell-bent on proceeding to divert $3.5 million in traffic safety funds/transportation funds to it, and time is running out to put a stop to this craziness.

Here is what Caltrans was told over a year ago by one of the members of the California Transportation Commission:
“This is not a safety problem; this is not a traffic problem where people would be driving off the bridge. A safety problem is where we have roads that have deteriorated and people have accidents because the roads haven’t been maintained properly– that’s a safety issue. This is not a safety issue, maybe a social issue, but its not a safety issue. I can’t support spending any money on this project. . .”

For this reason the Transportation Commission informed Caltrans that no further state traffic safety/transportation funds would be allocated to construct the proposed bridge barriers.

This should have been end of this ill-conceived scheme, but now local public officials (acting as the directors of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments– one representative from each of the eight cities and all 5 county supervisors) are attempting to divert $1.5 million earmarked by them earlier this year to assure timely completion of the Hwy 101 widening project between Milpas and Hot Springs Road in order to give to all of it to Caltrans for the bridge barriers project!

These local officials tried to sneak through this funds diversion scheme last month, but they were caught breaking the law requiring that they provide adequate public notice of their proposed actions. So now the matter will come before the SBCAG directors this Thursday July 16 at around 9:00am.

This will be the last opportunity to prevent the diversion of funds from the work in progress on the Hwy 101 widening project in order to funnel it to the proposed suicide-diversion barriers boondoggle on the Cold Spring Bridge.
Information about the SBCAG hearing on July 16 is online at http://www.sbcag.org/Meetings/SBCAG/2009/07July/SBCAGAgendaJuly09.html where one can also read about this shameful funds-switching scheme (click on item 6.C).

Action is needed right now to confront and stop the scheme.

This is the probably the final chance for citizens to speak on this issue.