Opponents of the completion of State Route 241 continued to use emotional appeals and myths about damage to parks and beaches during a U.S. Department of Commerce hearing today at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, which were countered by a steady barrage of facts from state and federal agencies, outside experts and local supporters.
"The anti-road factions have been using junk science, contrived studies and just making stuff up for more than a year without being challenged," said Jerry Amante, chairman of the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agencies (TCA). "Testimony at the hearing, coupled with major independent and government studies already presented to Commerce, show that the facts are powerfully on the side of the 241. It's not about myths and emotional appeals; it's about the facts and the benefits of the 241 to some 21 million Southern California residents and every commuter, visitor or commercial vehicle traveling our highways. Road opponents clearly haven't given much thought to the broader needs and quality of life of people throughout the region. They talk about protecting the parks and beaches, but their cynical campaign is about limiting access to the coast."
Outrageous Statements from Anti-Road Factions Abound
The first two hours of testimony at the Del Mar Fairgrounds included outrageous statements and misinformation from toll road opponents, such as the "TCA is running a six-lane road through the park and beach." Facts show that the 241 connects with the east side of Interstate 5 south of San Clemente at Basilone Road, a half mile from the beach and is safe for the environment, watershed, wildlife, campers, surfing and the beaches. TCA engineers brought a 40-foot aerial photo of the route to the hearing. Called "The Big Truth," the photo clearly countered the biggest myths park perpetrated by road opponents, including:
- Myth One - TCA is running a six-lane road through the park and beach.
- Myth Two - The road will ruin 60 percent of the park.
- Myth Three - The road will ruin the camping experience at one of the most popular parks in the state and set a dangerous precedent for what is an acceptable use of a state park.
- Myth Four - The 241 will ruin the surf at Trestles beach.
- Myth Five - Experts say the toll road will do little to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.
Facts and government agency reports show that the 241 crosses an inland subunit of San Onofre State Beach Park east of Interstate 5 almost a mile from the beach. The inland subunit is used by only five percent of park visitors. Ninety-five percent of the park's visitors go the beach portions of the park on the west side of I-5 to enjoy Trestles, Old Mans and San Onofre Beaches, far from the 241. These visitors will see no change to their experience after the road is built.
Plans call for keeping all sites open during and after construction, building pedestrian undercrossings to other park areas and building 16-foot tall sound walls along the road, which is 385 feet from the campground, to reduce traffic noise. In contrast, the Bluffs Campground at the same park is 250 feet from Interstate 5 and has no sound walls.
Opponents used selective data from only the least popular inland subunit on the east side of I-5 to claim that 60 percent of the park will be ruined. That statement assumes that the entire inland portion of the park is closed down, which California Resources Secretary Michael Chrisman has said will not happen. No campsites will have to be removed and TCA has offered to contribute $100 million to improve California's state parks system. A claim that the late President Ronald Reagan dedicated the park to the state in perpetuity is wrong. San Onofre State Beach is owned by the U.S. Navy, not the State of California, and is part of a very active U.S. Marine base, Camp Pendleton. The inland park site is leased to the state. The state obtained the lease, which expires in 2021, with the knowledge that the federal government has the right to approve roads in the area.
Outside Experts Say Surf and Beaches Safe
The 241 Toll Road will be constructed to ensure that the world-class surf conditions at Trestles Beach will be fully protected. Two independent peer reviews of reports on the completion of the 241 Toll Road and surfing conditions in the vicinity of San Mateo Creek concluded that the project will have no impact on surfing or wave formation. Richard J. Seymour, Ph.D., research engineer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and noted consultant in coastal oceanography, said: "No substantial change, either positive or negative, to surfing quality would result from the project."
Howard H. Chang, Ph.D., professor of civil and environmental engineering at San Diego State University and a noted consultant with more than 40 years of experience in river sedimentation, conducted a review of studies by Phillip Williams and Associates (PWA) that were commissioned by project opponents and suggested that the completion of the toll road might impact the San Mateo Creek watershed by causing more fine sediment to flow through the creek. Chang's review directly questioned the PWA assertion since the Toll Road project will cause no significant changes to the pattern of stream flow at San Mateo Creek, have no significant effects on sediment transport in the stream channel and no impact on downstream water quality.
PWA offered a rebuttal to the Seymour analysis, which Seymour dismissed with clear scientific evidence. He said PWA tried "to inject some exotic engineering into the bankrupt theory." Other parts of the PWA rebuttal were "almost totally incomprehensible."
The project includes a state-of-the-art system to collect and treat storm water runoff, including runoff from a segment of I-5 that currently goes untreated.
"The extension of the 241 is part of a comprehensive regional transportation plan put in place in 1981 to meet the needs of 21 million southern California residents and those who travel the region for pleasure or commerce," Amante said. "The 241 is the final link in the plan. It will relieve major congestion on Interstate 5 to the benefit of the entire region. It will save time and money in commuting, plus reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Public opinion polls of Orange County and San Diego residents have shown overwhelming support for the extension of the toll road by 2-1 margins. When apprised of the true facts "” that the alignment is nowhere near the beach, does not close any campgrounds, and has met tough environmental standards "” rather than the myths spread by the anti-road campaign, voters are even more likely to support the project."
Other major facts covered during the hearing included:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Reports No Jeopardy to Endangered Species- Amante and an impressive array of supporters - community leaders from along the route, independent experts, commuters and small business owners - kept countering opponents' extreme claims with studies from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determining that the road would not harm any threatened or endangered species. The alignment of the roadway was engineered to avoid sensitive habitats to ensure that the species will continue to thrive in the area, according to federal and state agencies.
Widening I-5 Not an Option - Experts also dismissed opponents' claims that widening Interstate 5 was an option. It would cost Californians an estimated $2.4 billion, plus wipe out some 1,200 homes and businesses in the heart of San Clemente. No federal or state funds exist to widen I-5. In addition, the Federal Highway Administration said the I-5 option wasn't viable for many reasons.
Will Kempton, director of Caltrans, said completion of the 241 Toll Road will take pressure off I-5, a corridor the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has designated as having the highest national importance to interstate travel and international trade. The I-5 is the only coastal route between the San Diego and Long Beach/Los Angeles ports, and is used for international trade and goods. The region needs an alternative route for emergency situations and the 241 is the answer, he told the hearing.
The 241 Generates Jobs - Representatives from labor - the building trades, carpenters, operating engineers, iron workers and Teamsters in Los Angeles, Riverside, Orange and San Diego Counties - had one big word: jobs. The 241 represents thousands of guaranteed jobs in the next two years, plus a ripple effect of employing up to 20,000 at a time during a down economy.
ABOUT COMPLETION OF THE 241
Extending the 241 will relieve traffic on Interstate 5 in South Orange County by providing an alternative route. With construction of the toll road, two miles of Interstate 5 will be retrofitted to collect and treat runoff, improving water quality in the Trestles area. Without the toll road, travel from the San Diego/Orange County border to Mission Viejo will take one hour in 2025. With the toll road constructed, the same drive on Interstate 5 will take 25 minutes and it will take 16 minutes on the toll road. The new road will provide an alternative to Interstate 5 for the hundreds of thousands of motorists a day who travel between San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties.