More Arrogance from the TCA
by Dale Tyler

The TCA published a full-page advertisement on Tues., Jan. 6, 2009. They claimed that the TCA was “All About Moving Forward.” Yet, their actions directly contradict their noble words. In fact, the TCA acted to stymie alternative plans to develop roadway improvements by threatening to use non-compete agreements to prevent building alternatives to their toll roads. By stubbornly advocating a technically flawed plan, the TCA prevented such other agencies as the OCTA and Caltrans from widening the I-5 and delayed arterial street improvements in San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente for 10 years or more.

We should all be relieved that the Secretary of Commerce decided to uphold the California Coastal Commission’s denial of the TCA's plan to build an extension of the 241 through the San Onofre State Park. While many thought there would be significant environmental impacts that would damage the Park and Trestles, the world-famous surfing beach, there were other reasons to oppose the toll road. Chief among them is that the TCA's plan would do little or nothing to relieve traffic congestion.

As has been noted on this blog (link and link and link), the most significant issue we face in south Orange County is the added homes in the eastern sections, like Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo with its planned 14,000 homes and 5 million square feet of commercial space. These people will need to use the I-5 to get there. OCTA has recently realized that the 241 was becoming less viable and begun the planning of an east-west arterial called Cow Camp Road, that will connect Antonio Parkway, La Pata and Ortega Highway to the I-5 near the I-5/CA-73 interchange.

By promoting the 241, the TCA took the focus off the real problem and made some people believe that theirs was the only game in town. Gullible people, including all of the Mission Viejo City Council Members, were led to believe there were no other solutions to the traffic congestion problems than the 241.

We in Mission Viejo have our own TCA snake-oil salesman in the person of Lance MacLean. He did everything possible to browbeat (sometimes literally) his fellow council members into believing that the TCA's plan was perfect and anyone opposed was “misguided.”

Now that the 241 is out of the picture, perhaps the TCA will come to their senses and look at solving the real problems. Sadly, their full-page ad does not lend credence to that view. They spend the entire ad scaremongering, such as “putting the region in jeopardy of not conforming to the federal Clean Air Act” and “35,000 jobs ... are lost.” They also directly lie when they say “the widening of the I-5 has been deemed not feasible by ... the OCTA,” when the recent Major Investment study done by OCTA proposed significant widening of I-5 all the way to the San Diego County line. They also claim that the Secretary of Commerce “did not solve the traffic problem we face.” I disagree. By killing the 241 extension, the Secretary of Commerce made it possible to activate plans that will actually improve traffic in Orange County.

I hope the TCA realizes they can't overcome the opposition to their plans and stops their meddling in Orange County transportation issues. They should fire their expensive planning staff and executive director and then simply collect tolls to pay off the bondholders.