Coast News: South Oceanside residents speak against highway lane reduction

Friday’s printed edition of the Coast News carried a story summarizing the testimony of South Oceanside residents against the Coast Highway project. Below is an excerpt:

The Coast News, October 28, 2016, Page A8

South Oceanside residents speak against highway lane reduction
by Promise Yee

OCEANSIDE — Half a dozen South Oceanside residents and business owners asked the City Council to allow South Coast Highway to remain four lanes during Wednesday’s meeting.

The city is finalizing its Coast Highway improvement plans, which propose lane reduction, roundabouts and striped bike lanes.

…

Speakers shared concerns of installing roundabouts at busy intersections, additional gridlock, loss of on-street parking, and hardships the test pilot lane reduction area installed in January causes South Oceanside businesses.

“We can still be a quaint community with four lanes,” Zell Dwelley, owner of Beach Break Cafe, said. “Let’s do something that works for our community.”

Compelling comments came from Oceanside resident Bill Myers, who spoke about the impossibility for him, as a blind person, to cross a roundabout. Myers said signaled crosswalks have audible pedestrian countdowns that make crossing safe. He said roundabouts have cars taking off at all different times and cannot be served by an audible countdown.

“I don’t have the tools to safely cross that intersection,” Myers said.

Residents asked for four lanes and traffic lights to remain, crosswalks to be added, and the bicycle Rail Trail to be completed.

The full story is available on the newspaper’s website.

Oct. 26 council testimony

During the public comment period of the City Council’s October 26 meeting, members of Save South O and others from South Oceanside testified against having Coast Highway narrowed in our community. We had three businesses and four residents testify against it, while none testified in favor.

We presented copies of the 401 signatures of Oceanside residents and business on petitions that stated:

We ask that the City of Oceanside remove South Oceanside from any plans to reduce Coast Highway from 4 lanes to 2 lanes.  Money intended for the project or other funds should be applied to street beautification and pedestrian safety in South “O”.

We also summarized results of our surveys of residents and businesses which showed both overwhelmingly opposed to the Coast Highway “diet.”

In the KOCT recording of the session, the testimony of the first six speakers can be viewed between 15:00 and 33:00, and the final speaker begins at 41:45 into the recording. You can hear the applause for our speakers demonstrating the community’s support for our request of the city.

Thanks to all those who came out, those who circulated the surveys and petitions, and of course all of you who signed the petitions.

 

Coast Highway Vision

The Coast Highway Corridor Study is the City of Oceanside’s project that is proposing to redesign Coast Highway throughout the entire city. The city has a detailed website describing the project.

The seed for this project was a city-funded study in 2007-2009 (the Coast Highway Vision) that proposed to change Coast Highway from its historic use as a highway to one that de-emphasized automobile traffic.

History of Coast Highway

The city’s main north-south thoroughfare for its first 65 years was Hill Street, which predated the city’s incorporation in 1888.

Between 1913-1918 (accounts vary), Hill Street was paved and became part of the highway linking Los Angeles and San Diego. In 1926, the federal government created U.S. Highway 101 (from the Mexican border to Olympia, Wash.) as one of the first U.S. Highways. Hill Street became part of that highway.

In 1953, the state opened a new bypass to relieve traffic on Coast Highway in Oceanside and Carlsbad. This bypass later became part of Interstate 5.

In 1998, the City Council renamed Hill Street to be Coast Highway in recognition of its historic role.

Coast Highway Vision and Strategic Plan

In 2007, the City Council voted to initiate a master plan for redeveloping the area along Coast Highway, in what became known as the “Coast Highway Vision and Strategic Plan”. To develop the plan, in April 2008, it awarded a $260,000 contract to the Los Angeles office of Torti Gallas & Partners, a land use planning consulting firm.

The consultants and city staff held a series of meetings to share their ideas for changing Coast Highway, and then with various city board and commissions. In their final report the consultants summarized their conclusions:

The Coast Highway Vision Plan … is intended to serve as a blueprint for the revitalization and enhancement of the Coast Highway corridor. through a master design vision, a series of implementation strategies, and a set of design guidelines, the Plan fosters high-quality design and stimulates economic investment by defining the framework and goals for future development.
…
Coast Highway, which runs north-south through Oceanside a few blocks east of the beach and the railroad tracks is currently used as a local auto-oriented corridor, as well as a pass-through arterial for traffic from Interstate 5. The Plan re-envisions the historic highway and its surroundings, based on Livable Communities and Smart Growth principles and transforms it into a pedestrian-friendly and transit-oriented place that attracts both visitors and residents.

In April 2009, the council voted 4-1 to endorse the consultants’ final report. Mayor Wood and Councilmembers Chavez, Lowery and Feller voted for the plan, while Councilmember Sanchez voted against it.

Coast Highway Corridor Study

Efforts to implement the Coast Highway Vision remained on hold for a number of years. However, in August 2013, the city awarded a multi-year contract for the “Coast Highway Corridor Study” with two consulting firms. From 2013 to 2016, the consultants and city state held a series of workshops with city residents, as well as meetings with a city-appointed Steering Committee.

In April 2016, the council voted 4-0 (Feller, Kern, Lowery and Sanchez yes; Wood absent) to commission an Environmental Impact Report on reducing Coast Highway from four lanes to two from the city’s northern to southern border. The EIR is due to be released in early 2017.

About Save South O

Save South O is a group of local residents and merchants who believe South Oceanside is a unique neighborhood. It has its own institutions — a school, fire station, churches, businesses — and large supply of single-family and multi-family homes. It has excellent auto, pedestrian and bicycle access to the beach, shopping, and the rest of North County. Housing still remains among the most affordable of any Southern California beach community.

We know of no other community like this in Southern California. People move here and never leave — or if they do leave, try to come back as soon as possible. Our beaches attract visitors from elsewhere in Oceanside and North County, as do our merchants along Coast Highway. Tourists from Los Angeles and Arizona find this a unique oasis in Southern California, as they have for decades.

We are dedicated to maintaining the unique character that caused us to move here decades ago or (in some cases) remain here all our lives. We want to preserve the community for future generations, including our children and grandchildren. At the same time, we want to work with private and public investment to continue to improve the community while dealing with issues such as traffic, parking and crime.

If you live or work in South O, we hope you will join us in these efforts.