HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/28/2018 Item 1, Jud Planning Commission SLO, San luis Ranch, Coordination with Fwy �'�nterchange
Eugene Jud,CP CE/ENVE Emeritus,Fellow Institute of Transportation Engineers(ITE),June 28,2018
Summary
Untangling San Luis Ranch from the freeway interchange makes sense, because this
interchange may only be built in a very late phase or not at all. (Remember the negative ballot
vote in 2004). Today we do not even have an interchange project in front of us, because
Caltrans is still working on it. So what should the Planning Commission tell the Council?
Probably: WAIT...
Current Road Concept is not SLO 2020 but Los Angeles 1960
Economic:The "US 101 Corridor Mobility Master Plan" of December 2014 by Kittelson Ass.
gives a very negative monetary rating to the Prado Road Interchange: Cost $52 Mio, Benefits
$ 31Mio. (Return on your money: 0.6). So far Caltrans has not given any explanation for this.
This looks like a financial monopoly game, premature, not environmentally friendly, not
pedestrian and bicycle friendly, detrimental to tourism and downtown, dumped on a freeway
of high scenit value (see map in City's Conservation Element). Regional truck traffic (227 to 101
and to airport) is on highly disturbing routes near residences.
Of course we need more different land uses on both sides of the freeway and especially low
cost housing. But how do we produce low cost housing, when we first build a high cost
Road megastructure, and the costs are then passed on to the renters?
Outlook
We must have a convincing urban concept from Broad St. to Laguna Lake (No piecemealing
EIRs!).This will put SLO on the map based on the dramatic coming changes of people's
behaviors, environmental challenges and technological developments. We have a good
mobility concepts for the downtown but more to do on the outside. Sketches are around, e.g.
from Cal Poly CE/ENVE and CRP students.Transportation Demand Management (TDM) must be
pushed much further as e.g. in Davis CA, Boulder CO. or in Europe in Freiburg im Breisgau (D).