Surfrider Foundation Save Trestles Interview
FirstStoke.com recently spoke with Marty Benson of the Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego chapter to discuss the Save Trestles campaign and understand the impact of the toll road project.
How will the extension of the 241 toll road affect the San Onofre State Park and Trestles?
The proposed alignment of the 241 toll road extension will decimate the largest of four parcels of land that comprise San Onofre State Park. The construction of this project poses an enormous polluting impact in the forms of:
1. Vast carbon footprint
2. Lighting associated with nighttime operations
3. Noise Pollution
4. Construction Debris.
In addition to the pollution related to construction, this project places automotive traffic in protected conservation and mitigation areas. This automotive traffic poses noise and light pollution, atmospheric and particulate pollution.
This project will require millions of cubic feet of cut and fill (leveling of naturally occurring topography created by thousands of years of erosion.)
The specific impact to the park would be devastating. The construction of the proposed 241 Toll Road would cut through the middle of the largest parcel of San Onofre and lead to the closure of as much as 60% of the park. The road would also lead to the closure of all 161 campsites in the San Mateo Campground, which is the most popular of the campgrounds in the San Onofre park. The prospective closure of these campsites is particularly egregious because they are low cost overnight visitor serving accommodations in a region where vacation rentals are extremely high priced. This resource is heavily used during vacation season, and it offers a natural, inexpensive coastal vacation experience to folks who may not be able to afford the majority of the alternatives in the area.
Why is the TCA pushing so hard to build a toll road that will, according to many experts, not relieve traffic as much as other options?
The TCA has a vested interest in creating infrastructure, whether or not it helps the people and traffic situation. Their very existence depends on creating and maintaining great sums of debt.
When the TCA builds a project, they sell bonds to raise the money to pay for its construction. Then they are supposed to pay that debt off with the revenue that they raise through the tolls charged to users of the project. From the moment that the road’s construction is finished, CA taxpayers bear the burden of the road’s maintenance. When they pay the debt off, the road is intended to become a freeway.
However, the longer the TCA delays paying off the debt, the longer they stay in business. That means that the TCA is best off spending as much money on new and existing projects as possible. Their ideal scenario is one where they never pay off their debt. The reason they seem to have an endless supply of funds for PR, lobbyists, lawyers, and “studies” is because the TCA is a financial shell game which is best played by purposefully avoiding their “goals”.
As far as relieving traffic is concerned, new roads create traffic. Period. Specifically, the TCA’s high-priced toll roads provide a taxpayer-subsidized workaround for rich folks to circumnavigate traffic. The TCA’s roads create an unrealistically low commute time for the minority, which exacerbates unsustainable southern Californian dependence on automotive transportation.
What is the desired outcome of the Department of Commerce hearing at the Del Mar Fairgrounds?
We would like for the DOC to uphold the California Coastal Commission’s decision to reject this asinine project.
Who has the most to gain by the toll road being built?
As explained above, the TCA can continue to leech money from the public and private sectors by going further into debt. However, the developers in the undeveloped corridor of the proposed 241 toll road stand to make a great deal of quick money if the road is built. This road would essentially open up tons of open space to more development in the current suburban sprawl model.
How has the surf industry come to the aid of the Save Trestles campaign?
The surf industry recognizes the importance of the natural open space in and around San Onofre, particularly because it is directly uphill from five of California’s best surf spots. Their assistance, in terms of funding, has been extremely helpful to the grassroots opposition to this project. But, the surf industry’s ability to help us reach the masses has been their most important contribution to our cause.
I have read a lot about destroying a “coastal watershed.” What exactly is a coastal watershed?
A watershed is basically a geographical region which collects rain and precipitation into a common low point.
In addition to coming out to the Department of Commerce hearing in Del Mar, how else can people get involved in the Save Trestles campaign?
As with any cause, the most important way to get involved is to educate yourself. This is a very complex issue, but anyone can understand even the most difficult nuances herein with a little time. Our success depends on an open and transparent dialogue being held by the public. Our outreach efforts include everything from hanging posters in coffee shops, to signing petitions, to heavy duty Federal litigation. The most important characteristic of this campaign is that we have a unified opposition at all levels of involvement.
Go to SaveTrestles.org and read for a while. If you’re invigorated, you will certainly find a niche for your desired level of involvement.
Photo By: CraigCoppola.com
