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Greenbelt Alliance In the News

June 12, 2002

Report emphasizes sprawl-limiting transit

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That's what various open space and transportation groups want to prove to Solano County. They say building more roads to solve congestion creates more congestion, as well as spurs what they call "sprawl."

"When we build new roads, people drive more and fill up our highways," said Jeff Hobson of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition.

The group released a 23-page Solano County transportation report Tuesday emphasizing transit. Other sponsors are the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, the Greenbelt Alliance and Surface Transportation Policy Project.

"We can't build our way out of congestion," Hobson said at a noontime press conference in front of the county courthouse.

The report comes as the Solano Transportation Authority works on a spending list for a $1 billion, 20-year transportation sales tax measure. The measure, which would raise the local sales tax by a half cent, could be on the November ballot.

The authority will discuss the spending list today. It meets at 6 p.m. at the Suisun City Hall, 701 Civic Center Blvd. Authority board members represent the county and its seven cities.

Some business leaders want to spend the bulk of the sales tax money on highway projects. They see doing things such as fixing the Interstate 80 and Interstate 680 interchange as a priority.

Hobson said the interchange project and improving Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon in western Solano County make sense. But he wants more sales tax money going toward environmental mitigation and creating more pedestrian and transit-friendly downtowns.

Supervisor Duane Kromm is concerned about making road improvements to Highway 12 in the eastern county. The proposed sales tax spending list gives $165 million to road projects that would spur growth, he said.

"I think that's a big mistake," Kromm said.

Ernest Kimme, chair of the Solano County Orderly Growth Committee, wants the STA to study the most cost-effective way to reduce congestion. The committee spearheaded Proposition A, which restricts most growth to cities and bans it from rural Solano County.

"Essentially, the STA is rushing pell-mell toward November with a plan to spend $1 billion of taxpayers' money, and they have no proof it will work," Kimme said.

The business community might be convinced that spending less on highways is better, Hobson said.
"Business people look at the bottom line," Hobson said.

Employers he's talked with emphasize road projects, said Steve Lessler, who represents small businesses on a county transportation sales tax advisory committee.

Others on the committee urged the STA to spend more money on highway projects such as I-80 and I-680 interchange, to make certain the job gets done.

Now, as the STA readies its final spending list, the debate between transit advocates and highway construction advocates continues.

"I realize the balancing act they have to do," Hobson said.

But he want the authority to lean more toward the transit side.

Barry Eberling can be contacted at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.

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