Traffic plan won't bring development
The Herald's View
Editorial

Monterey County Herald
Posted on April 22, 2007

With the amount of construction going on in and around San Benancio Canyon, and the amount now on the drawing boards, it's understandable that some Corral de Tierra residents are worried about changes proposed for three key intersections on the Monterey-Salinas Highway.

Yes, it's true that eliminating traffic bottlenecks can be an inducement to growth. Put another way, crowded highways can help slow development. That's why Santa Cruz County environmentalists have fought so hard to prevent widening of Highway 1 between Aptos and Santa Cruz, which has led to monumental traffic congestion.

But the relatively minor projects proposed for Monterey-Salinas Highway have the potential to significantly improve traffic flow between the two cities while doing little to help propel the various development proposals through the planning processes.

Monterey County officials propose to address bottlenecks at Laureles Grade Road, Corral de Tierra Road and San Benancio Road principally by adding
additional left-turn lanes. An extra turn lane at each of the intersections would, at least theoretically, cut the time that Monterey-Salinas commuters spend
staring at red lights.

As it stands, morning rush-hour traffic at Corral de Tierra stalls both eastbound and westbound traffic. In the evening, the Laureles Grade intersection becomes an even bigger barrier to reasonable traffic flow.

Reducing some of the congestion would make the highway  safer and take some of the stress out of what is, for many, a difficult commute. It would not, however, improve things dramatically enough to undermine area residents when they play the traffic card as they oppose proposed developments. The neighborhood already has ample ammunition in its fight to remain semi-rural. Among other issues, there's the inadequate water supply, the threat to wildlife habitat and the threat to what is now a scenic corridor.

Adding to the development fears, of course, is the reality that part of the Corral de Tierra area would be designated a growth center under GPU4, the
county-backed general plan headed for a June ballot showdown against the Community General Plan Initiative.

But keeping the highway congested only means more delay and more traffic hazards. It is not the way to settle the development debate.