Members of the North Bay/Peninsula Traffic Task Force continue to chip away at traffic issues and problems plaguing motorists in the Midway area.
Task force members met Wednesday, April 11, at the Hampton Inn to address a host of issues, including progress on the Rosecrans Street corridor plan, the impact of redevelopment projects at the former Naval Training Center Promenade and the status of the proposed I-5/ I-8 conjunction ramps.
Launching into the latest in a series of incremental discussions, task force members followed up on plans to improve traffic flow along Rosecrans. In October 2006, the city of San Diego applied for a California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) community-based transportation planning grant of about $300,000.
If approved, the grant will fund a study to examine ways to improve traffic flow and access to the peninsula, according to Joe Mannino, chairman of the Traffic Task Force and executive director of the North Bay Association. The traffic task force will most likely carry forward with the issue if the funds are approved, Mannino said.
Various community planning boards and city leaders have already submitted letters of support as part of the grant application process, and city staff expects an answer from Caltrans in May, said Siavash Pazargadi, a senior traffic engineer with the city’s transportation planning office.
“You got [the support], just work on the money,” Mannino said.
The study would evaluate several issues surrounding the Rosecrans corridor, including the possibility of opening up Sports Arena Boulevard at Rosecrans. Currently, Sports Arena Boulevard ends, forcing drivers onto Rosecrans. By extending Sports Arena Boulevard to travel through Rosecrans, traffic congestion would be eased, Manino said.
While plans may relieve traffic headaches down the road, residents of the Point Loma community continue to express immediate concerns.
The Rosecrans median presents an inconvenience for residents on the west side of the road, according to Greg Robinson, a representative of the Peninsula Planning Group. The raised median ” installed as part of the Liberty Station development plan ” prevents residents from turning left onto northbound Rosecrans.
The current design forces residents to drive south on Rosecrans and make a U-turn at an intersection to reverse direction, said Julio Fuentes, senior traffic engineer for the city.
But the current design also takes into account the anticipated increase in traffic volume that will accompany improvements to Liberty Station, he said. As the traffic volume at Liberty Station increases, continued restriction of access to northbound Rosecrans would help traffic flow, safety and access to the entire area. If drivers were allowed to make a left onto Rosecrans, that could possibly cause backups and greater traffic congestion as motorists wait to turn, Fuentes said.
This presents an inconvenience to residents west of Rosecrans, many of whom voted against the future improvements to the NTC Promenade, Robinson said.
“Old [residents] don’t like the new people coming in, and that’s a fact,” Robinson told task force members. But the interests of a few dozen families who want better access to Rosecrans may be outweighed by the interests of several thousand people, said Melanie Nichols of the Midway Planning and Advisory Committee.
Meanwhile, Matt Awbrey, a representative for District 2 Councilman Kevin Faulconer’s office, updated task force members about efforts to improve the Interstate 8-Interstate 5 conjunction.
Interstate 5 southbound does not connect to Interstate 8 westbound. Also, Interstate 8 eastbound from Ocean Beach does not connect to Interstate 5 northbound. This results in a hefty traffic buildup in the Midway area, Awbrey said. The long-term goal of Faulconer’s office is to have the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) fund a study and eventually pay for the connectors, Awbrey said.
The task force last met Sept. 21, 2006, and is scheduled to meet every couple of months. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in July, said Awbrey.
The task force is comprised of community organization representatives including the Midway Planning and Advisory Committee, North Bay Association, Old Town Chamber of Commerce, Old Town Business Improvement District, Point Loma Association, Peninsula Planning Group, Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and the North Bay Project Area Committee.
Faulconer assembled the North Bay/Peninsula Task Force in March 2006 with the goal of providing a forum for residents to meet with representatives from the city to work on alleviating traffic problems in the area.