By TRINA COFFMAN-GOMEZ
This article is a continuation of a series of transportation articles to inform the public about what is currently happening in the transportation sector throughout our county.
There has been such a polarization and passion of opinions about what the future of our transportation will look like that I thought it best to share where we can all reach a consensus.
Hitting the pavement and identifying the common ground
Based on all the reports, meetings, discussions and presentations I have been involved with along with other commissioners and members of the public, I see the largest areas of common ground that we can all agree on are the following:
• Action needs to be taken to improve our infrastructure now.
• Two-thirds of the voters supported a half a percent sales tax measure to be invested in our transportation infrastructure with the establishment of a committee to ensure transparency of funding these projects.
• Establishing short-term solutions and identifying how to achieve long-term goals. We don’t have the ability to complete everything on this bucket list all at once and every project will take identifying where the money will come from to pay for them.
• We have an inadequate infrastructure of our highway, which has created a parking lot for moving our passengers.
• Our pathways and streets have not had the necessary funding to be adequately maintained nor expanded to alleviate the pressure that our population density has created in our county.
• The quality of life in Watsonville has created a transportation disadvantaged community for our underserved families in the south end of the county.
• Creating and supporting safe pathways for pedestrians and bicyclists that stretches to both ends of the County for the greater good.
• There needs to be a better way to reach out to all of our residents.
Please look for the next segment of this series of articles where I will include clarification of the facts of the most frequently asked questions and resolve the most common misconceptions that have been stirring around our community.
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Trina Coffman-Gomez is a councilwoman for the City of Watsonville and is also the city’s representative on the Regional Transportation Commission. She is writing a series of articles this next month to break down the information on the decisions and projects the RTC will identify to improve moving people in Santa Cruz County.
