To TAF Members and Supporters:
Thank you all for supporting our efforts towards creative long-term solutions to the island transportation dilemma.
In spite of differences, we have stood together to address our unique and often overwhelming challenges, mostly stemming from systemic, long term neglect of the two busiest streets in Coronado. What we need to do now is demand RESPECT, from ourselves first, and then the community.
After looking at this day and night (literally) for 19-months, I believe there are areas we made great strides and areas of unfortunate failure.
The greatest failure was that we did not fight hard enough to have traffic enforcement during the Caltrans speed study and our PACE Car initiative never got off the ground that would have had a big impact with shifts making the loop while the counters were up. Had that occurred the speed likely would have remained at 25mph on SR75, from Bridge to Orange (Please remember, speed on 282 did not increase).
Our greatest success? That was reclaiming our 282 region history and garnering a new respect for that portion of Third and Fourth as the Avenue of Heroes. The program did not extend to SR75 because of resident concerns about too much existing signage.
We were able to make our greatest challenge – base traffic – our crown. I realize many residents still do not approve of this initiative. I just happen to disagree with them on every level and at every argument. Those who support it need to speak loudly to not let negative voices tear down this unifying project. This initiative has given us an opportunity to know our neighbors and what they contributed and sacrificed. Because of them, we can enjoy the lifestyle we so appreciate in Coronado and beyond. I hope you are reading and sharing the biographies with family – and especially our youth.
I have also heard it argued the banners should go on Orange Avenue. I disagree wholeheartedly because it is the history of North Island, not South Island.
I have had others argue the name changes of the parks, Triangle to Pendleton, and Palm to Glenn Curtiss, were presumptuous, and the other names were a hundred years old and should have remained. The names were actually – officially given to the parks in the 1970’s, and held no meaning that unified our neighborhood. The parks belong to all residents of Coronado equally, not just those living around them in close proximity. That matter went to the public in the form of newspaper notifications, an online survey that selected those names, flyers, and at City Council meetings, where they voted in favor.
The second highest achievement was TAF’s early work in investigating the toll plaza and discovery of the Crisis Phone not working that led to the launch of the “Coronado Bridge Collaborative” group – spearheaded by Rhonda Haiston, Christina Curtin, Sherry Boucher, Karen Dwinell, Dulce Schaefer, and others, who attended county-wide meetings, toured the Crisis Line facility, checked the phone regularly, and more. The new group with the addition of Jennifer Lewis hopes to end suicides and the resulting traffic stoppage on our roadway. This was a victory for life and transit on our roadway.
From my observations and new-found awareness of how truly complicated it is to have real solutions for our overburdened Third and Fourth Streets, I may have identified specific areas I hope some of you might agree to speak and write about to keep the pressure on for a long term solution. We cannot just leave this problem to yet another generation to solve.
A. First and foremost, Coronado must create a meaningful MISSION STATEMENT and a set of value-based Guiding Principals. Without these, there is no compass. The community is left with elected leaders with no framework to adhere to when making decisions. This is the reason they often appear knee-jerk reactive and seem to vote in favor of the loudest or most influential group that just happens to be present for that particular meeting. When there are stated shared values, it is much easier for leaders to withstand public pressure and to vote in line with those values. The current Mission Statement is not even on the city website, and is useless as a pillar.
B. Next, Third and Fourth Streets can no longer be neglected and must have TRAFFIC CALMING for children, grandchildren, seniors – and all who have to cross the corridor, or live along it. We just can’t bear the traffic and its mismanagement is now spilling onto all streets, equally unmanaged.
C. Coronado must develop a long-term NOISE MITIGATION PLAN in collaboration with agencies, organizations, the navy, businesses, and neighborhood groups – who have on-the-ground perspectives. There is an unfilled position for a Noise Enforcement Officer in the Department of Community Development in the city of Coronado that should be heavily utilized. Please take the time to read that in the Municipal Code in the city website. http://www.codepublishing.com/CA/Coronado/#!/Coronado41/Coronado4106.html#41.06
D. Coronado must initiate a COLLABORATIVE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN that coordinates and evaluates future projects in a holistic manner. THE MAYORS CHALLENGE and VISION ZERO are good models for starters.
E. Coronado must have IMPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION to major use areas, such as the airport, Balboa Park, and Old Town trolley – to minimize traffic by tourists, locals, and encourage use by base and resident commuters.
What needs to happen on a community level is a cultural shift that no longer accepts our neighborhoods along Third and Fourth as “less-than.” I often have to remind people who say hurtful things like “all the houses should be leveled and a freeway or parking lot should replace them,” or, “you chose to live there so why are you complaining,” that we are taxpayers also. We get no discount for bearing most of the unmanaged traffic.
One gentleman recently argued that “everyone on Third and Fourth got paid off to mitigate loss of property values and noise, traffic, etc.” What he did not consider is that many of those people who were paid in the 1990’s, took that money and bought a home elsewhere on the island, where they still reside. Most did not apply the money as intended to sound-proof or otherwise fortify their homes, and either sold or now hold as a rental. Praise should be given those who stayed and honored the intention of those funds. The newer residents did not get any benefit from the funds. Unfortunately, now the money is being drained by uncoordinated projects due to no collaborative transportation planning by the City…such as the round-about on Pomona. That was passed after Coronado City attorney argued Pomona is a feeder street to the corridor to no opposing voice.
To move the discussion forward, it is important to share the most common suggestions for “fixes” to traffic on Third and Fourth, and why we have learned they won’t work.
1. Speed Bumps: This is the top suggestion. Third and Fourth are Transit routes. Meaning the busses use them. Speed bumps are not allowed on transit routes. Period. End of discussion.
2. More Enforcement is the solution: This part of the solution and is improving. However, when residents are pulled over they demand special treatment. Residents who are disrespecting our families lives and should simply stop speeding. This will pace traffic and teach visitors to slow down as well. We need to lead. I took lots of video of traffic flowing, and guess how many folks from town I got shots of? I was told by a woman when showing speeders terrorizing our quiet street that I was being a “vigilante” for sharing the picture. Then she went on to say that she “would speed by my house just to spite me.” Maybe she was in the shot?
3. A very common recommendation is that Logan Heights and Barrio Logan should become off island parking with Bussing of naval personnel and employees: This is suggested so often that I am no longer shocked. Although, I am embarrassed and saddened by the lack of neighborly empathy. Those neighborhoods were devastated at the very core by the installation of the Bridge and the navy’s seizure of their entire beach. To suggest they be our parking lot and have all our traffic pour down their streets is unconscionable. They would fight to the bitter end, as would all other harbor cities. I would probably be standing right with that neighboring community. This idea is off the table for too many reasons to count.
Most importantly, to truly have change, we corridor residents have to believe we deserve respect. As Dr. phil says, “you teach people how to treat you.” Most residents have accepted negligence as a normal expectation of living along the corridor. They have been silenced by constant demoralizing arguments about how they don’t deserve any better because they chose to live there. This is tantamount to saying that any group of people in a dangerous situation should leave rather than promote positive change. Our nation is all about making what is wrong – better, improving inequality, and honoring another’s right to pursue happiness. That would also just leave the problem to others to have to fix, maybe our own children.
This is where we, as TAF residents, need to address derogatory comments outrightly as unkind, elitist, and disrespectful.
I often have people say, “Third and Fourth Streets are state highways, and so a lesser quality of life should be expected. Actually, Third and Fourth Streets are a “Residential District” and that has altogether different implications, and should have stricter consequences for breaking laws and destroying property. Second, Orange Avenue’s shopping district is the same state highway as the bridge and into town. There are traffic calming measures, people cross at all intersections – on foot, bike, assistive devices, or vehicle, and that area is also beautifully maintained and laws constantly enforced. Why can’t some of the Toll-funds be utilized to contract beautification-calming and maintenance from Caltrans as is done for the rest of that highway through town? We will be asking that of the City Manager at the next TAF meeting.
Here are a few suggestion to use to show our friends and acquaintances in the broader community how they can respect our neighborhood. I honestly believe they don’t know how offensive they are being. They need to be told. Discounting our neighborhood has become a social norm, and that must change. They need TAF Sensitivity Training.
– tell them we deserve no less than any other streets. Being state highways does not give anyone license to speed past our homes and put our families at grave risk. Abide by the laws in place. Get your muffler checked for noise. Stop when anyone is in a crosswalk until they are all the way out of it to protect their life. Don’t block intersections or alleys when queued in traffic. Don’t honk and give us room as we struggle in between cars to get out of our vehicles. Drive lower than the speed limit so at next speed study the posted limit is reduced.
– ask them to use appropriate crossings rather than our letter streets and alleys. Go to the lights. Plan drive time better.
– ask them to not complain about our cars blocking their view as they dart across the corridor. What they need to consider as they whiz by is that our cars parked in front of our homes serve as safety bollards and prevent wayward cars from hitting our houses and loved ones. They should be reminded that if we don’t park in front of our homes, we will have a recurrence of what happened when that was the law. Guess who took their parking spots? Did they think our cars would be airlifted to some parking garage in the sky?
– gently remind folks to consider that the city design calls for other streets to share the traffic burden. And ask that they do not always lobby for Third and Fourth Streets to bear more than our share. Encourage them towards holistic social responsibility rather than self-advocacy.
Finally, we need to change the cultural beliefs around Third and Fourth Streets. Similar to how Mothers Against Drunk Drivers changed the social norm that drinking and driving was an expected behavior. Or Vision Zero, that argues against the social norm that traffic deaths are an excepted consequence of modern life. TAF social norm needs to say we are not here for your convenience, we are a living, breathing, wonderful, unified neighborhood. Respect that! Any suggestions for a TAF slogan or acronym?
Toni Mc Gowan
*note, Toni is no longer administering the FB page. Therefore, she can no longer be confused as a spokesperson, rather, simply what she always was – a Proud Member of TAF using the right of free speech and access to local government – like hundreds of Taffers.
Links to new TAF FB page and Website:
Website: http://www.tafneighborhood.com
