Submitted by Toni McGowan
See also Why Won’t Coronado Take Over its Portion of SR 75
Around the county, cities are taking back their streets, and turning them into resident friendly neighborhoods.
Most motorists are too busy driving to notice that the half-mile stretch of Third and Fourth Street from Orange to North Island is a separate State Highway; route 282, but it is.
Coronado has an opportunity to turn this ‘other’ highway back into a city street in a process of relinquishment.
SR282 has been mischaracterized as part of beleaguered SR75 – that includes the Bridge through downtown Coronado to Imperial Beach, and all the potential costs and problems that highway holds.
Because 282 and 75 have been lumped together as one state route historically, civic leaders again and again lack confidence that city management of our own street is possible.
Even Coronado’s current Mayor does not separate the highway distinctions of 282 and 75 and thinks “…our problems on 3rd/4th/Orange are bigger than the City of Coronado and should be addressed by the State, not the City.”
If 282 were considered for relinquishment on its own terms; instead of as part of the regional and complicated transportation network of 75, that discussion would look at two residential streets with 25mph speed limits, permitted parking, with organized single base traffic patterns, parks, and marked designated school crossings.
SR75 is far more challenging; with a two-city owned high speed bridge, the only hospital access, few breaks for safe crossings on a 35mph stretch to Orange Avenue, three base traffic, all day tourist traffic, local off-island commuters, a suicide bridge, ghost toll plaza, a recent history of a serious and a fatal injury, and multiple law enforcement jurisdictions, to name a few.
282 has none of those challenges. It should be considered on its own merit. It is also the Avenue of Heroes.
Caltrans officials reported they thought 282 already was relinquished when discussions with former TAF first began. Council just needs to ask city staff to explore the possibility and request a break down of actual costs from Caltrans, which has never been done. Literally, that is all that is needed.
The future of the neighborhood could then be determined by elected leaders and neighborhood groups instead of state officials from as far away as Sacramento.
That first step could eventually be the model to re-imagine the possibilities for SR75 – for those who may have lost hope.
Toni McGowan
