Traffic in Pleasanton

By Jerry T. Thorne, P.E.

We must solve our traffic issues in Pleasanton on a community wide basis and stop the folly of trying to solve them on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis overburdening some and protecting others.

The use of Obstructionist management styles that attempted to solve these problems on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis has "pitted" neighborhood against neighborhood This has resulted in overburdening some neighborhoods while protecting others.

In general, I support keeping traffic moving rather than stopping it or plugging up the city. Also, I generally believe that Council Members, Planning Commissioners and Council candidates should not announce firm support or non-support of the various traffic mitigation elements that either are in the General Plan or have been publically discussed until the entire community has had an opportunity to provide input and the last public hearing has been held.

The one exception that I feel I must make since I am a Registered Professional Safety Engineer in the State of California and since I must remain true to my Professional vocation, is the West Las Positas interchange. I do not support this interchange, certainly without MAJOR safety mitigations. Again, this is for professional and not political reasons.

I believe that this issue will ultimately be decided by the voters. We have spent way too much money and time over-studying it and the City Council should have made this and other traffic mitigation decision 5 to 6 or more years ago.

I also believe that we should continue to support the widening of Hwy. 84 and we should continue to consider all of the other traffic elements in the General Plan or that are under discussion including elements from past General Plans that were in place when the Business Park was developed and were promised to those citizens that voted for the Business Park with the understanding that the traffic load would be shared.

Jerry Thorne