Thank you to the 536 members who took action to request that the California Transportation Commission deny funding for further design work for the Richardson Grove Project. Before the California Transportation Commission could vote on the matter, however, Caltrans rescinded their request without stating a reason. I imagine they were nervous that so many people were engaged in what is usually a rote, dry, and somewhat obscure governmental decision process.
What does this mean for the larger project? It’s unclear. In their request for funding, Caltrans billed their funding request as consequential to the project:
The [Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E)] phase is currently 45 percent complete, with a remaining budget of $118,000, which is insufficient to complete the phase….If this request for supplemental funds is not approved, the Department will not be able to complete the PS&E phase and address the operational improvements along this segment of US 101. To address the operational improvements, the project will need to be reprogrammed in a future SHOPP cycle, which could lead to the potential of a project cost increase.
EPIC is still in court to fight the project. We have kept bulldozers at bay for 17 years. Here’s hoping that the project dies a quiet and unmourned death.
We often ask you to take action and email decision makers. You might wonder if that ever makes a difference. Here, it apparently did. Thank you.
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