Be good neighbors

In today’s world there are many "interests" that need to be satisfied before buildings, roads, parks, etc. can be built. Usually, after every conceivable committee, commission, elected official, and many times the voters themselves have given notice, the cost becomes so prohibitive, the proposal is abandoned and the situation only gets worse. This is what is happening with the 101 Freeway that parallels the Santa Monica Mountains.

A compromise and cooperation with several local, county, regional, and state and possibly federal agencies will be required to resolve this situation. Because transportation is so vital to our nation’s economy as well as its defense and safety, certain roads, corridors, etc. need to be well planned and usable to all people.

The situation we have now does not provide a choice for all people. Even if you only have a few miles to go, there is no alternate exit or road to take. If you have a long distance to travel, you have no alternative other than to travel in the wee hours of the night. If you need to arrive at an airport at a designated time, there’s no assurance that is possible.

This becomes a nightmare for the occasional driver and a chronic headache for the driver who relies on using the 101 Freeway for his/her family’s livelihood. It deprives children/wives/husbands of family life. It is producing children who are either motherless or fatherless. It is putting more stress on our schools for early-care/after-care as well as requiring more police to supervise and patrol our streets while the breadwinners are trying to return home safely and in time to interact with their family. It’s a vicious cycle.

Is there a solution? Perhaps. Have we considered using the Santa Monica Mountains to provide this passageway to points west and north? Throughout the United States engineers have solved these problems by providing a toll road as an alternative.

I remember before these toll roads were built—gridlock, parking lots of cars, and this was in the 1950s! Here we are in the 21st century and we have no choices. We need to look at our families, our economy, our safety, and our quality of life. Perhaps the recently completed "Backbone Trail" over the Santa Monica Mountains will provide inspiration to make a trail for vehicles and rapid transit to enjoy these vistas and provide an alternative mode for breadwinners to once again be a part of the family. It also may have additional benefits such as providing access during high fire alerts, earthquake alternatives, flooding, as well as more access for everyone to enjoy our mountain parks and the precious wildlife within and surrounding them.

Elaine McKearn

Thousand Oaks