The other day I attended a meeting on the 17th floor of the Metro Tower. From this vantage point, I not only looked out over our beautiful City set around the lagoons and parks but also the surrounding cities. The serenity of this picture was a calming backdrop to the cars streaming by on our main thoroughfare through town.
With three major redevelopment projects in the works, residents are beginning to monitor the Planning Commission’s study sessions and voicing concerns about traffic congestion increasing. It is true, traffic congestion is real and we continue to experience it as new businesses see our community as the place to work and live.
For those of us who purchased homes back in the 70’s, we are seeing that this well planned community has matured and evolved. The quality of services that are provided here, in large part, is due to a well balanced growth of the business sector.
We can’t stop the growth, but we can certainly plan for its effects on our daily lives before it comes to fruition. Public transportation is a vital component of congestion relief strategies. We must take more aggressive action to create general awareness of the needs as well as the benefits of public transit.
The Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance (the Alliance) is San Mateo County’s Transportation Demand Management Agency. It was established in 2000 with a mission to reduce the number of single occupant vehicles traveling throughout the County, in an effort to improve air quality.
The Alliance has promoted a variety of programs for commuters and residents to use alternatives modes of transportation such as SamTrans, CalTrain and BART, as well as increased employer participation in an effort to get people to try transit.
With our increased awareness of the environmental effects of carbon emissions, the Alliance has spearheaded such programs as: Try Transit campaigns, created carpool incentives for work and school, Bike to Work incentives, shuttle programs, to name just a few. Carpooling is one of the most appealing commute alternatives. Within that framework, the Alliance also offers an Emergency Ride Home program in the event of an emergency. They’ve pretty much covered all the bases.
Here in the outlying areas of the major cities of the Bay Area, we have relied on our vehicles for most work and school related trips. The word suburb was once synonymous with being able to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities. That is no longer the case.
The urban sprawl has linked together the major cities around the Bay Area very tightly. Given that realization, in addition to our environmental concerns, it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to try public transit at least once a week and see the benefits. I believe we need to create an efficient and reliable source of connectivity among our cities and within our own community to realize the contributions that public transit will have on our quality of life.
I encourage you to check the Alliance’s website: www.commute.org and see which of their programs can work for you. It is vital for us to implement a new wave of conservation effort and meet the challenge of getting people out of their cars in order to preserve our environment.
I look forward to your comments on this and other issues. You may contact me by email at lkoelling@fostercity.org or call me at( 650)286-3501.
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