"San Diego's new airport should be at Miramar: Grand Jury"

Friday, June 8, 2001

Miramar Airport, More Freeways Recommended By Grand Jury
The San Diego (CA) Daily Transcript


The San Diego County grand jury reports that San Diego's new airport should
be at Miramar; that two more freeways can be built, one north-south, the
other east-west; and that there will never be enough money to fund our
transportation needs.

The report argues that building new gates, terminals and even a second
runway at San Diego International Airport, would be simply throwing money at
an outmoded facility.

The report notes the Port District has spent millions of dollars during the
past 25 years and may spend millions more. It also points out that no
suitable replacement for the airport has been identified.

The grand jury is urging the Board of Supervisors to form a countywide
airport district to finance, acquire property for, and construct a new
international commercial airport at Miramar.

The report says the air station should be converted into a civilian airport
despite the fact the U.S Marine Corps has or will soon have spent at least
$100 million to convert Miramar to its use since taking over the inland
facility from the Navy in October 1998. Under the grand jury's plan, the
Marines would then construct a major military airfield at Camp Pendleton.

The idea is not new. In fact in 1996 the voters approved a proposition to
move the commercial airport to Miramar, which was then in the hands of the
Navy, but the military wasn't about to give it up.

Moving the airport to Miramar was just one of the grand jury's
recommendations.

These recommendations were made with the caveat that it will be impossible
to fund all the transportation projects.

"Underfunded projects represent a debt that someone will have to pay in the
future," the report states.

The report said there will be a shortfall of at least $13 billion for
transportation projects, and that the California Department of
Transportation, San Diego County and the San Diego Association of
Governments will have to examine carefully where dollars are spent.

The grand jury suggests that bond issues could pay for a large part of the
region's transportation needs, and that it is critical for right-of-way to
be acquired quickly before the areas are developed.

The report said it is also important to act soon because the average bond
interest cost is currently at about 5 percent per year, while construction
costs are currently increasing by as much as 15 percent annually.

The report said a bond issue should be placed on the next ballot "for the
purpose of planning, to acquire right of ways, to design, to finance, and to
construct, in an environmentally sensitive manner, at least one new
north-south freeway and one new east-west freeway within San Diego County,
with provision for construction of a rail or similar system, or transit
within the right of way of each new freeway," the report states.

This proposition would also provide funds for improvements and or extensions
of state highways 52, 67, 76, 78 and 125, possibly into Baja California and
into Riverside, Orange and Imperial counties.

Other funding sources for projects may include sales tax, property taxes,
development fees, transit fees, toll roads, state and federal transportation
funds and private funds.

The report also said the Transnet half-cent sales tax needs to be extended
to 2008.

In addition, the report complains that the planning and construction process
simply takes too long.

"In some cases, costs of a project can more than double while in the
planning stage. The Oceanside-Escondido rail line is an example of a cost
estimate that has doubled since the first concept was approved,"

The report suggests that for whatever reason, public transportation projects
have been a fiscal failure.

"Only about 5 percent of the residents of San Diego County utilize public
transit, yet approximately 25 percent of the available funds are spent for
its equipment and facilities," the report continues.

The report suggests these hundreds of millions of dollars might be better
spent on new roads and improvements to existing thoroughfares.

In the case of State Highway 76 in north San Diego County, plans have been
in the works to widen the highway for more than 30 years, "yet right of way
is still to be defined and acquired," the report states.

With the new casinos being built along the thoroughfare, Highway 76's
traffic volumes are projected to climb from today's average of about 5,000
cars per day to an estimated 95,000 cars per day.

The report notes that Highway 78 between Oceanside and Escondido is already
severely congested in several places. The highway currently carries more
then 100,000 trips per day and is projected to carry 150,000 trips per day
by 2020 (even with rail service), according to the Sandag projections. This
will be made worse by the fact that north San Diego County's population is
expected to increase 74 percent by 2015. Despite these numbers, the report
says Caltrans, faced with environmental constraints and acquisition costs,
has no plans to widen the highway.

The grand jury report is also highly critical of a recent move by the city
of Poway to delete proposed future construction of Highway 125 through that
city.

The report said "that move is very short-sighted if the growth in population
is to be accommodated."

Transportation in the South Bay got a $25 million boost from Caltrans last
Thursday when funds were approved toward a $218 million plan to bring state
Route 905 up to freeway standards between Interstate 805 and the Otay Mesa
border crossing. The grand jury report also urges that state Route 125 be
expedited so commuters in the southern part of the county don't face what
those in the northern half are experiencing today.

As for alternative transportation, the grand jury report recommends that
both a car ferry and a car-carrying train be instituted between here and
Santa Barbara to alleviate traffic on Interstate 5.

The grand jury also urged moving ahead with a plan to double track the rail
line along the coast of San Diego County including lowering the rail line
through Encinitas and Del Mar. This would include constructing an
environmentally sensitive structure above and below the track where it is
necessary to protect the track, the bluff and the beach.

Grand jury officials declined to comment on the report.

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