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Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006 | Call me a NIMFY, but if the port finds that it is a good idea to become a more commercial port they need to take it south out of downtown San Diego, and make sure transportation infrastructure is intact and plan on the huge impact it on traffic and road maintenance and the quality of life for the people who reside in the vicinity and along the freight routes.
I’m from St. Louis and I can tell you how annoying it is to wait for 45 minutes for the freight train to cross the tracks. The port needs to look at the environmental impact of the increase of trucks that will subsequently be on our roadways and highways as they move the goods that the port successfully brings in to town. It is not just the money they make as freight come to and through the port, but the huge impact the community sustains as the goods move through the “neighborhood.” From traffic, to air and noise pollution, rail routes and truck traffic can be a true source of degrading the quality of life for the urban core of a city. There is nothing exciting about being stuck behind and in between trucks.
I have always loved the fact that our highways have relatively few trucks on them. This is because we don’t bring a lot of stuff through here. I promise you, the quality of life changes dramatically when you do. Personally – I moved here because I like living on a cul-de-sac, so please look at our tidelands as part of our home and make sure the deliveries do not come to the “front porch.” We have a lot of friends and guests coming over so please be sure to keep the front yard attractive and open for welcoming our guests and visitors and folks that live and work here. Make plans for a “working waterfront” that places importing and exporting, storage and shipping freight in an area that does not impact recreation, shopping, dining, working and transportation in the inner city.