It’s untrue to say that the 241 will cause more development. There are just two landowners along the route. Camp Pendleton is one and we don’t expect development to start popping up there. The other landowner is Rancho Mission Viejo, which already has entitlements to build 14,000 homes and five million square feet of commercial space. Those projects will be built whether or not the 241 is completed. The 241 was planned to hug existing and planned development as closely as possible. It just makes sense to plan for the development that has already been approved. The folks who move into these new homes will be flooding local streets and clogging up Interstate 5 if they have no alternative route.
The 241 is smart planning for growth that will occur, whether we plan for it or not. Our focus is to ensure that it is planned with the utmost sensitivity. State and federal agencies (the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, United States Marine Corps, United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans) chose this alignment after six years of study. Although some people suggest widening I-5 instead of building the 24, widening I-5 would cost Californians an estimated $2.4 billion and displace hundreds of homes and businesses and there are no state or federal funds to pay for it.
— TOM MARGRO