Vox Populi on Transportation
Recently, California newspapers ran the headline “Amtrak Funding Continues” after President Bush signed a resolution in February, 2007 that continues funding for most federal programs, including Amtrak, through the end of fiscal year 2007. The good news is that ridership on Amtrak has increased in eight of the last nine years because of rising gas prices. The Pacific Surfliner, which services Oceanside (starts in San Diego and runs through Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo), is the second busiest rail corridor in the U. S. with 2.7 million riders in FY 2006, more than 68 percent higher ridership than FY 2000.
Why is this important to Oceanside and north county? The Oceanside Transportation Center ranks number 11 in the list of busiest in the state of California, and this ranking doesn’t include the ridership of the North County Transit District buses, Metro-Link, and Coaster. After the Sprinter begins operations in late 2007, the Oceanside transit center will truly be a multi-modal (intra-modal) hub (pedestrians, cabs, buses, trains, autos) using different frequencies and distances.
As the Oceanside transit center expands, it creates an opportunity to manage the growth corridors and development. The elements in these transportation areas need to be integrated to achieve maximum benefit for the community. A few years ago as the Sprinter was planned, Oceanside studied the possibilities of mixed use development along these transit routes. Now, the Oceanside city council has created an Oceanside Blvd Task Force to define the vision of the transportation corridor. The task force consists of 15 citizens, including me, who will begin this process on April 18. The expectation is that in six months, the recommendations of the task force will be completed.
I appreciate the opportunity to serve on the Oceanside Blvd Task Force. I would like your suggestions about how the vision of the transportation corridor including Oceanside Blvd should proceed. Send them to me at oceanside1st@cox.net. All of your
suggestions will be addressed.
Lawson Chadwick
lawson's profile and blog posts 
April 3rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
What exactly is the Oceanside Blvd Task force going to be responsible for? ‘Setting a vision’ for Oceanside Blvd sounds pretty generic…. What power does it have or can it only make suggestions? Will it have nay clout at all?
Most importantly, how is the whole Charger’s stadium possibility going to affect this commission?