The Citizens UNDERSTAND!!

On Wednesday evening, a community meeting was held at Taft Elementary School.  The meeting was apparently organized by Councilman Frank Schiavone and Riverside Public Works.  Mr. Schiavone introduced several individuals from Riverside Public Works and the proposed plans for Alessandro were presented.

Notice had been sent out to those residing in the Mission Grove area, bordering Alessandro.  The turnout was significant -- the Taft parking lot was filled with cars and the Taft Multi-Purpose Room was filled with interested homeowners.

Area residents were not supportive of the proposed widening of Alessandro and closing off of access to Cannon Rd. and Trafalgar.  The residents were well-informed and clearly understand the issues involved.  There is a clear difference of opinion and difference of goals between the Riveside Public Works Dept. and the residents who will be affected by their planning.  Mr. Schiavone's position was unclear.  Voters will recall that he was elected after a  closely contested race and a run-off election.  A key issue that brought Mr. Schiavone votes was his willingness to "stand with the community" and (perhaps) oppose the March Globalport development and regional development that negatively impacts our neighborhoods.

Public Works:

Projections show traffic will increase from 40,000 cars per day to 60,000 cars per day.  To accommodate this increase, the Alessandro will be widened to six lanes, access to Cannon Rd. and Trafalgar will be restricted and traffic lights will be sequenced.  The meridian and rain gutters will be narrowed to accommodate the increase in lanes.

Two-thirds of the traffic on Alessandro comes from outside the city.

The "Environmental Impact Report" shows that the noise level will not increase as the result of widening the street.

The Citizens:

Alessandro should not become a freeway to ease the congestion caused by the failure of the Riverside County Transportation Comission to provide adequate freeway development for Moreno Valley residents.  City streets should not be used to solve regional transportation problems.

The increasing traffic on Alessandro is decreasing our property values.

We don't want more lanes on Alessandro.  We have learned through experience that "if you build it, they will come."  A bigger roadway will allow Alessandro to handle more total traffic, but will not reduce congestion.  Already, drivers are cutting through our neighborhoods to avoid the congestion on Alessandro, despite the presence of two right turn lanes from Arlington to Alessandro and other "congestion relief" such as widening of Alessandro that has ocurred.

The EIR is not believable.  It is absolutely impossible that traffic and the number of lanes could be increased by 1/3 without increasing the noise.  And in any event, noise is not the only issue.  Alessandro creates a dirt (and pollution) issue for the neighborhood as well.  In addition, the traffic travels to fast and is a danger to local residence attempting to merge into Alessandro.  Traffic is a danger to school kids catching city buses to go to school.

We want adequate traffic lights and other arrangements for ingress and egress.  Why do commercial developments get brand new traffic lights, but our neighborhood is not entitled to them?  If the new development exceeds the adequacy of the available roads, why is so much new development being approved?

What is the status of the Overlook extension?  Would it benefit or harm the flow of traffic in our neighborhood?  (Many believe this will be a benefit and want it completed.  On the other hand, one might question whether an Overlook to Canyon Crest thoroughfare would become an alternate route for commuters travelling the 91 to 60 to Moreno Valley.