Caltrans Relents on Highway Barriers in Balboa Park

After a proposal to build a traffic barrier along tree-lined California 163 through Balboa Park met with protests at City Hall, Caltrans officials said Wednesday that they will look into alternatives, including lowering the speed limit.

Caltrans District Director Jesus M. Garcia asked the City Council’s Committee on Rules, Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations “to keep the door open” to plans for guardrails that would run from the Laurel Street overpass to near the Robinson Avenue overpass in order to prevent motorists from crashing into trees.

But, he said, Caltrans will look into at least three other alternatives: lowering the speed limit through the park, making shoulders narrower than 8 feet to avoid removing any trees or doing nothing. Garcia said doing nothing is “absolutely” a possibility.

$911,000 Price Tag

Caltrans has said the barrier project, which would cost $911,000 and would be installed during fiscal 1991, is necessary because of an increase in fatal traffic accidents along the stretch.

However, Deputy Mayor Judy McCarty called for the project to be dropped because she said Caltrans has failed show that it is needed.

“In the last two years, 50 million people drove through Balboa Park and one person was killed and that person was drunk,” McCarty said. “I do not see why we should take this any further.”

Garcia said a comparison of numbers of fatal accidents on four-lane highways throughout the state showed California 163 had a higher percentage of fatalities than the statewide average, which is 0.016 expected average fatality per million vehicle miles. The Balboa Park stretch had a 0.027 rate, Garcia said.

Caltrans spokesman Jim Larson said there were 18 accidents on California 163 in the last three years that involved trees. Twelve of those accidents caused injuries to 14 people, two killed two people and four caused property damage only.

Liability Payments

Caltrans has spent $38 million in “highway-oriented” liability payments statewide since July, Garcia said.

Don Wood of the environmental group Citizens Coordinate for Century III told the Rules Committee that the City Charter calls for Balboa Park to be used for “recreation, education . . . and not roads.” He said the group opposes any plans that would remove trees or grass.

City Councilman Bob Filner, whose district includes Balboa Park, said: “None of us want to do anything that would not remedy the safety situation . . . (but) I think that Caltrans must offer us something that will enhance Balboa Park.”

Caltrans also plans to add a 1,000- to 1,500-foot section to the ramp connecting California 163 to Interstate 5 because of traffic problems, but the project has been put on hold “because we don’t think this is the right time to deal with it,” Garcia said.

Garcia declined to say whether the project was put on hold because of complaints from City Hall.

The Rules Committee recommended that City Manager John Lockwood further discuss the barrier project and its alternatives with Caltrans officials and report back to the council.