For an Aliso Canyon Bridge

On Aug. 19 I attended a “demonstration to protest the proposed bridge over Aliso Canyon.”

I had gone with the intention of maintaining an open mind about this situation. It did not take too long into the demonstration of about 100 residents to realize that there was no room for an open mind. The half-truths and outright false statements by the organizers were enough to make me question their motives.

From the beginning, the gathering appeared to be a “recall of Hal Bernson” rather than a “stop the bridge” event. When Mr. Bernson was described in negative terms, I remembered how this same Bernson responded so quickly when I recommended that traffic lights be installed at an intersection.

S & S Construction was presented in many negative terms, yet they developed the area in which I live. They sold me a fantastic house in a beautiful, well-planned setting. After more than six years, I cannot picture a developer that could be more pleasant to work with.

The demonstrators stated that if the bridge were built, not only would traffic be increased, but crime would follow. Have any of them seen Sesnon Boulevard in the evening when it is used for drag-racing and drug dealing? The traffic lights that they said would have to be installed at Reseda Boulevard and Beaufait Avenue should be there now because of speeding on Sesnon and Reseda by local residents rushing to the Simi Valley Freeway and Valley shops.

The claim was made that Sesnon was designed for local traffic. Why was it made 90 feet wide rather than 40? Why are there no driveways leading onto Sesnon between Tampa Avenue and Beaufait if it is for local use only?

Perhaps the most critical need right now is decreasing the danger of a serious accident at Sesnon and Beaufait. The city of Los Angeles has installed heavy-duty guard rails to stop any vehicle that is out of control as it moves east at Beaufait. There is a much smaller rail 200 feet farther east, at the edge of Aliso Canyon, that may stop a slow-moving vehicle. However, the first guard rail is usually partially broken because of out-of-control vehicles hitting it. Before it can be repaired, there is almost no protection to prevent a vehicle from falling into Aliso Canyon. Additionally, if a vehicle heading west on Sesnon becomes lost, there is no barrier to prevent it from falling into this deep canyon.

Why not build the bridge over Aliso Canyon now before someone gets killed? What is the price of a life?

OSCAR EITLAND, Northridge