Traffic Problems Call for Compromise

* Referring to two recent articles about traffic problems in our Beachmont Street area, I feel some cogent points have been missed.

1. The Ventura City Council, because of citywide neighborhood traffic complaints, directed city staff to develop a citywide traffic calming policy. The staff did.

2. The council then reviewed and adopted the policy, which includes 29 suggested traffic calming measures; 27 of those are admittedly unworkable in this situation. This leads to the compromise of partial closure as the least disrupting solution.

3. The traffic situation is an area problem. (Seaview Street has requested its own traffic-calming measures.) The compromise solution solves an area problem, not a Beachmont problem.

4. Marina business hours are incompatible with “normal” residential rights to peace and quiet. Businesses are open from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., with traffic at all hours. Three council members were quoted, on another issue, as supporting residents’ rights regarding quality of life.

As with most issues, this has become a political football and an emotional exercise. Sticking to the facts and adhering to established policy will resolve the problem with the minimum amount of disruption.

Compromise. Isn’t that what politics is all about?

ANDREW SOTER

Ventura