Battle to Come: State Bill vs. Last Tollway Route

Toll road officials have geared up to fight a proposed state law that could block their preferred path for the final 16 miles of the county’s tollway system.

Despite opposition by environmentalists and some government officials who question whether the Foothill South tollway is needed at all, toll road backers have vowed to complete the entire 67-mile network, which provides an alternative to the county’s clogged freeways.

Officials with the Transportation Corridor Agencies are most concerned about a bill introduced last month by state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Los Angeles). The bill, which goes to committee April 13, would prohibit the building of any road, building, power line or other structure through California state parks unless the project is approved by two-thirds of both houses of the Legislature. The route toll road officials want to build splits San Onofre State Beach in half.

The agencies say the link is essential and plan to ask local city officials and other agencies to write letters opposing the bill. A form letter of opposition could be sent out as early as next week.

“We do feel the Foothill South was one of the projects targeted by this resolution,” said Steve Letterly, director of strategic planning for the toll road agencies. ‘But we think it has negative implications beyond our project, possibly affecting water and power companies and the building of anything inside a state park.”

The effort to defeat the Hayden bill is just one part of the agencies’ efforts to get the road built. Walter Kreutzen, the agencies’ new chief executive officer, has made building the $644-million Foothill South his main priority since taking over the reins in January. To accomplish that goal, the agencies have stepped up public relations efforts in recent weeks.

Michelle Hart, a former aide to Gov. Pete Wilson, worked on such controversial issues as Proposition 209, which banned government affirmative action programs. Hart started work as a community liaison this week and will focus mainly on the Foothill South project.

“There is a lot of information about the Foothill South people want to know,” agencies’ spokeswoman Lisa Telles said. “Michelle will be making sure that everyone is aware of the project and what we are trying to achieve.”

This month, a newsletter on the status of the Foothill South project was launched, with an update on progress of legislation affecting the plan. Foothill South updates were also added to the agencies’ Web pages.

Kreutzen would like to break ground on the road by 2001 and open for commuters two years later.

On Tuesday, toll road officials issued a news release hailing the fact that the last of three federal agencies--the Environmental Protection Agency--signed off on a federal statement affirming the need to explore solutions to ease future traffic problems in South County.

But officials at all three agencies said Tuesday that the statement does not specify a new highway, or even a road, as a way to solve expected traffic problems on Interstate 5 by 2020. It could allow alternatives such as public transit or widening Interstate 5, federal officials said.

“This is one of the first, smaller hoops. There are many bigger hoops in the future,” said Mark Durham, section chief for the Army Corps of Engineers regulatory branch.

Attempts to get the road built, in fact, have already proved to be the most contentious process yet for toll road officials, who faced a good deal of litigation and opposition on the 51 miles of road already in operation. Hayden’s bill was viewed warily by tollway board members at a meeting Tuesday.

“I think it really kind of smacks of something,” said Irvine Mayor Christina L. Shea, a tollway board member. “I don’t think it is coming from a pure standpoint where [Hayden] is concerned about the environment of the entire state. It bothers me.”

Aides to Hayden said last week that defeating the Foothill South project was not the bill’s goal. Hayden said he objected to any plans to pave over state land for roads and believed many others in the Legislature shared his opinion.

Foothill Fight

The Transportation Corridor Agencies are gearing up to fight opponents of a final 16-mile section of toll road they want to build in South County. A main issue is whether the road will be allowed to cut through environmentally sensitive land.