Toll Road Agency Holds Secret Meeting To Approve Project

We learned last week that the TCA held a "Special Meeting" to approve plans for their so-called "Tesoro Extension," the first 5 miles of the 241 Toll Road that would end up paving over a large portion of San Onofre State Beach and connect with I-5 near Trestles.

Previously we were assured multiple times that the TCA would hold public workshops and have an open comment period to take input on this project before approving. Instead, they put an agenda on their website with less than 48 hours notice, notified nobody, and then held a vote.

Here you can see the TCA's Environmental Director Valarie McFall explaining to community members last summer how there would be a lengthy process allowing the public to weigh in.




This behavior, while not entirely unexpected of them, is outrageous!  They are clearly trying to bypass public scrutiny in order to get started building their previously rejected road. Thousands of people went to the Coastal Commission and Commerce Dep't meetings in 2008 to express their views on this project, but the TCA is now locking them out.

Not only is this the wrong way for an agency to conduct business, but the TCA is already on shaky financial feet (as recently reported in the LA Times) and have no real plan for getting out of their mountain of debt. Now, rather than listening to cooler heads, they make a unilateral decision to take on hundreds of millions more in debt in an effort to steamroll their way towards San Onofre and Trestles.

If you are disturbed by this behavior we encourage you to send the TCA an email with your thoughts.  Let them know that you are outraged at the lack of public input for the Tesoro Extension and that you wish to have the opportunity to weigh in on their plans.  Send your email today to clerkoftheboard@thetollroads.com