Monterey Traffic Problems

Lighthouse Avenue: The traffic quagmire west of the tunnel has moved this primarily resident serving business district to the top of the list for attention from the City. Experiments with traffic circulation have been painstakingly slow, and have not yet proven successful or won the full support of businesses or the New Monterey Neighborhood Association. As a result, rents are falling, vacancies are occurring, and economic activity is lagging behind the rest of the city. Prospective new business owners are unwilling to commit to investment on Lighthouse until plans are fully implemented and proven successful.

Phase I of the Lighthouse traffic plan has eliminated left-hand turns on Lighthouse. This has improved safety and traffic flow on this busy street, but has been inconvenient to New Monterey residents and customers of the Lighthouse businesses. Speeding has increased for through traffic, making it difficult to parallel park on Lighthouse. Higher speed through traffic is counterproductive to the local serving business community.

Phase II will improve the efficiency of the Reeside and Dickman intersections; Phase III will reinstate left turns west of Prescott. I did not sense confidence among business owners that these changes will solve the problem. At the same time, we have initiated access to the Presidio youth sports fields, but the Army will require access from Private Bolio – further clogging the Reeside intersection with the queue waiting to pass through the gate in the late afternoon.

Solutions are elusive. They will almost certainly involve creation of an exit from New Monterey through the Presidio, which is difficult – but doable if we are willing to pay the cost. I have also heard an interesting suggestion from a property owner there to change Lighthouse to three lanes, which would serve the interests of residents and business, but not through traffic. Consideration should also be given to expanding the pedestrian friendly experience of the Lighthouse. Closing a side street to create parking accessible only from Foam or Hawthorne merits discussion, as does opening up the relatively unused Scholze Park to pedestrian traffic and excitement. Maybe more residents and visitors leaving Cannery Row will be encouraged to get out of their cars and walk Lighthouse, when they realize it is its own unique community.

There are competing and somewhat inconsistent goals to be served, so consensus building will be difficult. But the City must give prompt and sustained attention to this problem because it will quickly become worse. If elected, I will give prompt attention to finding a comprehensive solution to the Lighthouse dilemma.