SANDAG Buying the 125—Will this Impact Lemon Grovers?

If you haven't read or heard on the news lately, the SANDAG board is in the process of buying the 125 toll road (aka Southbay Expressway).

There are reports that with the purchase, toll costs could go down from $4 to about half of that as seen here: http://lemongrove.patch.com/articles/price-of-the-spring-valley-otay-mes...

While the drop in tolls may seem appealing to some, what does this mean in the bigger picture for us in Lemon Grove and the region on the whole? Perhaps quite a bit (skip next paragraph  to get to shorter version).

In the world of confusing rules and regulations running from the State level down to the regional level, there are many reports and studies that must be done when trying to build new projects. One of those reports required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is to inform the public and governmental agencies about the environmental impact in the area. So everything from roads to natural habitats are considered and if it doesn't meet the requirements set forth by the CEQA, alternatives are required.

One small portion of the CEQA is called the EIR (Environmental Impact Report). To my knowledge, this report is required when new construction projects are in the planning phases of being built and it covers more things than you can imagine. So for those of you who think that its pretty simple to just “build” in your own city, think twice. There is a TON of legwork that is required and it can easily take years to come to fruition just to get through all the red tape.

So how does this affect Lemon Grove and neighboring communities along the 125? Perhaps quite a bit in the long run. In 2003 the EIR report that was done did not account for a couple things as it related to the 125 toll road:

—Increase in traffic with tolls lowered or removed, and

—The third border crossing with traffic coming up from Mexico.

Increased traffic on the 125 coming up through Lemon Grove and surrounding areas can dramatically impact not only commute times but health. While there is no data to support how much traffic will be coming through, it's worth noting that this is something to keep a keen eye out on when SANDAG votes to buy this road in Decemeber.

What say you on the matter? Do you think this will curtail a better quality of life in Lemon Grove?