September 15, 2004

By COREY YOUNG ARGUS-COURIER STAFF

It's a major issue for Petalumans -- how to deal with all the cars and their effect on city streets.

As the race for Petaluma City Council gets under way, it's an issue that can be seen in ongoing street repaving, a looming question for voters about a Rainier connector and a mandate to plug potholes that almost made this year's ballot (and may be back in 2006).

The three successful candidates who emerge from this year's five-person race will join their council colleagues in continuing to deal with traffic flow as part of deliberations over new development, the rebirth of the downtown area and the future growth of the city.

Spence Burton

Candidate Spence Burton feels that long-term planning is essential to addressing the city's transportation and circulation needs.

"We can't fix years of neglect of infrastructure overnight," he said. "All new growth must fully pay for capital construction of necessary facilities and roads and for ongoing maintenance and related service issues. All new growth needs to pay its fair share; it is just common sense."

When it comes to funding street repairs, Burton's proposal is that "a portion of all income initially generated by new growth should be set aside in a regular 'maintenance' program for our entire infrastructure, especially our streets."

As for a crosstown connector, Burton said it shouldn't be built "to encourage massive growth, either in our sensitive flood plain area or where existing services would be too costly to expand."

He supports November's Rainier advisory vote "in concept," but he has problems with the way it is being put to the voters.

"People need to know that even if everyone in the entire city agreed to build a full Rainier interchange and crosstown connector 'right now,' it would be at least 10 years before it could be built if all went perfectly," he said.

If the advisory vote shows strong support for exploring a Rainier connector, "of course I would listen to the voice of the people as any good representative of the people should, but I would place any 'specific plan' for the buildup of the interchange (and all of its related costs, impacts, etc.) on the ballot as a separate issue once a full and detailed plan was created and vetted," he said.

Karen Nau

Candidate Karen Nau said the city is fixing its streets by making sure they remain a priority.

"The city is correcting the needed street repairs by making them a priority and not postponing needed repairs," she said.

As for a Rainier connector, Nau is supportive.

"Petaluma needs a cross-town connector at Rainier to eliminate the traffic problems of East Washington Street, especially when new retail is built at the Kenilworth location," she said.

Another focus of the city should be Highway 101 off- and on-ramps at the future site of a Rainier connector, "to eliminate some of the traffic while Washington Street is being improved, and then proceed on the Rainier crosstown connector," she said.

Mike O'Brien

Councilmember Mike O'Brien said the city needs to address its transportation and circulation needs.

"As a council, we committed to spending $15 million over five years," he said. "Two and a half years into that promise, we have spent $20.8 million. While we have a long way to go, we are off to a great start."

O'Brien calls the creation of a crosstown connector at Rainier a "necessity," and adds that a southern connector is needed as well.

"We need the infrastructure to serve a city this size, not one of 20,000," he said. "The advisory measure is necessary to eliminate any rhetoric saying that the crosstown connector is unneeded. Let the people speak and make it definitive. Once this is made a priority, we can find the appropriate funding sources."

Cindy Thomas

Candidate Cindy Thomas says with too many cars on the roads and very few transportation options for traveling in Petaluma, the city needs to research additional freeway ramps in town.

"The four existing ramps in each direction are not adequate," she said. "We need crosstown connectors which serve the needs of all four of the city's quadrants."

Thomas says she is not in favor of a Rainier connector.

"Ten years is too long to wait for the project to be completed and I don't believe current traffic conditions show the need for a Rainier connector," she said. "I'm in favor of the Rainier connector measure being put on the ballot, as this will make it clear to the City Council where the public stands on this controversial issue."

As an alternative, Thomas says she is in favor of enhancing the Corona connector and extending the Caulfield connector over the Petaluma River. Such a project would deposit westbound cars on the south end of Petaluma Boulevard, "creating a north approach to the downtown area and providing relief at the Lakeville and D streets traffic signal."

In regard to the planned development at Kenilworth, the city could redesign the on-and-off ramps at the Lakeville Highway and at East Washington to provide relief and access to the Kenilworth site, she said.

In addition to the widening of 101, Thomas advocates rail transit between Sonoma and Marin counties and the passage of Measure M, the countywide quarter-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot. It would do much to "improve highway traffic congestion in Petaluma and would also address the street surface problems on our county roads," she said.

The addition of downtown trolley service and increased bus service could provide relief as well, Thomas said.

"We need to manage future growth in Petaluma before we can manage our traffic situation problems," she said. "The overall traffic congestion solutions are there -- we need to continue researching all the possibilities with full public participation in finding those solutions."

The real challenge comes in the funding, she said.

"Depending on the solution, the city may be able to seek existing funds available from state or federal agencies. Special assessment districts may be a possible funding solution and one which I could support."

Pamela Torliatt

Councilmember Pamela Torliatt said the city needs to continue to focus on improving its infrastructure.

"During the last three fiscal years, I have supported the expenditure of over $28 million for maintenance, repair and reconstruction of local streets," Torliatt said. "Long-term funding sources for infrastructure improvements will be a challenge due to the lack of state funding."

Local streets and roads bear an additional burden of vehicle traffic due to the county's inability to widen Highway 101, she said.

"If we can continue to support the widening of 101 and alternatives like rail, that will help relieve some of the congestion on our local streets and roads."

Torliatt noted that five different options for a crosstown connector were evaluated by the council, including Old Redwood Highway, Corona, Rainier, East Washington and the Caulfield extension.

"Focusing solely on Rainier may put us at a disadvantage," she said. "I believe that we need to pursue a southern crossing and keep the City Council's promise to widen Old Redwood Highway."

Torliatt supported a "Responsible Rainier" advisory measure on the ballot, "which would have ensured that the City Council would not add 27,000 additional car trips to city streets," she said. "The mayor and I proposed to have both advisory measures on the ballot. This option would have allowed the citizens to have a choice of how much traffic relief they want for Petaluma.

"Unfortunately, the majority of the City Council did not want to allow the citizens an option to have a choice."

(Contact Corey Young at cyoung@arguscourier.com)

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