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Lois Henry: Refinery's effect on traffic nothing to sneeze at
| Friday, Apr 11 2008 5:22 PM
Last Updated: Monday, Apr 14 2008 7:53 AM
While everyone’s busy freaking out over the proposed Big West refinery expansion because they work with some nasty chemicals and that crud might get out, I’d like to point out something vitally important that’s been overlooked — me.
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Specifically, my commute, Rosedale Highway and the possible 115 extra trucks per day that Big West’s EIR predicts would bring to the road I love to hate.
Rosedale Highway needs 115 more trucks a day like it needs a hole in the head.
The county tells me truck traffic from the refinery, which they calculated at 70 new trips a day, is a drop in the bucket compared to daily trips attracted by the Northwest Promenade shopping center of 5,000 to 10,000. But drops add up.
Like all the new retail popping up on Rosedale. The developments aren’t Promenade size, but the impact still packs a punch. Heck, the Hooters just down the road is sure to cause backups all the way to F Street.
Yes, hydrofluoric acid is serious stuff, modified or not, and so is the need to increase refining capacity, at least until we’re all putt-putting around in flying cars like the Jetsons.
Local leaders must balance those issues with a strict eye to caution.
But who’s watching out for me!? Er, Rosedale Highway?
The city got that $700 million windfall from retired Rep. Bill Thomas for roads and set aside a measly $26 million to widen Rosedale to six lanes from Highway 99 to Calloway Drive, which wasn’t great but it was better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, I suppose. (When we might actually see backhoes in action depends on when the city will come up with the needed $3 million in matching funds. Construction had been set to start at 2010, but we’ll see.)
Meanwhile, the city approved a couple smallish commercial projects at Rosedale and Allen Road and the county approved a 10,000 square-foot (67,000 square feet at full build out) retail center at Fairhaven Drive (where the Hooters is being advertised) smack between the refinery and Highway 99.
That doesn’t even include stuff in the offing, such as a proposed Target store and retail center expected to bring nearly 400,000 square feet of retail and 23,000 square feet of fast food/restaurant space to Rosedale and Renfro Road and, of course, more houses.
Then there’s another massive, 225-acre — 1.6 million square feet of retail and 1 million square feet of office space! — proposed project just south of Rosedale at Coffee and Brimhall roads.
In case anyone hasn’t thought of this, and it appears they haven’t, adding more traffic to Rosedale without any serious road improvements is not helping.
The planned widening project was already too little too late. Allowing more and more retail plus what may be coming from the refinery is like local government imitating one of those naughty “Calvin” cartoon decals “watering” motorists on Rosedale Highway.
And don’t even get me started on that Landco Spur railroad crossing that continues to vex commuters on a nearly daily basis. The later you are to work or an appointment the greater your chances are of being stopped by the train — and the longer it will linger for seemingly no reason dead on the track. Seriously, I think Vegas could make book on it.
An overpass/underpass would cost as much if not more than the entire widening project, $25 million to $30 million. There is no Thomas money designated for the overpass/underpass, but the city will be asking for $15 million in Proposition 1B money in June and if we get it, I’m told Thomas money will be freed up to match what we get from the state.
Yes, fixes are in the works. But the fixes are on a much slower schedule, it seems, than the development that’s allowed to race forward, putting more and more cars on already overloaded roads.
The county finally came around with an increased traffic impact fee, from about $6,000 to $12,000 per home, and a bond of $150 million for roads. While the city has set higher interim fees on developers, it’s still working on a permanent increase due out in June or July. They’re planning to do their own bond, possibly up to $200 million in the next three or four years.
It’s hoped that money will help pay for several projects to alleviate Rosedale traffic, including a new interchange at 7th Standard and Highway 99 (construction starts May 1 — yay!) widening 7th Standard Road (going out to bid in December — yay, again!), the Hageman flyover connecting to Golden State Highway over Highway 99 (funding is still being sorted out, so no timeframe) and, of course, connecting Highway 58 to the future Westside Parkway (options still being discussed/debated/argued over so no time frame here either.)
Meanwhile, we're stuck. Sort of like sitting behind a convoy of Big West fuel tankers at the Landco Spur. Lois Henry’s column appears Wednesdays and Sundays. E-mail her at lhenry@bakersfield.com or call her at 395-7373.