Double Tracking Issue

Dear Friends and Neighbors:
On March 10, our community came together to send a message that we will not
stand by while our last remaining coastal wetlands are sacrificed in the
name of sprawl. We started a grassroots movement to save the best of San
DiegoCounty for future generations. And we spoke truth to a transportation
planning process that is out of control.
It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
Thank you for joining me on March 10 to take that first step.
While I can’t do this alone, I can and I will make every effort to keep you
informed. You can help by forwarding these messages to your friends,
family, and neighbors, in Del Mar, SolanaBeach, Encinitas, CarmelValley,
and elsewhere.
Shortly, I will send each of you a picture (in the form of a jpeg file) that
shows the two routes that Caltrans and SANDAG are now studying, and want us
to believe we must accept. Notwithstanding a comment made by Caltrans on
March 10, they have indeed made many decisions already, rejecting other
proposed routes (e.g., along the Del Mar bluffs), and refusing to even
consider the I-5 route that many of us are persuaded is best, for our
communities, for those who travel through our communities, and for those who
wish to enjoy the beautiful beaches and wetlands that define our
communities. We want nothing less than to force these planners to remove
this mistake from all of our lagoons, and onto the existing corridor inland.
It can be done, and it must be done.
I will write to you soon to give you an update on the steps taken since
March 10 to enlist our elected representatives in our cause. As you know,
San Diego City Councilmember (and California Coastal Commissioner) Scott
Peters has set the Gold Standard, by publicly declaring that he will oppose
the train promoters’ plan to run a heavy diesel railroad through Penasquitos
Lagoon State Preserve. We are now asking Mayor Dick Murphy, Supervisors Pam Slater-Price and Ron Roberts, Representative Randy Cunningham, and others to rise to that standard. The Torrey Pines Community Planning Board has passed a unanimous resolution to oppose the Penasquitos plan, and we have asked the Los Penasquitos Lagoon Foundation to make a similar, clear statement of opposition to any such routing.
Thank you for being part of our March 10th Coalition, and stay tuned.
Best,
Donald F. Billings, CFA
P.O. Box 567
Del Mar, CA 92014