Traffic Congestion

By Gus Morrison

We are attacking the problem from three angles: improving existing transportation systems, developing attractive alternatives to driving, and shortening the commute by building the job base closer to home

As one who commuted into Silicon Valley for 31 years, I know that we cannot rely on adding lanes to highways alone to solve the commute problem. I served on the steering committee that developed the Measure B transportation improvement package to be presented to the voters in November. Measure B will provide money to extend BART to Warm Springs and San Jose, provide funds for ACE train service, add HOV lanes to I-680, and provide alternatives to the automobile in the Dumbarton corridor. I also served on a committee with Newark and AC Transit that developed a new transit plan to provide better service while protecting neighborhood streets from the impact of buses.

We continue to improve our computer-controlled traffic signal system to facilitate the flow of cars on the major streets. We have added turning lanes at congested intersections, and we just activated our first of ten red light violation photo enforcement systems.

The last six years have been among Fremont's best years for economic development. We are now building the job base for our future and shortening the commute for those who get those jobs. The good news is that although our General Plan was based on a projected population of 325,000, it now appears that we will top out at about 225,000. All along, we have been building an infrastructure based on the larger number, which means that at completion, it will be more than adequate for the foreseeable future.