Hundreds Hike With San Clemente On Toll Road Trek

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — The San Clemente City Council openly opposed a Toll Road expansion through South Orange County public space. On Sept. 16, residents were invited out to hike through public land with council members, naturalists, and city personnel. Over 200 residents and concerned citizens attended the hike, according to San Clemente public information officer Laura Ferguson.

"We went on hike, and over 200 people trucked up the hill in the open space. The naturalists talked about everything from the various plants and critters, birds, mountain lions, and everyone got a nice education," Ferguson said.

The City of San Clemente wanted to educate the public about the lawsuit, the toll road proposed expansion, and what the city hopes to accomplish.

According to a release, the City's lawsuit does not challenge the TCA Save San Onofre's Settlement Agreement, but challenges the collateral Protective Agreement that binds TCA and Caltrans to a solution that would be "ruinous for San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano and all park land."

Documents provided by the City of San Clemente show that 72-percent of San Clemente voters approved the San Clemente Open Space Ordinance (measure V) to deter over-development.

Bottom Line:
You shouldn’t start a freeway until: (1) you know where it’s going to end and (2) you’ve analyzed the environmental and socio-economic consequences of that terminus. Thus, Los Patrones Road should not be converted to a toll road without CEQA/NEPA compliance.

"It was encouraging to see that many people were aware and cared enough to see what the alignments would look like," the city will be donating to the nonprofits the naturalists represent.

Hikers, at the end, were grateful to the city and council members for orchestrating the event. They're worried about the future, but they had fun, according to Ferguson.

The naturalists were great with the people. The hikers learned what was in their own backyard, including naturally growing artichokes that bloom purple on the hillsides and the bright yellow with wild mustard plants.

Signs along the hiking trail declared "Not my toll road," which were removed after the hike. Rocks hand-painted with the same messages were put around the path for hikers to find.

As for battling the Toll Road expansion, "It's a marathon, not a sprint," Ferguson said.

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Courtesy Photos, city of San Clemente