Gaspar coalition prevails over Ikhrata on SANDAG bait-and-switch

Escondido Times-Advocate:

Last week a coalition of cities led by Escondido Mayor Paul McNamara and Poway Mayor Steve Vaus, but with a strong assist from Supervisors Kristin Gaspar of the 3rd District and Jim Desmond of the 5th District persuaded the SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments) board to reprioritize some monies for the roads.

Before Friday’s vote the staff had proposed a set of priorities that moved a large share of funding from TransNet that had been approved by the voters for road improvements for Hwy 78 and Hwy 67 to mass transit. This had fomented something of a revolt among cities that were affected by the vote.

At Friday’s vote the board voted to include $600 million on a spending plan to could add new lanes to Hwy 67 and 78 and prioritize improvements for Hwy 52.

After the vote Gaspar commented, “The vote represented a huge win for our coalition. By allocating the necessary funds to the 67, the 78 and the 52, we have taken a big step in the right direction. I am cautiously optimistic, but we must remain vigilant to ensure our priority projects are completed.”