The Foothill-South Toll Road would run through and devastate one of the most popular and beloved state parks in California – San Onofre State Beach – without providing any meaningful solution to Orange County’s long-term congestion problems.
Yet proponents of the Toll Road are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a PR campaign designed to perpetuate a host of myths about the Toll Road.
Here are the real facts about the most commonly heard myths being spread about the Toll Road:
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Impacts to San Onofre State Beach |
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MYTH: If the Foothill-South is built, “the park can continue to operate as it does today.” The Toll Road would not significantly degrade the camping and outdoor experience in the Park.
FACT: The California Parks Department has concluded that the toll road would become the dominant feature of the inland portion of the park and would likely force them to abandon nearly 60% of the park.
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MYTH: The toll road does not set a precedent that threatens other state parks.
FACT: This is an unprecedented project and the first time in California that a purely local governmental agency has taken State Park lands for its own highway purposes.
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The Importance of San Onofre |
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MYTH: Because San Onofre is presently leased, it is not as important as other state parks.
REALITY: San Onofre is the 5th most visited of the 278 state parks in California comprising the California State Park system.
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Permanence of San Onofre State Park |
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MYTH: San Onofre is not a “permanent” part of the California parks system because the federal government owns the land.
FACT: President Nixon, Governor Reagan, and the California Legislature have all made clear that San Onofre is to forever remain a state park.
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MYTH: Wildlife and endangered species will be protected if the Foothill-South is built.
FACT: The toll road would destroy habitat for eleven threatened or endangered species under federal law.
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MYTH: The San Mateo Campground is merely an “overflow” campground.
FACT: The San Mateo Campground is the most popular campsite in the park.
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MYTH: None of the 161 campsites in San Mateo Campground will be removed by the toll road.
FACT: If the toll road is built, all 161 sites in San Mateo Campground will be unusable as recreational areas and likely shut down.
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Authority to build the toll road |
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MYTH: The lease between the State and the federal government specifically authorizes the construction of the Foothill-South Toll Road through San Onofre.
FACT: The lease pre-dated the toll road by a decade and expressly prohibits the federal government from approving any right-of-way that would interfere with park operations.
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MYTH: The Marine Corps has recommended that the toll road go through San Onofre.
FACT: The Marine Corps has not taken a position on the toll road alignments to date, except to express concern about the military and environmental impacts of any alignment through Camp Pendleton.
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Federal and State Approval |
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MYTH: Federal and state resource agencies approve of building the Foothill-South through the park.
FACT: No State or Federal agencies have issued approvals for the project, and several State agencies have sued to block the project.
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World-Famous Trestles Beach |
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MYTH: The Foothill-South would not impact the world-famous Trestles Beach.
FACT: The six-lane highway would run over four miles through the watershed that feeds Trestles Beach, thereby degrading water quality and jeopardizing surfing conditions.
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MYTH: The Foothill-South will actually enhance water quality in the area.
FACT: Building super-highways does not, never has, and never will enhance water quality.
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Relieving traffic on Interstate 5 |
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MYTH: Construction of the Foothill-South is justified because it will relieve traffic congestion on I-5.
FACT: The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) has concluded that the Foothill-South would not meaningfully relieve projected traffic congestion in Southern California.(1)
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MYTH: Expansion of the I-5 necessitates the taking of hundreds of private homes and businesses.
FACT: Major improvements to the I-5 and other existing roads will need to occur with or without the Toll Road and can be easily designed to avoid most or all displacement of houses and businesses.
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Interference with traffic congestion improvements |
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MYTH: The Foothill-South will not interfere with needed congestion improvements in south Orange County.
FACT: A “non-compete” agreement would bar the State from constructing certain needed improvements without compensating TCA for lost Toll Road revenues.
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MYTH: The Foothill-South is an environmentally friendly, “green” alternative.
FACT: The Foothill-South is one of the most environmentally damaging projects in California.
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MYTH: The Toll Road will be affordable for the average citizen.
FACT: Exorbitant toll fees will preclude the average citizen from riding on the Foothill-South.
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MYTH: The Foothill-South will be constructed and operated at no cost to the taxpayer. It is a cost-efficient solution to the region’s traffic problems.
FACT: Orange County toll roads have and will continue to be high-risk traffic solutions, which cost millions of dollars in public funds.
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More About The TCA - A History of Fiscal Missteps At Taxpayer Costs |
History of the TCA
After a lull in Caltrans construction of new roadways in southern California area in the mid-1980s, Orange County officials embraced toll roads as a way to help alleviate traffic congestion.
In 1986, two joint-powers authorities, the Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency and the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency, were created in Orange County for the purpose of planning, financing, and operating toll roads in the county. Membership is made up of local elected officials from the areas where the toll roads would be created.
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Quotes about the Foothill-South Toll Road |
Quotes about the Foothill-South Toll Road Reagan Quote: “This is a momentous and proud day for California – it is the culmination of many months of dedicated effort by many people to enhance and preserve California’s grandeur and beauty. I firmly believe one of the greatest legacies we can leave to future generations is the heritage of our land, but unless we can preserve and protect the unspoiled areas which God has given us, we will have nothing to leave them. This expanse of acreage, San Onofre Bluffs State Beach, now has its future guaranteed as an official state park. However, its preservation still remains with those who use the park. As stewards of this land, we must use it judiciously and with a great sense of responsibility.” California Governor Ronald Reagan, Press Statement, April 3, 1971.
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Fix the Five, Save the Park |
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Fix the Five, Save the Park
Alternatives to the Toll Road
The problem of traffic congestion in Orange County can be addressed by improving existing infrastructure – widening I-5 -- an alternative approach that the toll road proponent, the Transportation Corridor Agency (TCA), has downplayed, mischaracterized, or ignored altogether. That should be no surprise, given that their mission statement that the agency’s sole purpose is to develop and operate toll roads.
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