In his San Rafael Blog, Richard Hall writes about the disasterous consequences of Plan Bay Area becoming a reality.

     Richard Hall's Blog Planning For Reality: Plan Bay Area – A Recipe for Transit Disaster Plan Bay Area proposes massive spending to encourage switching from using cars to transit. Is this cost worth the benefit? Will the needle even move the right direction - could CO2 actually increase?

Posted by Richard Hall, May 17, 2013 at 11:34 am http://sanrafael.patch.com/groups/richard-halls-blog/p/bp--planning-for-reality-plan-bay-area-a-reci...


     Having read Richard Hall's article regarding the costs of Plan Bay area it is interesting to find that one Marin County Supervisor is caught between her original lobby to prevent growth along the freeway, acknowledge the effects of climate change on rising sea levels and somehow rationalize Plan Bay Areas goal of infill development in San Rafael's low lying areas.


     In recent Plan Bay Area discussions we finally see a modicum of push back from Susan Adams against the Plan Bay Area Draft vision of putting poor families in infill development along transportation corridors but only because these areas are likely to be under water due to global warming.


     Global Warming Theory is the basis for SB375, from which Plan Bay Area emerges. Bay Area regional agencies say we must reduce GHG's by lessening the percentage of cars and light trucks on our roads and freeways. Neither SB375 nor the current Plan Bay Area takes into consideration that new technology as well as federal guidelines, developed to reduce CO2 emission.

     For the most part we have many government agencies failing to align policies to see what practical and economical measures can be implemented without adding additional regressive taxes to what Bay Area residents must already pay.


     Another significant issue is that money raised from gas taxes continues to drop as motorists respond to conservation efforts by purchasing hybrids and reducing time spent on the roads and freeways. This is a no win situation with the government seeking new ways to add taxes on the backs of motorists rather than reduce spending.


     The long term costs of Plan Bay Area's faulty assumptions may destroy our economy, the character of our cities and the quality of suburban/rural life by forcing people to live as if every city were an urban center. Why would anyone move to the suburbs just to live near the freeways? Isn't it incredibly selfish of Marin County Supervisors, whose homes are protected from new regulations but who expect working families to accept the New Urbanism's plans for future growth?