CALTRANS HOLDS JAMUL MEETING AUG. 5 TO DISCUS HIGHWAY 94 MITIGATION
By Leon Thompson
August 3rd, 2015 (Jamul, California) - CalTrans is holding a public meeting on the State Route 94 Improvement Project including traffic safety issues related to the Hollywood Casino Jamul on Wednesday, August 5th from 5 to 8 p.m.at the Cottonwood Golf Course, 3121 Willow Glen Dr. El Cajon.
Caltrans, the State’s highway engineers, have proposed road improvement to portions of State highway 94 to handle the increased traffic including major road widening, turn lanes, lane painting, guard rails, signage, traffic signals and exit lanes. The Jamul tribe has expended substantial sums to help fund improvements as mitigation for the new casino.
However some residents think the mitigation doesn’t adequately address all the problems, particularly near Steele Canyon High School and on Otay Road. Steele Canyon road is especially important because of all the foot-traffic and teen drivers; Otay Road is the shortest distance to the casino from the Otay border crossing.
The Jamul Action Committee, which opposes the Jamul casino, contends that the proposed $16 million is not enough to cover the proposed mitigation and that taxpayers will pick up the balance.
The JAC has filed numerous lawsuits that have not yet proven successful though the suits remain pending in the courts.
The JAC is now suing Caltrans and compiled a chart showing accidents on key sections of Highway 94.