Free the 5

Freeways serve the Majority.
Toll roads serve few.

The ONLY SOLUTION to I-5 flowing thru South County is to Fix-5-now.

A $12 (one-way) toll road at Basilone Rd. serves few - and ruins everything.
Are you going to pay $12 to take a toll road? No.
You're going to stay on the Free-5.
But, what if your Free-5's not fixed to accommodate predicted traffic growth?
Result - a stalled I-5.
Fixing-5 thru San Clemente (6.4 miles) doesn't take one home.
SC's I-5 footprint is wide enough to accommodate additional lanes.
800-Homes-Taken!!! - is a TCA scare tactic to sway public opinion to their toll road.
TCA designed a straw-man I-5-fix thru San Clemente. Don't buy it.
Because it will never happen.

But - adding 2-lanes in either direction on I-5 - thru SC can and should happen now, eliminating the need for TCA's bogus toll road to Trestles few would ever use and keeps I-5 flowing for everyone. OC toll roads are luxury-highways designed to serve few - our Freeway-network serves everyone.

Simple explanation of TCA's Non-Compete Agreements – no friend to OC freeways

No Winners with Non-Compete
Pay Roads amid a network of Freeways. If that idea seems weak to you, imagine how it sounds to Wall Street.

Construction of California’s freeways is paid for by selling government bonds. Bond holders are repaid, plus interest, with tax money.

Construction of OC’s toll ways is paid for by selling TCA toll way bonds. Bond holders will supposedly be repaid, plus interest, with tolls collected.

But to sell TCA bonds, Wall Street demanded assurance that our freeways would remain congested-- so drivers would be compelled to seek relief on the toll ways-- until the bonds were paid off. After all, if the freeways offer a reasonable commute, why would anyone pay to drive an alternate route?

So in the early 90s county and state politicians convinced Caltrans to agree that it would not spend any money on OC roadways-- in other words, not compete with the toll ways. And the agreement further stipulated that Caltrans would dissuade all other entities from making improvements, too. Caltrans signed in 1993 and effectively became TCA’s agent Regional planning has revolved around the toll ways ever since.

While the Non-Compete Agreement does not specifically prohibit Caltrans from improving our roads and freeways, it does makes taxpayers liable for toll revenue lost as a result of improved roads which lure drivers off the toll ways*. Specifically, we would owe TCA for revenues below the amount needed to pay bondholders their principle and interest. Since TCA has trouble estimating its toll revenues-- it’s still below estimates on the 73-- this matter would also be for the accountants and courts to settle.

The agreement made exceptions under certain circumstances, but not everything is spelled out in the agreement itself.

For instance, freeway congestion is dangerous. Should Caltrans improve a highway to make it safer and relieve congestion in the process, what percentage of the improvement is for safety and what percentage is congestion relief?

The Non-Compete Agreement is the cornerstone of TCA’s business model and essential to keeping tolls high. It places Caltrans in a subordinate role and threatens a legal morass should it take the initiative to significantly improve OC roads and freeways. For this reason we say TCA holds our freeway, and our mobility, hostage.

*Feature Packed!
Additional terms of the Non-Compete Agreement further reduce Wall Street fears.
Ownership of the roads TCA builds transfers immediately to Caltrans upon completion. So does all liability and responsibility of operation. So taxpayers are liable for any deficiencies in design which result in injury or death.
And all costs for maintenance and law enforcement are also bourn by us, whether we choose to use the roads, or not.