In Orange County, California, a proposed toll road may not ease congestion on Interstate 5, as originally intended.
According to the Orange County Transportation Authority's long-range transportation plan for 2006, most of I-5 in South County will be "consistently congested" at rush hour by 2030 even if the controversial Foothill South toll road extension is built through a popular state park. "Why are we building a project with a stated purpose that won't be achieved, at the expense of our parkland?" said James Birkelund, an attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental advocacy group. Tollway officials have concluded that the route -- one of eight options studied -- would do the least harm to the environment and avoid the cost of condemning hundreds of homes and businesses in South County. However, the tollway will plow right through San Onofre State Beach, one of the area's most popular recreation areas.
Read the full story: Studies Contradict Forecast for O.C. Tollway Benefits
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