Criticism Causes San Diego Politicians To Rethink Plan

"Adopted on Friday, the $57 billion plan calls for widening highways, adding car-pool and toll lanes to freeways and building a fast bus system. The plan also budgets $280 million for promoting "smart growth" development."

"Attorney General Jerry Brown predicted last week the San Diego Association of Governments' smart growth strategy would fail miserably at trimming local greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming."

"'They are too widely dispersed,' said Brown's deputy Sandra Goldberg of the smart growth areas, in a telephone interview Monday. 'Many of them are located far from areas where there are jobs, and far from areas where it would be efficient to provide public transit. We'd like to see them focus on a more limited number of areas.'"

"Goldberg also said the attorney general would like to see the money go to development along commuter-train or fast-bus lines."