Proposed Road Through Park Blocked

The federal government has blocked plans to build a 16-mile road through a Southern California state park, mainly over environmental concerns.

1 minute read

December 23, 2008, 7:00 AM PST

By Nate Berg


"The U.S. Department of Commerce said there was a reasonable alternate route for the road. The agency also disputed that building the road was vital to national security, which highway proponents had argued."

"The decision upholds a ruling by the California Coastal Commission against the 16-mile road after opponents argued it would harm endangered species at San Onofre State Park and block sediment flows that create famous surf breaks at a beach called Trestles."

Friday, December 19, 2008 in San Francisco Chronicle

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People board a bus in Seattle.

Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion

Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.

15 minutes ago - KOMO News

Elon Musk in front of a sign for Grok 3

Post election, Texas is no longer Musk’s 'AI oasis'

Elon Musk dolled out $446 million on the 2026 midterms, the most ever spent by a non-canidate.

1 hour ago - Politico

People vote in Chicago behind blue privacy screens

Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners

Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents

November 5 - Block Club Chicago