TAMC shines light on funding needs during Car Week

Thousands of tourists are in Monterey County for Car Week and as usual it’s causing a lot of congestion on the roads.

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County decided to take advantage of that extra attention and push for more funding that it says will alleviate some of the terrible traffic conditions especially on Highway 68 and Highway 1.

“The timing is perfect because as soon as we have special events around here that’s the first thing that’s visible is the congestion and it just ties in with what we think the needs are,” said Theresa Wright with TAMC.

Fixing damaged roads in Monterey County are on the priority list as TAMC rates streets on a scale from zero to 100; the higher number, the better the road’s condition.

“It could be safety improvements, it could be addressing congestion, it could be providing safe routes to schools for kids, pedestrians…there are communities in Monterey County that don’t even have side walks,” said Wright.

While the plan may solve some congestion on local roads, like all plans it comes with a price tag. Not surprisingly, not everyone is willing to fork over some extra money to pay for the improvements.

“Causing a tax for 90 cents a week, 90 cents a week? That’s not going to do it, that’s not going to help…the people who are proposing this must be from another planet,” said Pam Williams who lives in Salinas.

TAMC says a tax to improve the roads is just one option. The problem is she says the county is billions of dollars behind to meet the needs of the road.

Pam Williams doesn’t agree, she says that 90 cents is hard earned recycling money for her, so if TAMC wants to propose a new tax in 2016 she won’t be voting for it.