Caltrans Project along Hwy 74

This median project will start (estimations) in the summer of 2018 and will end in the summer of 2019.  It is estimated to cost $7.4 million.  They have already spent $100,000 up to this point for staff time related to the project.  Caltrans categorizes this as a highway safety improvement project, which is why, according to Caltrans, they did not reach out to the city sooner.  Between the years of 2006 and 2010, Caltrans conducted their Caltrans Annual Multilane Cross Median Collision Monitoring of the segment of Hwy 74 scheduled for the installation of the raised median.  In 2011, they assessed the data and determined that the segment had met or exceeded the number of fatality collisions per year.  This led to the development of the project presented to the community Tuesday night at the Simpson Center.  According to Caltrans, a raised median will reduce the number of collisions resulting in fatalities by 25%.  Reducing fatality collisions is a priority, especially if it can be avoided by extra safety measures.  When we asked for the data on timing, location and ultimate cause of the collisions, Caltrans was unable to offer any of that data to the public. They stated that if we wanted those documents, then we needed to submit a public records request. However, it was later discussed after that if you are to call and request the public documents, that they have to give them to you without filling out the form.  Thank you, Loni Vogler for addressing that with them further and making it a little easier to access the information!
 
Some of the concerns were: business access, public safety response times, traffic congestion, flood control and aesthetics. 
Business access: This will make access to businesses a bit more inconvenient. 
Public Safety: As a company policy, AMR is not permitted to drive over a median. 
Traffic Congestion: It will cause a back-up unless enough people decide to commute down side streets.  This will affect our neighborhoods and road maintenance with increased traffic. 
Flood Control: Hwy 74 already has some flooding without a raised median.  This does need to be addressed.  If another agency is in fact in charge of this, then we can imagine how much more time this is going to take.
Aesthetics: How will the medians be designed?  If there is any landscaping, who will maintain it?

According to Caltrans, we should be reaching out to them for education on future projects they have planned.  Hmm... Apparently, we did not know about this project.  I guess a yearly phone call needs to be made to Caltrans.
This is where city leadership got a taste of its own medicine; lack of transparency and communication. If the city leadership was so irritated about how they were treated by Caltrans, then they should consider how irritated we, the citizens, are with their lack of consideration.  City of Hemet: you may want to start doing business a little differently at City Hall!