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Oxnard merchants opposed to La Colonia traffic plan
Two roads would be cut off from Oxnard Boulevard
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More from Local NewsFrancisco Herrera is worried.
He and his wife, Bertha, both in their 60s, opened Bertha's Minimarket at the corner of Colonia Road and North Harrison Avenue in Oxnard a month ago. But now they are wondering about the future of their store.
They and other area merchants fear a loss of business if the city decides to cut off Colonia Road and/or Cooper Road from Oxnard Boulevard, a major city artery with heavy traffic and potential customers.
Both small roads traverse railroad tracks to the busy four-lane thoroughfare.
City planners are proposing to extend nearby Camino del Sol, a four-lane street that bisects La Colonia, to Oxnard Boulevard, arguing that the change would improve traffic flow through the area. It also would likely reduce congestion on heavily traveled Gonzales Road, which runs parallel to Camino del Sol.
But a new railroad crossing would have to be built to connect Camino del Sol to Oxnard Boulevard. The problem is that federal railroad rules would require the city to eliminate two other crossings in order to grant permission for a new one.
The crossings that city planners have identified for potential closure are at Colonia and Cooper.
City officials contend that the federal rules are not absolute, and they are negotiating with the California Public Utilities Commission and Union Pacific Railroad to limit the crossing closures to one road.
The Camino del Sol connection would provide "significant traffic relief" for drivers who now use Gonzales Road and other east-west arterials, said Mayor Tom Holden.
The street could accommodate 34,000 car trips daily from near the city center to Del Norte Boulevard, near the eastern city limit, said Jason Samonte, the city's chief traffic planner. That would be equivalent to 63 percent of the trips that occur daily on Gonzales Road, one of the city's busiest traffic corridors.
The redistribution of traffic should allow drivers to get through various intersections in the area more quickly, Samonte said.
To close Colonia and Cooper at the railroad tracks and build truck turnabouts at the end of each street would cost about $1.5 million, Samonte said. About $5.5 million would be needed to extend Camino del Sol to Oxnard Boulevard, including building a new railroad crossing and putting up a new traffic light.
The city's capital improvements budget includes $924,000 for initial work on the project, but the City Council would have to earmark additional funds to complete the work if it decides to move forward, said Jim Cameron, the city's finance director.
An alternative would be to build a Camino del Sol railroad overpass to Oxnard Boulevard, which would cost $60 million to $70 million, Samonte said.
Harold Ceja, chairman of the Colonia Neighborhood Council, said he hopes the city can find a way to provide traffic relief without "messing everything up here."
Jamal Hajjar, 47, is the owner of El Toro Market at Cooper Road and North Hayes Avenue.
He questioned how he would be able to attract business if the railroad crossings are blocked. "Business is already slow," Hajjar said.
Bob Herrera, 69, owns Bob's Grand Central Supermarket on Cooper Street. And his relatives own markets and other businesses on Cooper and Colonia.
"It would be nice if the city were to buy everybody out," he said, adding that he didn't think the city would have the money to do that "unless they squeeze blood out of a turnip."
Oxnard Public Works Director Ken Ortega said that exchanging one narrow through street, such as Cooper or Colonia, for the wider Camino del Sol would improve traffic throughout the neighborhood.
One of the solutions to the commercial access problem that is under consideration is building a frontage road to connect Camino del Sol with Colonia Road, Holden said.
The City Council is set to consider the Camino del Sol matter during a study session at 7 p.m. on Sept. 16 at City Hall, 305 West Third St.
Posted by VivaVentucky on August 28, 2008 at 6:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This plan would create blight in an already problematic area. The commercial area that runs for blocks around Harrison and Hayes would die a quick death.
Posted by Latina_805 on August 28, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think with the school on Juanita and Camino it's going to cause more accidents with so much traffic going through Camino if they decide to change. I personally think they should keep it the way it is, if people don't want to drive through the hood, making a street through the 'nicer' part of Colonia isn't going to help much.
Posted by ThePhantomKnows on August 28, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The plan for the rail road cross over was always the closure of one street not two at the Colonia. The Mayor knows this. Our city council knows this. So why are two streets being considered? The Mayor and others want to give the impression they saved one street versus two streets for the people of Colonia. Cross over bridge? The Mayor and City Council knows the developers were to be charged as they build for the creation of bridges at Vineyard and Gonzales over Oxnard Blvd. What happened? That's right, the city needed to help the Developers. Thank you Mayor and City Council for the traffic mess we have today. Let's make this part clear. The traffic mess has nothing to do with people moving to Oxnard. It's the poor decision and leadership for allowing Developers to direct their interest versus protecting the interest and the quality of life for the residence of this community. "The City That Cares......for developers. I enjoyed the points the writer wrote in today's letter to the editor. I don't know this person but she made sense as to traffic problems. Developer fees to improve traffic? No. I bet if one looks to the campaign contributions at the city clerks office, that is where you will find developers fees or contributions to candidates.
Posted by N_Cash on August 28, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Wouldn't a better traffic plan for Colonia be to build a 20-foot high, 10-foot thick wall around the entire neighborhood, with the wall topped by razor wire and gun turrets manned 24 hours a day by sharpshooters with high-powered rifles?
Posted by r_u_kidding_me on August 28, 2008 at 11:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
N_Cash:
hahahaha I like your style!!!!
Posted by missing805 on August 28, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"Jamal Hajjar, 47, is the owner of El Toro Market at Cooper Road and North Hayes Avenue
Thats just not right. Hajjar owns el toro market? Thats like that scene on Rush hour where the black dude owns a chinesse restaurant...
"Bob Herrera, 69, owns Bob's Grand Central Supermarket on Cooper Street. And his relatives own markets and other businesses on Cooper and Colonia.
"It would be nice if the city were to buy everybody out," he said, adding that he didn't think the city would have the money to do that "unless they squeeze blood out of a turnip.""
Yeah it would be nice if Oxnard bought the people from Colonia and shipped them to Kazzakhastan.
Posted by fmr805 on August 28, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
N_Cash
Don't most of the Colonia-related shootings take place OUTSIDE of Colonia (in the South, North side of town)? With some exceptions of course - ie: Roosevelt shooting of 2 the other day.
Please don't respond sarcastically as I do often read about these shootings and they DO generally take place outside the Colonia perimiter.
Posted by villa805 on August 28, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
That's right fmr805, N_cash or whatever your name is oh and your little buddy r_u_kidding_me, Are you kidding me talking smack about colonia read the newspaper articles aren't shootings and stabbing occuring in Colonia not by our neighborhood but by lames that need to stay in their own area. Stay away and we will all be fine! If you have such a big problem with Colonia dont go there, dont mention it and dont worry about it.
Posted by N_Cash on August 28, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, villa (rhymes with vanilla?), you're right, I shouldn't be picking on Colonia. My idea of a 20-foot high, 10-foot thick wall with razor wire and gun turrets should be expanded to fully enclose all of Oxnard. As long as we law-abiding citizens are separated and protected from the non-stop, rampant, violent street crime that's part of the ingrained culture of Oxnard, that's OK with me.
Posted by fmr805 on August 28, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
N_Cash
Don't tell me that you live in Camarillo?! Or shall I pronounce it CamareaLOW? Your elitist attitude is why America is so full of hatred, classism and bigotry. It's 2008, get over yourself. We are here and have been. Please get over your xenophobia!
Watch Obama tonight and eat your heart out because America is changing for the better! And tolerance is needed. NOT for thugs, but for other cultures/people.
Please limit your generalized hate speech.
Posted by N_Cash on August 28, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, fmr805, I wouldn't waste one minute of my valuable time watching or listening to the Messiah. Anyway, you'll be the one eating your heart out in November when the Messiah is defeated by the silly old doddering white guy with his chipmunk cheeks and one row of dingy yellow teeth. (By the way, I'm talking about McCain, not the silly old dottering white guy the Messiah picked as his VP.) As for Oxnard, keep deluding yourself that it's anything other than Ventura County's very own version of Maywood.
Posted by fmr805 on August 28, 2008 at 3:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
N_Cash
Obama is NOT a messiah, and McCain sure as HELL is NOT one either. He's closer to the KKK. I was referring to what Obama stands for which is DIVERSITY. But, obviously you are too simple-minded to read between the lines.
I suggest you move to the south where you may feel more at ease and safe amongst your backward-thinking kind.
Oh, that's south - as in America. I would hate for you to end up going south to Mexico!
Posted by villa805 on August 28, 2008 at 3:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Vanilla oh thats really clever I would have never thought of that!!! Fmr805 why are we wasting our precious time on these people, they should worry about their neighborhoods and stop putting their dumb two sense ito things. Oh and i wonder if n_cash stands for NO CASH!!!!
Posted by fmr805 on August 28, 2008 at 4:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
villa805
I thought the same thing! ;) NO Cash. For certain it's NO logic! Perhaps even NO tolerance, NO love and NO joy in his/her life! Except of course posting degrading, broad comments and hate speech on this blog.
Between N_Cash, Whatever and Cam_Dad I am amused. Their ignorant blogs never cease to disgust me.
Posted by lpochina805 on August 28, 2008 at 4:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I would really appreciate if those two streets would be closed. Just so much traffic and pedestrians crossing everywhere. That's an accident waiting to happen. Or am I wrong?
Posted by eguzie on August 28, 2008 at 4:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
N_Cash
If you dont like oxnard then stfu and dont come here, easy as that. And if you do live here ... then gtfo. k thanx.
Posted by N_Cash on August 28, 2008 at 8:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The Face of Oxnard:
http://media.venturacountystar.com/vc...
That's what everyone thinks when they think of Oxnard.
Posted by Scapegoat on August 28, 2008 at 11:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok n-cash, that is funny. However I be a middle aged white guy, I live in Oxnard, and I do fine. Yes, it ain't what she used to be but were hanging on. There are plenty of good people in Oxnard of varying complexions and accents. Be nice now, play nice.
Posted by shaver_one on August 30, 2008 at 10:01 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I drive thru Colonia every morning to drop my kid off at Pacifica. I drive thru Colonia to get to my bank. I drive thru Colonia to get to The Rose Shopping Center.
It's a quick shortcut from my home in downtown 'Nard to all parts east. Traffic is minimal. Congestion only occurs when there is a train coming. That same congestion occurs at Gonzales and Vineyard, and WILL occur at Camino del Sol. I avoid the Oxnard/Gonzales intersection like the plague.
Camino needs to be opened up...but not at the risk of closing our only shortcut route. The City has found ways to give millions of dollars to developers to build eyesores that Oxnard neither wants nor needs. They can surely find a way to ease our traffic, without affecting other traffic flows.
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