Don’t sabotage shuttle service

Max Brown

In the continuing debate on how to best handle the chronic shortage

of parking and pedestrian-friendly space Downtown, the one undeniable

bright spot has been the free shuttle. It is the only thing that has

not only worked well, but worked far beyond our expectations,

removing 100s of cars each day that would otherwise be headed

Downtown for parking.

This is the kind of traffic mitigation that needs to be expanded

upon, not phased out.

Why then does it seem that the mayor and the City Council majority

continue to make decisions that undoubtedly will lead to the demise

of the canyon shuttle by eliminating most of the peripheral parking

at ACT V?

Moving the Corporate Yard to Act V not only seems to be a symptom

of piecemeal planning, it has become incredibly expensive -- the

price continues to skyrocket with no apparent end in cost increases

in sight.

Our city manager has said that if the $5-plus million (estimated

so far) is spent on moving the Corporate Yard, there will be nothing

left in the budget for the Village Entrance Project, including

funding for the proposed Downtown parking garage, for at least

10-plus years.

It will render the shuttle useless because there will not be

enough parking left at ACT V to keep it viable.

Now the mayor and the City Council majority have voted to increase

the daily parking fees at ACT V from $4 to $7. For many potential

users, that may be just enough to persuade them to keep going toward

Downtown where the parking is a bit cheaper.

Maybe our council majority doesn’t realize that they’re about to

kill the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg, but when the

shuttle finally succumbs from neglect and abuse it won’t be because

it couldn’t compete; its demise will be because of the ill-conceived

decisions of our elected officials.

Hopefully Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and the City Council majority will

reconsider these decisions that threaten the only thing proven to

substantially ease our Downtown parking and traffic problems, and

that is the free shuttle. Please keep it -- it works!

* MAX BROWN is a Laguna Beach resident.