It Pays To Get Involved

Grassroots efforts by UHCA members helped to maintain the 30-year-old
businesses of  Jack and Mary Green, owners of Green & Sons Mobilehome
Transport, and Green & Sons Mobilehome Services in Lemon Grove, CA.
Amongst the 3,000 bills introduced this year in the State Legislature,
one bill, SB 416, could have inadvertently put Jack and Mary Green out
of business.
 
Introduced by Senator Dave Kelley, SB 416 would initially have
prohibited truck tractor-trailer combinations from operating on a large
section of State Route 94 in San Diego County during the hours
schoolbuses operate on the highway.  Specifically, SB416 would have
prohibited the operation of truck tractor-trailer combinations on State
Route 94 between the hours of 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm,
Monday through Friday due to unsafe roads and the high rate of accidents
which already occur.

The opening of the California-Mexican border is projected to increase
truck traffic on State Route 94 from 250 to 500 daily trips. Senator
Kelley introduced SB 416 to address safety hazards and an anticipated
increase in road surface damage that will be brought on by opening the
California / Mexico border through NAFTA.  Senator Kelley is
particularly concerned about the effects of increased truck traffic on
the two-lane portion of State Route 94.

When Jack and Mary Green learned what SB 416 purported to do, they
immediately wrote a letter to Senator Kelley, and faxed a copy of their
letter to Deborah Mattos, UHCA’s lobbyist.  The Green’s letter states,
“Our terminal is one-half block off Highway 94 in Lemon Grove and this
restriction would put us OUT OF BUSINESS.  We cannot continue our
business with a working window of 5 hours per day, which is from 9:00 am
to 2 pm.”  The letter concludes, “I do not object to your idea; I object
to the length of the route restriction.  Instead of the junction of
Interstate 5, why not make it to the junction of 54 in Rancho San
Diego.  That would accomplish your goal and still allow we Americans who
pay taxes and hire employees who also pay taxes to handle our business
as needed.”

After receiving the Green’s letter, Deborah Mattos contacted Senator
Kelley’s office and scheduled an appointment.  At the meeting, she and
Senator Kelley studied an enlarged map of the area provided by
Caltrans.  Deborah explained how SB 416, as originally drafted, would
have eliminated the Green’s access to Interstate 5 for a total of 6
hours per weekday.  It then became apparent to Senator Kelley that SB
416 was drafted incorrectly and he was appreciative of the efforts taken
by UHCA to ensure that a more agreeable bill was crafted.
 
Senator Kelley amended SB 416, and UHCA signed on in support of the
newly amended version of the bill.  SB 416 was further amended in the
Assembly Transportation Committee to delay the truck traffic
restrictions on State Route 54 until after Caltrans and the CHP have
completed a safety study.   Should the departmental study find that an
increase in truck traffic will in fact present a safety hazard to
schoolbus operations, Caltrans and the CHP will determine the best
methods of mitigating the safety hazard on this roadway.

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 Back to:    Vol. 34. No. 3

Jan., 1998