Is Temecula Too Overcrowded? Letter to the Editor

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted to Temecula Patch by Dianne Fowler

"Overcrowded"

On Sat., April 16, I was on Ynez Road, when an ambulance came from behind me with its lights and siren on. It passed me, but as it approached the signal coming out of the Target shopping center, the traffic was at a standstill. It took two lights for the ambulance to clear the Rancho California and Ynez intersection to proceed to the emergency it was going to. There was nowhere for any of the cars to go and the oncoming traffic was just as bad, so he was’t able to crossover to proceed that way either.

As the community has been complaining about how bad the traffic has gotten over the past several years, this was an “in your face" moment about how dangerous gridlock can be.

With the major building that the City leaders are allowing, I think it is careless for them to continue to allow building without any concern for infrastructure and the affect it has on the safety of our citizens.

For instance, when the 300 homes behind Red Hawk are completed and 2 1/2 cars per unit (which is what demographics show) are added, that will be 900 cars added to an already congested road system. Then you have the high school and cars from out of the area, picking up and dropping off, and again you have a safety issue.

Pechanga has 500 more rooms being built and the congestion at the I-15 and Hwy-79 ramps is again a safety issue. Try and get through Old Town after 4:00 p.m., and the parking is another issue with a new hotel being built.

When will the City Planning Department get serious about traffic and building issues, safety and just how over-burdened all our streets are? Will someone have to die because they over-populated our community with roadways that can’t be expanded to accept the overgrowth?

I am not against building and growth, but there has to be some common sense used. Just look out the window Planning Department and see for yourself. You have the freeway right outside.

Concerned,

Dianne Fowler

SEE ALSO:

• Temecula's Population Grows to 109,064: State Report