Over 100 petition supporters deserve a response from SCCRTC commissioners
At the RTC public hearing on June 26, I delivered the following petition:
Truth behind traffic pollution failure needed before approving $5.6 billion transportation plan
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/independent-investigation-5
Even though the petition was clearly directed to the thirteen transportation commissioners, a response from commissioners has not yet been received. Over 100 petition supporters deserve a response.
Over the weeks ahead I will be writing to all thirteen transportation commissioners asking for their response to the petition, and the valid concerns it raises. Please join me in asking questions! Contact info. for RTC commissioners can be found here: http://www.sccrtc.org/about/commission-members/
Below is my first letter/email to commissioner Dennis Norton, sent today. You will see that it contains the RTC Executive Director one-year extension request to the Air District that shows:
- RTC Executive Director conceals actual traffic emission reduction is less than 1/500th of expected.
- RTC Executive Director falsely claimed traffic emission reduction success.
- RTC Executive Director attempts to extend duration & funding for failed emission reduction program.
This is just one example of many why I have no confidence in the SCCRTC providing effective traffic pollution reduction services in our community. Santa Cruz needs and deserves much better.
–
Paul McGrath
Commute Consultant
——– Original Message ——–
| Subject: | Over 100 petition supporters deserve a response from SCCRTC transportation commissioners |
|---|---|
| Date: | Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:24:22 -0700 |
| From: | Paul McGrath <paulm@ridespring.com> |
| To: | dnortondesigns@msn.com |
| CC: | zach friend <zach.friend@co.santa-cruz.ca.us>, john.leopold@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, rlj12@comcast.net, bds031@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, greg.caput@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, bruce.mcpherson@co.santa-cruz.ca.us, emontesino@ci.watsonville.ca.us, dlane@cityofsantacruz.com, dene@bustichi.com, lrobinson@cityofsantacruz.com, fishsweetheart@netzero.com, tim_gubbins@dot.ca.gov, ‘George Dondero’ <gdondero@sccrtc.org> |
Dear Mr. Norton,
As a Santa Cruz transportation commissioner providing oversight to the actions of RTC staff (which includes the Executive Director) please provide a full response to over 100 petition supporters demanding an independent investigation of the RTC traffic pollution reduction failure 2008 – 2014.
As well as demanding an independent investigation, the petition asks:
How can the public have confidence in, and be expected to pay for the SCCRTC’s $5.6 billion plan to ‘reduce greenhouse gas emissions primarily from a reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT)’, if the SCCRTC failed so abysmally at VMT/pollution reduction over the past five years?
This question demands an answer.
The Carpool Incentive Program ‘Ca$h-for-Carpools’ failed to achieve over 99.8% of the anticipated traffic pollution reduction. An abysmal 0.16% of the traffic pollution reduction goal was achieved.
I delivered the following petition in person at the RTC public hearing on June 26:
Truth behind traffic pollution failure needed before approving $5.6 billion transportation plan
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/independent-investigation-5
Unfortunately, even though the petition was clearly directed to you and the other 12 transportation commissioners, a response from commissioners has not yet been received. I also want to point out that I first informed commissioners of the petition on the June 16, and provided petition updates of the number of signers, and comments from supporters on June 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 24.
The only response provided so far was the verbal dismissal of the petition by RTC Executive Director George Dondero at the June 26 public hearing – whose actions regarding this matter will certainly be scrutinized when an independent investigation is eventually performed.
For one example of the RTC Executive Director’s actions that demand scrutiny, see below the written request for a one-year extension to the Air District in January 2011:
RTC Executive Director’s one-year extension request to Air District in January 2011 for the Carpool Incentive Program
There are many troubling statements made in this extension request from the RTC Executive Director. Mr. Dondero paints a false positive picture, describing the program as successful, and claiming the RTC are on track to achieve the anticipated emission reduction. However, the RTC program was in operation for seven months before this letter was written and it would have been abundantly clear from the results available that the program was failing to achieve even 1% of the anticipated traffic pollution reduction. There is absolutely no mention of problems in performance, or even any indication that performance needs to improve.
See a close-up (below) of the 18ft. plot displayed at the RTC public hearing on June 26. I have indicated on the timeline when Mr. Dondero submitted the one-year extension request to the Air District:
Close-up of the 18ft. plot displayed at the RTC public hearing on June 26
You can view the full 18ft. plot here: http://greenstartupstory.com/2014/06/30/18ft-rtcresult-plot/
In summary, Mr. Dondero’s one-year extension request to the Air District shows:
- RTC Executive Director conceals actual traffic emission reduction is less than 1/500th of expected.
- RTC Executive Director falsely claimed traffic emission reduction success.
- RTC Executive Director attempts to extend duration & funding for failed emission reduction program.
Petition supporters do want the whole story
Concerned community members that signed the petition do want the real reasons for this traffic pollution reduction failure to be acknowledged and responded to. Unfortunately, rather than taking these concerns seriously, the RTC dismissed the concerns first raised in the 2012 report – which included the first call for an independent investigation. Even with the Stop Work Order at the beginning of this year that validated the concerns raised in the 2012 report, the RTC continue attempts to discredit my work, as George Dondero did at the public hearing on June 26.
You have also attempted to discredit my work, dismissing the facts I present as ‘opinions’.
You have also asked petition signers to “get the whole story on this issue” – this point I agree with you 100%. Your response to the petition is your opportunity to provide your side to this story.
Please let me know when that you have received this request, and when petition supporters can expect to receive a response.
Yours sincerely,
—
Paul McGrath
Commute Consultant
RideSpring
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Green Startup Story 