Council member Nix addresses Oakley's problemsCouncil member Nix addresses Oakley's problemsSeptember 12, 2003
With all the different names and terminology for road work and construction it is a wonder that you don’t have to be an engineer to understand what was written in last week’s Our Backyard column. Several calls came in asking for clarification and expressing their desire for stoplights and road improvements.
First, if you missed last week's column, here is a brief recap: Council member Brad Nix spoke at a business lunch a couple of weeks ago to discuss transportation in and around Oakley. He let the audience know of a few projects that were on the way.
The first discussed was the road improvements to downtown Main Street. Sadly enough, some people don’t realize that Oakley’s Main Street is a continuation of Highway 4. That being the case, all road work on Main Street must receive Caltrans approval, which means extra time in getting the go-ahead on projects.
Nix phoned to let me know that I incorrectly identified this road work as the Highway 4 Bypass, as it was at one time called. The correct terminology is the "realignment of Highway 4."
Perhaps "realignment" is a better term for what is planned for this road work. Originally, approximately 10 years ago, there were three options for this road work. One was to simply widen Main Street to a four-lane road. The second was to create two one-way roads. One of the roads would be the existing Main Street and the second would be one block in. Then somewhere around Del'Antico Avenue, which leads into the post office, the highway would then once again become a two-lane road.
The third alternative was once called the "bypass plan." Simply put, the road would be widened and then instead of heading straight as it does now, it would pull away and follow the railroad tracks behind several businesses, cut through the Centromart shopping center and then merge again with the existing Main Street. That plan today is now called the "realignment," and according to Nix is still some time off.
Even though it has been several years since the "realignment" was selected, I still received a call from a downtown businessowner who said the work couldn't happen soon enough for him. While he said he wouldn't give his name because he is tired of complaining and not being listened to, he said he urged the city to rethink the downtown plan, especially because there is time to do so, and consider just widening in place.
Last week's column also spoke of what traffic lights are planned for the next few years. The city has focused its efforts four intersections -- Main Street at Gehringer School, O'Hara Avenue and Main Street, Live Oak Avenue at Main Street, and Empire Avenue at Cypress Road. But if it were up to some of the residents in town there would be a streetlight on every corner in Oakley.
Some of the other sites Oakley's citizens would designate for signals include Norcross Lane at Main Street, O'Hara Avenue at Neroly Road, O'Hara Avenue at Cypress Road and the most requested Main Street at Del'Antico Avenue (the post office).
Nix also wanted to make clear that the next planned road expansion will be Laurel Road from O'Hara Avenue to Laurel School. The hope is to expand Laurel Road bit by bit until it reaches the Highway 4 Bypass out by Neroly Road.
Nix went on to clarify that Oakley residents make an average of $9,500 in taxable purchases per year, but of that only $3,500 is spent within the city limits. That is much less than is spent on average in other local cities.
While the absence of a big box store like Target or Kmart can account for some of the spending shortcomings in Oakley, Nix does encourage residents work to try to do more shopping within the city limits. Mainly because tax dollars collected from money spent in Oakley can go to build more roads, add more traffic signals or enhance the quality of life in our community.
Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.
Distributed by the Contra Costa Times