So many big issues before council these days, people are missing the important stuff. Tuesday night, Chico Council is being advised by Staff to appropriate over $4 million from other road projects, to fill “an approximately $5 million funding gap” for the proposed 20th Street bum bridge. That allocation includes $400,000 from the unfinished Eaton Road southbound freeway onramp.
improvements, using TOA funding (Fund 212). “
“The project will construct a Class I path, completing the final gap of Bikeway 99, including a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over 20th Street.” Yep, complete with “art treatments” that are supposed to “to incorporate the history, culture and overall atmosphere of Chico.” Here is the “artist’s rendering“
How exactly does this generic crap represent the history or culture of Chico? What it represents to me are similar “pedestrian” pathways established all around Sacramento during the 60’s and 70’s. One immediate problem was rocks being thrown or dropped off these overpasses onto moving cars. This story was common when I was living in Sacramento. Here’s a recent incident, and I’m guessing it’s just the one I found with a quick search.
https://www.kcra.com/article/chp-car-hit-by-rock-thrown-from-hwy-50-overpass-in-sacramento/22145940
A disturbing incident near Denver CO resulted in at least one death.
The other, more obvious issue here, is the blatant lie – “The current lack of a safe and direct pedestrian/bike path discourages residents from walking or biking to local schools, job centers, commercial areas, and public services.”
There are pedestrian walkways on both sides of the existing bridge that traverse the freeway at 20th Street. There are pedestrian walkways over the freeway at Skyway, and along every city street that goes under the freeway. There’s a pedestrian/bike only tunnel on Humboldt that connects two bike paths. At present, pedestrians have more access around the freeway than do car drivers.
This project was undertaken to get state and federal grants to pay salaries and benefits Downtown. You really think it costs $45 million (it started at $30 million) to build a bridge over the freeway? That’s roughly the figure that Chris Constantin said it would cost to resurface/rebuild unmaintained and badly neglected streets and bridges all over Chico.
Speaking of which, don’t worry folks – your slurry is on the way! Here’s another item from this Tuesday night’s council agenda:
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION/BUDGET MODIFICATION NO. 2023-PWE-008
The Public Works Engineering Director requests consideration and approval of a Supplemental Appropriation/Budget Modification to the FY 2022-23 Budget reallocating unused transportation funding from capital project Lower Park Road Rehab to the newly established Upper Park Road Treatment to better align with City needs as well as request to allocate $4,000,000 in Measure H funds to FY 22/23 paving projects. (Report – Brendan Ottoboni, Public Works Director-Engineering)
“Based on the timing of this allocation, a slurry seal treatment is the best use of funding to make an immediate impact. [meaning, it’s just for looks] Slurry seal treatments can be done with minimal design work, so that staff can get a project out to bid and complete the improvements in calendar year 2023, barring any unforeseen changes.” In other words, it’s just a hack job to get the public off their back.
Minimal design? How much “design” is required to spray ” a mixture of water, asphalt emulsion, aggregate (very small crushed rock), and additives to an existing asphalt pavement surface“? A quarter inch of coating over your broken street surface? Of course they’ll throw some slobbers on your pot holes and pound them in by hand before they apply the slurry. But let’s face it – that’s like putting a sheet over a bed of nails.
Judging from the work they did on Vallombrosa a few years ago, it won’t last six months. So there goes $4 million in Measure H money, on a bullshit hack job.
So that’s how your council determines your future by the spending of your money. The criminals will move freely in your town while you sit in gridlock trying to get to your job.
Chico Taxpayers Association 
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