☆ The power of “The”
Image by Ken Lund
Johnny Khamis wonders if we start using the word “The” and the number of the highway (like our fellow CA citizens do) when describing our transportation infrastructure, will our daily “trafficgedon” garner the political respect and attention we deserve? An Opp Now exclusive.
As I drive on the wide freshly expanded highways in Southern California on the way back from a family wedding, I am listening to a press conference from our Governor on the impressively fast work taking place to fix the damage a recent fire had on “The 10.” Joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Caltrans, the all-star political cast rejoiced in this multi-jurisdictional effort to end the “Carmagedon” Angelenos have been suffering for the last two weeks. They also brought back past accomplishments on fixing The 405, which caused the last Carmagedon.
I couldn't help but feel a little envy in the attention our fellow southern California brethren secure for their long commutes. Meanwhile, commuters suffering huge traffic jams traveling from their homes in Gilroy to their jobs at Apple in Cupertino on Highways 101 and 85 draws no compassion, respect, or attention from our elected officials. Indeed, projects to widen lanes on Hwy 101 from three lanes to four between Morgan Hill and Gilroy, and the expansion of Hwy 85 from three lanes to four in each direction between Hwy 17 to Hwy 280, have been stalled for many years. Sadly, I remember voting to secure $385 million for the Hwy 85 expansion project while serving on VTA back in 2016.
Perhaps if we start using the word “The” and the number of the highway like our fellow CA citizens do when describing our transportation infrastructure, our daily "trafficgedon" will garner the political respect and attention we deserve. “The 101” may sound more important than just another highway to our elected officials. Maybe the word “The” before 85 can draw out an all-star multi-jurisdictional effort to ease the suffering our commuters have felt over the last seven years while millions of dollars available to fix the issue sit on the shoulder.
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