For years, University
City residents have been accustomed to the long line
of cars clogging Genesee Avenue
every weekday during rush hour.

But despite the San Diego City Council’s promising efforts
to bring needed relief to the local gridlock by constructing an alternative
route, community members may still have
to endure these dismal conditions for a few more years.

The city council recently set plans to construct a bridge
that would lengthen Regents Road by connecting it to the community’s southern region through Rose Canyon Park.

Because environmentalists have raised short-sighted concerns
over the new bridge’s impact on the park, traffic alleviation efforts have
unfortunately again been postponed, leaving residents to bear the burden of
roadway delays.

In reality, the bridge would not harm the area at all; it
would only pass through land that has already been disturbed by railroad
tracks, Interstate 5 and another bridge above the region on Genesee Avenue.
Furthermore, it is unrealistic for the environmentalists to expect areas to go
completely untouched in this buzzing suburbia, especially in the middle of a
highly developed city with a growing population.

Despite the few environmental costs associated with the
project, the extension of Regents Road would bring an essential alternative
route to Genesee Avenue that would free up the city’s roadways for local
motorists.

The move is particularly vital to ensure that emergency
vehicles and personnel can best respond to crises — currently an almost
impossible feat when the only roadway connecting the northern and southern
corridors of the city is bumper-to-bumper for miles during late afternoon
hours.

These safety concerns have been the major justification
behind the push, and a primary reason for the mayor’s support of the council’s
plans.

The benefits of mitigating congestion — especially better emergency
response time — far outweigh the environmental concerns posed by the venture.

With a limited number of roadway options and a finite amount
of funds to complete the traffic project, environmentalists must recognize the
safety issues associated with construction and support the measure despite
their qualms — or, at the very least, move aside so city officials can complete
the desperately needed development.

Without such a roadway
addition, Genesee Avenue will continue to be the eyesore of University
City, much to the dismay of local commuters.