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AMBER OF H C
CARLSBAD
YEARS 192 3-2 0 1 3
Journal
vol. 30, no. 3
ERCE MM CO
90 business an award-winning, monthly publication of the carlsbad chamber of commerce
MARCH 2013
Planning for future transportation needs By José A. López Editor | Carlsbad Business Journal
How do you prepare to meet the commuting preferences of the workers of tomorrow, many of whom have not yet been born? What if advancements in technology lead to driverless or automated cars? What if tomorrow’s workers gravitate toward mass transit? Prognosticators believe that by 2030, the San Diego County region will have more than
1 million more residents, and transportation needs will continue to increase and evolve. How do you plan today for the future’s needs? SANDAG, the regional planning agency, and Caltrans are dealing with these issues as they work on the North Coast Corridor, the name that’s been given to a blueprint that will guide comprehensive improvements along a 27-mile stretch from La Jolla to Oceanside. It
includes upgrades to Interstate 5, work on coastal rail and transit as well as environmental and coastal enhancements. Combine, the projects have a $6.5 billion price tag and a 40-year construction schedule (See sidebar for more information). Allan Kosup, corridor director for Caltrans District 11, said one of the challenges those working on the project face is planning for unknown demands. The I-5 was built in the ‘60s and the current rail dates back to 1910-1930. Original highway planners couldn’t have imagined the growth the area went through. “We haven’t kept up with those changes,” Kosup said. He added that in working on the North Coast Corridor, the idea is to allow flexibility to accomodate for uncertainties. The North Coast Corridor is a comprehensive plan that has to be approved by 10 different regulatory agencies, one of which is the California Coastal Commission. This month, Caltrans released the Public Works Plan/Transportation and Resource Enhancement Program (PWP/TREP). The Coastal Commission will use this umbrella document as it decides on approving the project. The public has until April 29 to submit their comments on the PWP/TREP for the commission to use during its consideration of the
SEE FUTURE Page 8
Carlsbad Chamber’s ‘green team’ turns 5 Five years ago doesn’t seem like much time, but when it comes to the business community’s embrace of “green” practices, the change between 2008 and 2013 is night and day. In those five years, the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce’s Sustainability Committee has been a trailblazing group, working as a resource for businesses that want to learn how to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. Since its inception in 2008, the committee has created a comprehensive checklist that allows businesses to earn a Green Certificate by greening their business; brought world-renowned environmental leaders to speak about emerging environmental issues at their
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SEE 'GREEN TEAM' Page 8
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
The Servant Leader Institute has moved into a new facility at 1959 Palomar Oaks Way in Carlsbad.
Servant Leadership Institute makes move to Carlsbad office New facility allows SLI to expand leadership events and workshops By Robin Swift | Servant Leadership Institute
Since its inception in 2009, Servant Leadership Institute (SLI) has been located on the Datron World Communications, Inc. campus in Vista.
Stake your claim
5934 Priestly Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008
Join our Wall of Visionaries and proudly display your support of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.
o n ly 15 s pac e s ava i l a b l e
ReseRve youR space today! Julie Miramontes | 760.931.8400 | julie@carlsbad.org
SLI is a training resource center created by Datron CEO Art Barter to serve and help grow leaders determined to make a positive difference in their organizations and communities. SLI resources include many field-tested publications, training programs, consulting and leadership workshops and special events. The Datron facility was an ideal start-up location for SLI. In the beginning, the institute’s main purpose was to train all 250-plus Datron employees in servant leadership.
SEE LEADERSHIP Page 8
Components of the North Coast Corridor
Highway Improvements: SANDAG and Caltrans propose adding two express lanes on I-5 in each direction from La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego to Harbor Drive in Oceanside, separated by a striped buffer that would serve carpools, vanpools, buses and solo drivers using FasTrak.
Coastal Rail and Transit More than $330 million in new coastal rail projects between Oceanside and Sorrento Valley are currently funded and in active engineering and construction. Under the NCC, a large portion of the rail system from Oceanside to San Diego would be double-tracked, increasing the capacity to improve passenger travel times on the COASTER and Amtrak. This also improves freight movement, benefiting the local economy. NCC includes a proposed rapid bus route along the coastal communities.
Environmental Protection/ Coastal Access In order to protect and enhance the coast, SANDAG and Caltrans have developed an environmental protection and coastal access plan called the Public Works Plan. It preserves and protects 170 acres of critical coastal habitat and supports lagoon restoration; Improves 23 miles of bike and pedestrian paths, eliminating barriers and closing gaps in the pedestrian and trail network. It ensures continued and enhanced access to existing and improved coastal and upland recreational facilities; and safeguards the water quality and improves tidal circulation of the six coastal lagoons.