PRUNEDALE, Calif. -- New Information on a Possible Toll Road. Locals say no but tourists say yes? We're talking about the latest push for a toll road on Highway 156 between Prunedale and Castroville. You might be surprised where this survey was done.
Warren Keizur lives in the Prunedale area and is one of many who don't like the idea of a toll road on Highway 156. "I think it stinks, frankly," said Keizur.
If you look at the survey the Transportation Agency of Monterey County sent out, there were plenty of people who do.
It said out of 2,000 people polled, close to half were willing to pay a toll. Here's the tricky part the people surveyed were at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and were mostly tourists. In fact, the survey wasn't even taken by TAMC, but the Aquarium's own research group. The aquarium said it frequently looks at projects that might impact tourism on the peninsula.
But people like Keizur said tourists are only here once or twice a year, and the locals will be the one footing the bill. "I don't think a toll road is the answer to that, maybe it's the only answer but I don't know but I don't approve of it," said Keizur.
Highway 156 is such a heavily traveled area. People have been wanting improvements here for a long time. The transportation agency said there would be a separate road so locals wouldn't have to pay for toll.
One resident, Cynthia Suverkrop says she's not buying it. "Homeowners have a concern that they're going to be drivers who are going to avoid the toll road and use the frontage road which will then become our road. Then we'll be back to square one," said Suverkrop.
The transportation agency said the $254 million project is needed to help with safety and relieve congestion. It's using the aquarium survey to see if it's worth it.
Cynthia said its the wrong group to ask. "People who live and have a zip code in this area who aren't tourists, who aren't the cause of the problem, are they going to be stuck with footing the bill by paying the toll?" said Suverkrop.
TAMC said it still plans on surveying people in the community near Highway 156.
