EL CENTRO — After three years of requests the City of Calexico was awarded $250,000 in Local Transportation Authority funds for traffic control assistance for southbound peak traffic on State Route 111-Imperial Avenue, Cesar Chavez Boulevard, and Second Street.
On October 16, LTA Chairperson Luis Plancarte wrote that Calexico has requested such funds over three years ending in Fiscal Year 2018-2019.
Plancarte noted the city had previously funded three years of assistance in the amount of $150,000 per year ending in FY18-19.
“The city of Calexico continues to experience significant vehicle traffic and traffic control issues at various intersections along multiple roadway sections leading to the downtown port of entry,” Plancarte wrote to the LTA board.
“The LTA Board considered the assistance to be a temporary measure while the City looked for opportunities to implement traffic control measures to ease the need for traffic control assistance, while also possibly funding the need for traffic control staff independently,” Plancarte’s letter reads. “The LTA also legally evaluated the possibility of utilizing LTA funding to fund traffic control staff for an extended period and it was deemed that funding traffic control staff could only occur as a temporary measure.”
One of those potential solutions discussed has been the closing of Imperial Avenue to access the West Port of Entry, but merchants have requested to deny such a measure due to potential impacts on local businesses.
The city currently has multiple locations where traffic control staff are required to mitigate traffic to the downtown port of entry. The city is currently requesting funding assistance to assist with the cost of providing traffic controllers in the downtown area, Plancarte’s letter adds.
The Calexico Police Department and other city officials have reported at least two traffic controllers have been ran over by drivers.
“The city is also seeking funding to assist with the development of a POE-specific traffic analysis,” the chairperson continued in the letter. “The traffic analysis is required to be submitted to Caltrans for consideration of any short-term access adjustments to the POE.”
According to Plancarte, Caltrans is currently preparing a Project Initiation Document to evaluate longer-term solutions to address the traffic impacts at the POE, while the city is committed to working with all local, state, and federal stakeholders to analyze and evaluate traffic control measures to assist with minimizing the need for traffic control staff.
“It is important to note that the roadway improvements along Highway 98 that directly impact the City’s ability to fully utilize Cesar Chavez Boulevard as a significant POE entrance point have been completed,” the chairperson underlined.
Calexico Acting City Manager Juan Contreras requested the quarter million dollars in funds to the LTA’s Executive Director David Aguirre on October 14.
“Calexico’s role in managing the border’s traffic significantly influences transportation patterns throughout the County, often leading to the loss or gain of sales tax revenue and operational efficiency of many regional industries,” Contreras wrote. “The City of Calexico is facing a potential decline in revenues due to the paused parking meter collection study, a situation that could have significant financial implications for our community.”
Contreras asked the LTA with assistance to pay for a traffic study to mitigate the long-term impact that the city has had on Imperial Avenue.
The Calexico West Port of Entry is the third busiest border crossing in California with over 4 million vehicles annually.
“Calexico struggles with daily congestion, and traffic control is essential in providing critical rerouted traffic to drivers, especially for ambulances and public safety; this in turn impacts the City’s finances due to increased traffic control costs,” the acting city manager continued. “As normalcy returned after the pandemic, traffic resumed; and resumed at a greater intensity; regardless of the Calexico East Port of Entry still not operating at its original operation.”
Contreras wrote that traffic at the Port of Entry is no longer just at peak hours, but starts much earlier during the day for a longer period.
Calexico Mayor Camilo Garcia wrote on social media that the city expresses its heartfelt gratitude to the Imperial County Transportation Commission (ICTC) for their unanimous approval of $250,000 for traffic control measures and additional funding for a traffic study aimed at mitigating congestion in our community.
“This funding will allow the city to analyze current traffic conditions and implement effective strategies to improve safety and traffic flow for residents and visitors alike,” Garcia wrote. “This initiative is a crucial step in enhancing the overall transportation experience in Calexico.”
According to the Mayor, the traffic study will begin in the next few weeks, and updates will be shared with the community to ensure transparency and collaboration throughout the process.
The ICLTA Executive Director David Aguirre told the IVP the Authority funded the initiative of completing a Traffic Analysis to assess traffic circulation elements near the Calexico West Port of Entry.
The goal of the effort is to create a plan to help traffic move through the POE and the surrounding area safer and more efficiently, Aguirre wrote in an email.
Funding will also go to the city to offset some of the traffic control costs that they will incur over the fiscal year, ICLTA the executive director added.
“We are excited to work with the city, county, CBP and our partners at Caltrans to help develop transportation strategies at the Calexico West POE,” Aguirre continued. “The work associated with this effort has already begun.”