Assy. Manuel Perez Statement On I-10 Traffic Jam

STATEMENT FROM ASM. V. MANUEL PEREZ REGARDING SUNDAY?S 1-10 TRAFFIC DELAY

?It is appropriate that Caltrans has issued a public apology related to its botched handling of Sunday?s early morning road work on I-10 that resulted in a 21-mile traffic delay lasting late into the evening. This is a situation that was entirely preventable. Caltrans? standard operating procedures were ignored on a number of counts, and hundreds of motorists spent their Sunday stuck in traffic. Though I was not contacted by Caltrans, I understand that an email was sent to local officials to inform them of department actions, including administrative and other changes, to prevent such a fiasco from repeating itself. I have contacted Caltrans to request a copy of this letter. I also understand that Caltrans Director Wolfe will address this matter at the February 28 Board of Supervisors meeting, which my office will attend. The positive outcome of this regrettable incident is that it has spurred a local effort to implement a notification system and take other steps to facilitate communication regarding major traffic delays in our region, and I look forward to assisting this process in any way I can.?