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San Clemente officials are expected to consider accepting a nearly $2 million a state public transportation grant that could help fund a new trolley route that connects Max Berg Park to city hall.
At their 5:30 pm meeting on Tuesday, officials are slated to vote on a $1.8 million grant to provide energy-efficient public transportation to low-income neighborhoods.
The meeting comes after officials decided to delay the vote last month because the council members wanted to discuss the logistics and benefits for the city further.
Councilman Rick Loeffler said the grant may help alleviate traffic in the downtown area.
“In the summer, when we have lots of tourists and not a lot of places to park, we can pick up at the outlets, North Beach, and the pier, where there are lots of places to park,” he said at the Feb. 18 meeting. “If we tell people to park at the outlet and then take the trolley to the pier, that can help out with the traffic in the downtown.”
Councilman Victor Cabral questioned if residents would use the new route and worried about the financial impact of accepting the grant.
“What I’m most concerned about at this point in time is that we make a commitment to this project, commit a half million dollars with no way out, and the community says no, we don’t want this,” Cabral said at the Feb. 18 meeting.
“When you get free stuff, you sometimes say let’s take it without thinking about the long-term consequences of it,” said Cabral. “I think I could work; I’m just not sure we’re there at this point in time.”
Tuesday’s meeting comes after leaders with the state’s Clean Mobility Options Voucher Pilot Program notified city officials they intended to award them the $1.8 million grant
The suggested plan is to create a new trolley route connecting Max Berg Park to City Hall, with stops running along the route to serve the public.
If the grant is accepted, the city will be pushed into a four-year program. The grant covers the funding for three years, and the city must cover the last year, which will cost around half a million dollars.
After the four-year program, the city will have free reign over the trolleys and adjust routes and budgets as needed.
The city has until May 25th to accept the proposal.
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