Old Timer wrote on Jul 5, 2008 7:55 PM:How about widening Olive across the RR tracks to Santa Fe while also routing buses up to Olive and not on to Vista Village, thus transferring some of Vista Village traffic north to Olive?

George wrote on Jul 6, 2008 11:06 AM:Now would be a good time to look at all of the major arteries in Vista with a goal of expanding them now before they reach capacity. Planning ahead for adequate roads and parking is an important part of running a city. SANDAG has $19.3 billion for local roads, so funding won't be an issue.

Vista Granny wrote on Jul 6, 2008 11:12 AM:Why don't you take a hint from Rancho Santa Fe and/or Del Mar. Either put four way stops all along East Vista Way, or install nice big traffic bumps along East Vista Way. That would stop a lot of people cutting through Vista on their way from I-5 to I-15. It would also stop the excessive speeding on East Vista Way. Call it Vista Village Drive if you must, but it's old Vista Way and is an old, old short cut. It's time to take Vista out of the horse and buggy days.

Artsyrat wrote on Jul 6, 2008 12:36 PM:The S Santa Fe corridor project decreasing traffic lanes with pedestrian traffic in mind is a neat idea, but I fear it may add more problems for the traffic issue in Vista's downtown. The Escondido Avenue center medians are bad enough making the lanes narrower and more crowded. The interection of Vista Village and Santa Fe is already maxed out. The city council will be redeveloping the downtown area hoping to draw more folks into Vista to spend money.

Hmmm, let's see here, maxed out intersections, narrower Escondido lanes, reduced traffic lanes catering to pedestrians, more shoppers and traffic. Vista Village, Santa Fe, Escondido Ave will be dangerous and irritating to say the least if these plans go forward.

I think the City Council and Vista's redevelopment and planning depts need to stop right where they are and go over these plan once again. I hope they decide to use their brains this time.

I'm hoping for some great successes in Vista's redevelopment but this planning is dangerous and ignorant.

Jerrries Ranch Resident wrote on Jul 6, 2008 2:03 PM:I agree with George’s comment that this is the time to look at all of the major arteries in Vista and expanding or improving them before they reach capacity. However, I would appreciate verification of the $19.3 billion that SANDAG is supposed to have for local roads. The current Oceanside Council majority is pushing for the Melrose extension to Spur ($20 million estimated cost) and the Rancho Del Oro/SH 78 interchange ($100+ million estimated cost). Oceanside residents have been told that for various reasons (financial being one) neither project is on SANDAG’S priority list. And we must not forget the State’s current financial problems (too many to list) and the likely probability Sacramento will pull funds from other accounts (the transportation fund has been hit before without repayment) to help balance this year’s budget. The Melrose extension will draw traffic from E. Vista Way without any of the recommendations from Vista Granny. Can anyone explain why our residential neighborhoods (Vistas’ and Oceansides’) should be made to suffer to protect a commercial neighborhood (E. Vista Way) that by its makeup will always have a heavy flow of traffic? Wouldn’t it make sense to widen E. Vista Way to 6 lanes south from SH76 to Arcadia? And, one last point is the current condition of north Melrose from SH78. The next time that you are on this road pay attention to how bad it is. There is no way that this road can safely accept even a modest increase of traffic that would surely come if Melrose were opened. I recommend that the City Councils of Vista and Oceanside take the time to inform those thousands of residents that live within three blocks of Melrose. It is imperative that these homeowners or renters are aware of the effects of the increased traffic including slower traffic flow at 78 and the increased noise and pollution caused by the increased truck traffic from SH 78 to SH 76.

Jeffries Ranch Resident wrote on Jul 6, 2008 2:25 PM:I obviously made a mistake. I live in Jeffries Ranch and not Jerrries Ranch.

the Sprinter wrote on Jul 6, 2008 2:55 PM:Crossings at Escondido Avenue and Vista Village truely screw traffic flow up during afternoon rushhours, traffic trying to exit from East and West 78 to Escondido Avenue gets badly backed up everytime the gates come down and it takes forever to straighten itself out < right about the time the next Sprinter rolls through > I avoid downtown areas of Vista now just because of the Sprinter crossing issues.

Vista Granny wrote on Jul 6, 2008 3:02 PM:To Jeffries Ranch resident. Sure you want Melrose extended -- right to your front door -- then you can skip highway 76, and hopefully all of Vista. East Vista Way is commercial most of the way, but there are homes right behind all that commercial property as well, and talk about dirt and exhaust fumes!!! So, I know now that you probably cut through Vista at 60 mph -- BTW, making E. Vista Way six lanes would cost a real bundle since there's not easement left for that to happen. Remember E. Vista way was a two lane road 30 years ago -- they'd have to buy a lot of property to widen it more, and just imagine the traffic mess when they were doing the work. No, let's get Vista out of the short cut picture. Send commuters back to the freeways where they belong.

Jeffries Ranch resident to Vista Granny wrote on Jul 7, 2008 3:12 PM:I would prefer that Melrose be left the way that it is but unfortunately the current Oceanside City Council majority are in the pockets of the developers and will do everything possible to satisfy their benefactors. The opening of Melrose without the widening of E. Vista Way will bring a lot of that traffic to our neighborhood and negate any perceived advantage to our area. I have little knowledge regarding what the lack of easements would do to widening E. Vista Way. However, I never saw this mentioned as being a problem when the VUSD was considering several locations along the roadway for the new high school campus. Older two-lane roads have been widened as needed to handle increased traffic flow and there is no question that the traffic has increased tremendously. I travel E. Vista Way several times a week and have yet to see anyone going 60 mph inside the Vista city limits. In fact northbound traffic is backed up from Warmlands to SH76 several hours each afternoon commute. I realize that there are numerous residences abutting E. Vista Way but this is something that the citizens of Vista need to bring before your City Council. I agree that through traffic should be made to take the freeways but the last that I noticed none currently exists between Vista and Bonsall/Fallbrook and points north and east. SH76 will be an expressway not a freeway when it is completed. The bottom line is that what occurs in each of our cities affects the residents of both. I would like to see a grassroots movement to stop our local governments from continuing to make ill-advised decisions. We all complain about the lobbyist in D.C. but it happens on the local level as well. It is our decision; it is our homes.

Jeffries Ranch resident to Vista Grannie wrote on Jul 7, 2008 5:45 PM:I would prefer that Melrose be left the way that it is but unfortunately the current Oceanside City Council majority are in the pockets of the developers and will do everything possible to satisfy their benefactors. The opening of Melrose without the widening of E. Vista Way will bring a lot of that traffic to our neighborhood and negate any perceived advantage to our area. I have little knowledge regarding what the lack of easements would do to widening E. Vista Way. However, I never saw this mentioned as being a problem when the VUSD was considering several locations along the roadway for the new high school campus. Older two-lane roads have been widened as needed to handle increased traffic flow and there is no question that the traffic has increased tremendously. I travel E. Vista Way several times a week and have yet to see anyone going 60 mph inside the Vista city limits. In fact northbound traffic is backed up from Warmlands to SH76 several hours each afternoon commute. I realize that there are numerous residences abutting E. Vista Way but this is something that the citizens of Vista need to bring before your City Council. I agree that through traffic should be made to take the freeways but the last that I noticed none currently exists between Vista and Bonsall/Fallbrook and points north and east. SH76 will be an expressway not a freeway when it is completed. The bottom line is that what occurs in each of our cities affects the residents of both. I would like to see a grassroots movement to stop our local governments from continuing to make ill-advised decisions. We all complain about the lobbyist in D.C. but it happens on the local level as well. It is our decision; it is our homes.

Planning for the future wrote on Jul 8, 2008 8:55 PM:California has been growing ever since the first Native American arrived. A simple look at the significant number of language phyla among the Native Americans in the CA region shows that people have been coming to California and staying here.

So, why not plan for growth and recognize that until Earth is through with Man, and he goes the way of the dinosaur, California will continue to grow in population. So, widen the roads and realize that some people are going to have to give up their property. Isn't that why Prop 98 was defeated in favor of Prop 99? So that City's could simply rezone property and turn you "Single Family Home" (verbiage in Prop. 99) into a multiple use property or business property, and still take it. Of course, neither 98 or 98 prevented governments from taking property to widen roads for the good of the community (that just happens to have out gown the roads built 50 to 100 years ago).

No Planning wrote on Jul 9, 2008 9:36 AM:Evidently, no one thought through the problems the Sprinter has created through Vista. It regularly takes me 10 minutes to get through the Robelini, S.Santa Fe, Buena Creek intersection at rush hour. This intersection needs major realignment and widening. If Sycamore were extended directly to Buena Creek it would make more sense and be easier to deal with when the Sprinter goes through. Right now it's a nightmare. Vista and the County need to get some of that Sandag money and get this fixed. Next on the list for Vista would be a parking structure for the movie theater. Come on, what were you guys thinking when the village was built. I feel sorry for all the restaurants and shops there. I would support them if I could only find a parking space that wasn't used up by the movie goers.

Vista Watchdog wrote on Jul 9, 2008 4:24 PM:Good planning, including dual-use would have enabled Vista to have had a new City Hall built along the River Walk area with a large parking structure behind the theatre. But, a failure to think outside the box is costing the citizens Millions to build a new city hall that is not going to be any more convenient than the current old school buildings. The ideal solution would have been a swap of land for new building and long-term leases. The Escondido Blvd. location would have been great for more professional offices, but is lousy for city hall.

Poor Planning wrote on Jul 16, 2008 1:27 AM:Parking is always the problem here. Its a problem to see a movie, its a problem to go to the wave, its a problem shop at Frazier Farms, its a problem to shop downtown....and now they want to put a 4 story building on the small lot at the corner of main and vista way....what are you thinking! Where's the parking....we need that lot for parking to visit the downtown shops. That 4 story building should be on Santa Fe and not in the middle of the nightmare downtown...it will stick out like a sore thumb....it will block the old part of town from the new...cant see the murals and again no parking. Poor planning...its always about money and not whats good for the citizens and the community.