Public Workshop: Santee to Update Transportation Plan (Traffic, Bicycles, Pedestrians, Transit)

City seeking input
from residents at public workshop

Santee’s Development Services Director Pedro
Orso-Delgado announced efforts are under way to update the Circulation Element,
a section of the General Plan that provides the framework for all aspects of
transportation in the City. The Circulation Element addresses how local and
regional traffic will circulate through Santee under both existing and future
conditions, as well as the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.

To gather public input, a workshop is being held on
December 12 from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Santee Library on Carlton Hills
Boulevard. The workshop will provide residents an opportunity to have their
voices heard about concerns over a range of issues, including traffic, safety,
walking, biking and transit. WalkSanDiego, a local nonprofit organization, will
be leading the outreach effort.

According to Orso-Delgado, “Santee
has been focusing on maintaining and improving the quality of life for
residents as we grow. Updating the Circulation Element is an important part of
that focus.” 

Santee is one of the few cities in the region with a significant
amount of land suitable for development. In recent years the City has added
upscale housing, a major corporate business park, and expansive shopping
centers, along with a recreational complex that serves more than 350,000 people
a year. According to SANDAG, the region’s municipal planning organization, Santee’s
population will increase by nearly 20,000 people by 2050 and will have 30% more
housing and 38% more jobs compared to 2010 census data. 

The City has hired Chen Ryan Associates, a transportation
planning and traffic engineering firm based in San Diego, to carry out the
Circulation Element update. Monique Chen, one of two women who started the firm
last year, is a registered traffic engineer with 15 years of experience
providing engineering and planning services to both public and private sector
clients. “The importance of the Circulation Element is that it identifies the
future vision and key direction for achieving a truly multi-modal
transportation system that serves all Santee community residents,” Chen said
about the update.

Santee's transportation system plays major roles in
shaping the future form and character of the City by directly affecting the
location of commercial, industrial, housing, recreational and public uses. The
purpose of the transportation system is to provide a safe, efficient and
serviceable circulation network that ensures that the movement of people and
goods meets the transportation needs of all sectors of the City. 

-City of Santee Press Release