The Red Rock Resistance
"Car Talk"

Laing Homes, a major British corporation, in collaboration with a California developer, plans to build an 8,400 home subdivision, designated Cielo Encantado, in the middle of Red Rock Canyon.

The Cielo Encantado developers estimate that 25% of the homeowners in their proposed development will use the secondary entrance near Blue Diamond Village. This estimate will put an additional 5000 cars on Highway 159. Here are some estimates to consider: 5,000 cars = 10,000 trips/day These trips will be made mostly over the 14-hour period from 6:00 am to 8:00 PM. 10,000 cars/ 14 hrs. = 714 cars/ 1 hr. = 12 cars/ minute = 1 car/5 seconds However, these trips are more likely to be concentrated in a 2-hour period in the morning and 2-hour period at night. Which means it will probably look more like this: 7,500 cars/ 4 hrs = 31 cars/minute = 1 car/2 seconds The remainder of the time traffic will look like this: 2,500/10 hrs = 4 cars/minute = 1 car/15 seconds An assessment of the primary access road to the development with it's huge hill and winding path indicates these numbers are optimistic and that most commuters will choose to use the secondary access - near Blue Diamond Village, the straight short path to 159 and then on to 160. These are low estimates. Truly sobering.

SONGS OF THE RESISTANCE [ "Little Boxes" by Malvina Reynolds ]

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Roger Scimé, President.