Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
I am wary of two closely related Manteca roadway issues that have once again surfaced. My concern is focused on the fact that we have been here previously and indications are that City Hall and the Council are on the same failed path of previous attempts.
One is the downtown traffic problem. A remedy proposed for relieving the downtown traffic congestion on the premise of improving Downtown by simply removing existing landscape planters and providing two travel lanes in each direction is reminiscent of the previous two failed attempts which generated the existing landscape planters. I will bet that for lack of money, political will, and a lack of understanding of the transportation parameters of this community, staff and Council will miss the entire target for relieving the traffic congestion and improving conditions in downtown.
What is needed at the central core of this community is a fully developed comprehensive traffic and circulation plan that manages the traffic and its circulation, not another token “fix-it” here and there that compounds the problem. Yes, it will take money; and, yes a few skeptics will pound their chests. Frankly, I am tired of city hall staff and councilmembers that fail to see the problem and fail to act appropriately in response to residents’ needs because it is scary or someone will squawk.
And finally, fix the freak’n roads! City hall and Council, you have had over 12 years to do something about our deteriorating streets and intersections. I have looked behind the curtain, and I am qualified to say, a token “fix-it” here and there every four or five years (when you seem to collect enough money) is not roadway repair.
Let me be more precise. Make sure you hire new department heads that bring the same old problems that other communities are having, so we can start an entire new “clique” of people that never leave their desks, or live in the community.

Benjamin Cantu
Manteca