Album: Tunnel Day on the Coastside

Friday, May 6, turned out to be a perfect day on the Devil’s Slide—sunny, but not too hot. The day started with a bus ride to the groundbreaking site and ended with a party at Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.

The groundbreaking was the reward for years of grueling labor by opponents of a freeway that would have cut through Montara Mountain. The mood of celebration among Coastsiders Friday transcended the artificial nature of the media event. Take a look at tunnel.org if you really want to get some idea of the energy that went into this dream and what the they accomplished. The original Yes on T website is also still online.

I’ve chosen a few pictures that will give you some idea of what Friday was like.

Barry Parr

The groundbreaking took place on state park land, and not at the construction site itself. You could see the actual construction in the background.  The groundbreakers were (right to left) Assemblyman Leland Yee, Caltrans District 4 Director Bijan Sartipi, County Supervisor Rich Gordon, Congressman Tom Lantos, State Senator Jackie Speier, Assemblyman Gene Mullin, and Lennie Roberts.

Barry Parr

This event was made to order for TV.

Barry Parr

There were a lot more dignitaries than tunnel activists at the event.  After the groundbreaking a bunch of the activists delivered a good-natured reminder that it was average citizens who changed Caltrans’s plans for the Coastside.

Click "read more" to see more pictures from the event.

Barry Parr

The dignitaries rode on the school bus in front. I rode in the short bus with the rest of the press (Clay Lambert, Jeanine Gore, and Amelia Hansen).

Barry Parr

As soon as Lennie Roberts from the Committee for Green Foothills showed up with some old "Think Tunnel" signs, the TV cameras were drawn to her.

Barry Parr

This highway patrolman was more interested in the magnificent view from this spot than in the event.

Barry Parr

Because this was state park land, a contingent of rangers was on hand.

Barry Parr

"Think Tunnel" posters, bumper-stickers, flyers, T-shirts and memorabilia were everywhere.

Barry Parr

Dozens of tunnelistas were invited to the podium by their friends for a final group shot.