Sierra Club, Rincon Group Position Statement
May 15, 2007

To Whom it May Concern:

The Sierra Club Rincon Group, based in Tucson and with a membership of nearly 4,000 across Southern Arizona, formally and vigorously opposes construction of any Interstate 10 bypass freeway for the following reasons:

• With global warming threatening the long-term existence of humanity and thousands of other life forms, we should not be doing anything that would add to greenhouse gas emissions. Cars and trucks are the second largest source of these emissions. The production of asphalt and concrete is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
  
  
• All of the suggested routes for an I-10 bypass freeway would cut through pristine natural areas, which are habitat for hundreds of unique native species and movement corridors between habitat areas for dozens more. Some of these species are endangered or threatened already.
  
  
• Construction of a freeway in any of these route corridors would open them up to very substantial new commercial and residential development far from existing urban centers, requiring and encouraging more car and truck travel.
  
  
• Car and truck travel pollutes the air we breathe and the proposed freeway bypass would increase these noxious pollutants and spread them to new areas.
  
  
• The construction of rail tracks in existing transportation corridors would be much more economical than buying the rights of way for and building new freeways, while providing for train travel that is cleaner and more efficient per passenger mile. This approach also would reduce polluting and global-warming car and truck travel in the busy I-10 corridor, eliminating a perceived need for either a bypass freeway or more lanes on the existing I-10.
  
  
• The skyrocketing price of petroleum fuels renders the concept of building more freeways and more freeway lanes anywhere outdated and unwise.
  
  

According to media reports, an I-10 bypass freeway is the proposal of one Arizona Transportation Board member. The Sierra Club Rincon Group urges the Arizona Department of Transportation to Òdo the math,Ó and to listen to the many voices of reason in this area, including ours. Please reject any I-10 freeway bypass and instead develop rail transportation as an answer to our travel needs and freeway congestion problems.

Sincerely,
Keith Bagwell
Rincon Group chair