THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Dec. 10, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Proponents of Thousand Oaks' "Right to Vote on Traffic Congestion Initiative" needed fewer than 30 of the allotted 180 days to present 15,542 signatures of Thousand Oaks voters to the City Clerk. This is well over the 15% of registered voters, or a minimum of 10,540 signatures, which were needed to qualify this measure for placement on the June 2008 ballot.
"We are honored, but not amazed, by the overwhelming support shown by the voters of Thousand Oaks," said Nino DeFranco, a resident and co-sponsor of the initiative. "The members of our community know that we must have our say in protecting our quality of life from the negative traffic effects of mega-projects."
The "Right to Vote on Traffic Congestion Initiative" would allow the voters of Thousand Oaks to decide if a large project should be approved if it will substantially worsen congestion on city streets and intersections. The initiative is supported by the "Keep Thousand Oaks Traffic Moving Committee," a coalition of residents and businesses that are concerned about the planning decisions the City of Thousand Oaks has made, and the negative impacts these decisions will have for years to come.
"The goal of this initiative is to put the power back into the hands of the people of Thousand Oaks," said Mojtaba Sedihgi. "Many of us moved to Thousand Oaks to avoid the overbuilding and horrible traffic found in Los Angeles and other places. We need the democratic right to vote on these projects to keep our special town from becoming like those big cities."
Nino DeFranco and Mojtaba Sedihgi live in the Westlake Village area of the City of Thousand Oaks. After discussions with fellow residents and local businesses, they came to the conclusion that something needed to be done to control overdevelopment in Thousand Oaks. They believed that the right answer was to put the power to decide on the City's future into the hands of its residents. The result of this belief is the "Right to Vote on Traffic Congestion Initiative." The initiative is also supported by Thousand Oaks community leaders, including Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks.