Commentary – Placerville Business Hurt by All-Green-Light test on Hwy 50
Angie Anderson
(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) Aug 6, 2022 — I have a business on Main Street in Placerville for 14 years. We have had steady growth in those 14 years in the Fall. It’s been so wonderful! It’s really fun talking to all those people heading home from Tahoe.
This post is a report on how it was on Main Street today on the first day of the experiment to keep all the lights green on hwy 50.
Unfortunately today was a very unusually SLOW day. I talk to ALL MY CUSTOMERS.
Normally I would talk to at least 15 families that were on the way home from their visit in Tahoe and today I did NOT HAVE ONE GROUP THAT WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM TAHOE.
I was really hoping they would say “Yes, on our way home” but not one. Think what you will and know that I have taken a 50% pay cut today because the people coming home from Tahoe probably felt confused and nervous to try and figure out the detours to Main Street and just stayed in the moving line of traffic.
I was told by the project manager that they received money to do this study in 2020 and needed to spend it on this Test. I’m feeling like a Guinea pig right now.
I was also told that they were not targeting the Apple Hill season but not for one second do I believe that. If they do this in the Fall it will hurt so many businesses on Main Street that count on that Fall Season.
I’m very worried.
– Angie Anderson
I think that even local Placerville people stayed away from downtown not knowing what was going to be happening. I think it was a ridiculous idea to do this. And they had people stationed at each of the intersections that we’re probably being paid overtime? Who’s paying for that
Our business was down by almost 75%. With the rising gas prices that alone has been costing us to loose business by 25%. The two have hurt us tremendously over the last two months. We need our community leaders to be active in promoting Main street, not participating in things that deter business.
Hooverville Orchards took a 50% decline in revenue and customers. This is devastating to small businesses. The summer months are when farmers try to make their revenue to pay off operating loans and save some money to get us through the slower winters. This is devastating and just makes me sad and fretful now about our financial outlook?
Business owners should recall these demons. They don’t care about economic growth/sustainability of small businesses. They love to get grant money and then the puppet masters tell them what to do. These characters can’t be trusted to serve the best interest of constituents.
This is a very stupid idea! It will cause such chaos for local people trying to get around town, it will clog up all the side roads and back roads with lines of cars trying to get to the high school on time, to work on time or to appointments! What’s the point of taking away the traffic lights on the highway?? Makes no sense