Class Act

In the area of Mexico where I live (Baja, California) there is really only one main highway. This road which is (very appropriately I think) known as route 1 (officially carretera federal 1) runs north south along the pacific coast (mostly) of the Baja Peninsula from almost the southernmost tip (Cabo) to the border with the state of California in the United States. There are two different "versions" of route 1 in many portions of Baja, the cuoto (toll) portion and the libre (free) version. As you might guess the toll version of route 1 is more like a traditional highway in the United States, with faster speed limits (90-110KPH, 55-70MPH) and no stop lights or signs. In contrast the libre sets up much like a state route or large county road in the states with slower speeds and either a few stop lights and signs or many of these depending on where exactly one is driving. The two versions run mostly parallel to each other, though not always. This can be quite confusing as it is often not clear which version of route 1 one needs to be on to reach any given destination. It definitely challenges Google Maps and it is notorious for not differentiating between the two, resulting in many wasted trips and miles when navigating around the peninsula.

Because it is the only way to quickly reach just about any destination along the Pacific coast in Mexico, and to get to the US, it is heavily trafficked and backs up regularly in the best of times. It also happens to be only one or two lanes in each direction in many sections so even the most minor of accidents or road problems can cause major heartburn. The fact that it runs through mountainess areas that are prone to rockslides, and through the city of Tijuana, not exactly known for having the greatest civil engineering response teams in the world, and definitely know for having some of the worlds largest potholes, aggravates those issues to an even larger extent. So, when a giant sinkhole opened up (the result of unusually heavy rains in the area) recently at a very heavily trafficked interchange of route 1 just south of Tijuana it was just about guaranteed to be a nightmare for commuters. Fortunately, predictions of disaster and epic traffic jams have mostly not come to pass thanks to some very clever traffic management near the sinkhole site. This rerouting of traffic has required constant human intervention. The Mexican authorities have stationed people at the site with traffic cones that are manually repositioned in real time at intervals dictated by traffic flow and volume. I give the Mexican authorities a ton of credit for their efforts in this regard. However, while this was a truly awesome move, it is not the action about which I was motivated to write this particular piece. Instead what I wanted to highlight was another seemingly inconsequential action the Mexican's have taken in response. As I mentioned earlier route 1 is a toll road and all the repairs and upkeep for the highway are funded by these tolls. There is one particular tollbooth near my own home that sits just south of the sinkhole. Less than one week after the hole opened up and the extent of the damage done was realized the Mexican's announced that it would take up to six months to repair and reopen the highway fully. Until such time as the road was fully repaired they would be rescinding the toll and allowing free access to the road. The toll is a minor one by US standards, it sat at 43 pesos (right around two bucks) at the time it was lifted. However, it is not really about the money in this case, instead it is all about the message that move sends, and what a great message it is.

Basically, the Mexicans are saying, we know you pay for this road with these tolls. You expect that since you are paying for something it shold be in working order. Since it is not in working order, you should not have to pay for it, and you will not until it is. Can you imagine such a thing happening in the US? I sure as heck can't.

In fact I can imagine the exact opposite. Tolls being increased with the excuse that natural disasters are not predictable and thus were not budgeted for so you will have to pony up even more money to cover the states poor planning or lack of forethought.

Once again Mexico I tip my hat to you. This is a super classy and really very smart move. This is one case where governmental authorities in the US should sit up and take notice. If you want people to support government and support road tolling in general here is a great example of a way to win that support. Show you understand the implicit deal that comes with road tolling and people will be more inclined to support that deal. Fairness buys more good will than any advertising campaign or political pitch ever could.