Hu-what?! Schwarzenegger gives toll road stamp of approval

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's neutral stance on the 241 toll road extension magically changed for the worse Tuesday, and the Los Angeles Times reports that he's now urging the California Coastal Commission to approve the much-opposed project. The people at the Transportation Corridor Agencies are predictably tickled pink and hope the governor's opinion will have some bearing at next month's Coastal Commission meeting.

Good luck convincing the folks who concluded that it would be "difficult to imagine a more environmentally damaging alternative location" to the toll road extension in a 236-page report last year. Still, people like Elizabeth Goldstein, executive director of the California State Parks Foundation, are worried that the governor's endorsement could be a threat.

Download and read Schwarzenegger's letter to Patrick Kruer, chairman of the Coastal Commission, over here.

Meanwhile, the pro and anti-toll road camps have apparently been battling for attention on the Register's user videos page. Sierra Club spokeswoman Brittany McKee has a four minute clip on why building the road could spell disaster, while coastal engineer Dave Skelly goes on about why the toll road won't affect the waves at Trestles in a TCA-sponsored message (which also appears on relievetraffic.com).

Update: The Liberal OC reacts to the news.