Celia Jiménez here, thinking about Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, one of my favorite places in Monterey County.
However, I don’t enjoy the traffic and full parking lots when I visit this popular natural attraction. So I was excited when I read Staff Writer Katie Rodriguez’s story in this week’s edition of the Weekly about moving forward a shuttle plan to alleviate traffic along Highway 1 and bringing tourists to this area that is known for its breathtaking coastal views.
According to Rodriguez’s reporting, the Carmel Highlands and Carmel Valley Land Use Advisory Committees voted to advance the ParkIT! shuttle, a community-based initiative to alleviate congestion along Highway 1 from Carmel to Big Sur, to the County Planning Commission.
State Parks’ proposal includes using the Marathon Flats parking lot at Rio Road with a reservation system. Visitors would park there and a shuttle would take them to their final destination: Point Lobos.
This proposal is a great step forward and it will make it safer for visitors and locals traveling along Highway 1. I hope in the future they also include options to increase access, such as a rapid bus that could take a rider from Salinas, for example, or along any of the cities in the Peninsula, and take them to Point Lobos or other natural attractions along the way.