Residents Say Wal-Mart Store May Lead to Traffic Deaths

Residents call Wal-Mart a 'pirate,' claim proposed Supercenter may lead to more traffic, deaths along 'blood alley' section of Highway 12

Residents here rallied against a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter Saturday, charging the retail giant is more of a "pirate" than a savior - and predicted the Wal-Mart store could lead to more deaths on an already deadly stretch of Highway 12, known as "Solano County's version of blood alley."

"We had multiple fatalities in March alone along Highway 12. That shows how bad that stretch of highway is around here. If you bring in 37,000 extra cars on that same highway a week, according to projections, you're going to have more accidents," said Dwight Acey of Suisun Citizens League, sponsor of the rally.

"We don't need Wal-Mart coming in here like a pirate, raping this town and taking all the money out of here, leaving us for dead," he added.

A draft environmental impact report is due before the end of June for the Wal-Mart Supercenter project to be built at the intersection of Hwy 12, Walters Road and Peterson Road. Major sections of Quail Glen and Lawler Ranch neighborhoods would be as close as 300 feet from the store, which will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Many speakers focused on frightening Solano Transportation Authority statistics which reveal there have been nearly 800 collisions in four years along the stretch of Highway 12 near where the Wal-Mart is proposed, with 492 injuries and 18 deaths. Nine people have died in Highway 12 car accidents in the last 18 months. The statistics also show that the accident rate gets worse year after year.

"I have seen a number of these accidents, including one that was quite graphic," said Phil Tucker, project director of California Healthy Communities Network, who drives the road frequently. He also informed residents that a recent study that indicates for every job Wal-Mart creates, about 1.4 jobs are lost in the community.

Opponents note Wal-Mart is overbuilding in the area, with a Supercenter set in Fairfield less than three miles away, another in American Canyon and one proposed in Vallejo. "They're hitting this whole area, Benicia, Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville, Davis. They want a Wal-Mart every four miles," said Mary Magill, a Gray Panther activist who opposes the Wal-Mart.

Organizers, including sponsor Suisun Citizens League, and the Suisun Alliance, noted that the Wal-Mart Supercenter will result in increased crime, environmental damage and hurt local businesses.

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