THE VASCO NIGHTMARE We Crave Some Action
	November 2003

by Joanne Flynn
Photos by Brad Shifflett

My best friend, Patricia Altman, died three months ago on Vasco Road as the result of an incident that never would have escalated into an accident if it had occurred on a road incorporating the basic safety feature of mid-highway barriers. A trailer with a broken hitch crossed the centerline, crashed into the car she was driving, killing her instantly.

I remember that when I got the word about Patricia’s death, I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I was physically ill, and when I learned the details of the absolutely senseless nature of her death, I felt almost overcome by despair and grief. Even now I continue to be shocked and heartbroken that she is gone. I still wake up some mornings and think, “Oh my God,” as I realize that I have to live another day in Patricia’s absence.

Now Where Did I Put that Club?
I guess a terrible emotional trauma such as that created by my friend’s death stirs up flight-or-fight psychological responses in people’s hearts. “Flight” in this case would involve retreating to some emotionally sheltered position marked by avoidance and suppression of my anger and grief. Possibly it would involve a lot of daytime TV and junk food.

But I realized that I could also fight in response to the tragic event. I could channel my anger and grief in combating the circumstances that led to Patricia’s death. It didn’t take me long to identify the specific adversary worthy of doing battle against. It took only a few days to realize that my friend’s death was a direct outcome of apathy and ignorance on the part of both public officials and private citizens.

Fighting for Necessary Changes
“It’s the squeaking wheel that gets the grease” is said more truly about governmental action than about anything else in society. Vasco Road highway improvement is a project that government agencies should have dealt with 25 deaths ago, but nobody squeaked with sufficient volume to pressure agencies and bureaucrats to make the required changes.

But now my friend, Patricia, has died, as only one of the dozen people killed on that highway during the past few years. So Patricia’s family and I are only a few of the hundreds and hundreds of people who have been physically and emotionally damaged by something that could have been prevented. So now her widowed husband, Jeff, and I, together with some of the people who loved her, and others who have themselves lost loved ones, are starting to squeak as hard as we can. We’re doing our best to become such a thorn in the side of the people who hold the reins of power that we will goad them to action.

Jeff pointed out that everyone we talk to asks the same question, “When are they going to do something?” Well, we’re coming up with the answer, “They’re going to do something now.” We’re taking the fight against the inertia that has slowed improvement to its current glacial pace. We’ve made the conscious decision to fight against this apathy.

This is a matter of life and death. We want changes now. Jeff says that short term solutions to some legislators means 10 years. That’s too long! That’s too many fatalities! We want changes in six months! We’re telling the elected officials to be creative and to think outside of the box as they look for solutions. We need to put safety priorities first and to concentrate on necessities not wishes.

There is still a lot to be done. California is in the worst financial crisis in the history of this State, and money is being poorly spent. When on a budget, you put necessities first, then wants. This is a necessity. We can’t turn back the clock; however, we can fix what is broken.

When we began our quest, we discovered almost immediately that some of the people in power, like Senator Torlakson, have a genuine desire to respond effectively to the challenges and were glad to become allies with us.

Identifying Worthy Tasks and Goals
Jeff Altman and I have formed the CRAVE (Concerned Residents About Vasco Experiences) committee to make things happen in order to make the road safer.
• We encouraged the progress of SB 802, authored by Senators Torlakson and Houston, which designates Vasco as part of Highway 84, permitting the road to become eligible for State Highway improvement funds.
• We are working with the State Highway Patrol to encourage their efforts in responding to the problem:

• Increase surveillance with extra patrols
• Increase the number of Highway Patrol Response Teams
• Deploy speed trailers and air patrols
• Add signage, such as “Turn On Headlights” signs.

• We are pushing for the “Vasco Safety Week Proclamation” to become official by both Brentwood and Discovery Bay.

• We supported the Vasco Road Safety Forum, October 16, 7:30, at the Liberty High School Performing Arts Center.

• We are sponsoring the http://vascoroad.com website.

• We are sponsoring petitions to encourage politicians and bureaucrats to get involved in Vasco Road improvement projects.

• We are creating a sub-committee for peaceful protests. We’ll be prepared to start walking and knocking on people’s doors if it ever becomes necessary to do so.

• We are supporting gathering and maintaining statistics to monitor and define the actual problem.

• We are trying to reach out to Pleasanton and Livermore, encouraging them to get involved and on-board with us.

Jeff makes the good point that the activities we are involved in aren’t really about us. They are about our community; they are about changing the future. They are about doing things to make a difference so that no more Patricia’s will be killed in the future. Patricia was only 36! She left five children behind!

We’ve made the conscious decision to create a grass-roots movement to stir up people and politicians alike to join a concerted effort to make changes that will ensure that the kind of senseless death Patricia died that day, on that sunny stretch of highway, will never happen again. Not there! Not like that! Not again! °

You Can Help Patricia’s Boys
A fund for the Altman’s boys, aged 4 1/2 to 17, has been set up. You can donate to the Bank of America Patricia Altman Family Fund at P.O. Box 1418, Brentwood, CA 94513.
Check for updates about this on the http://vascoroad.com website.