Mayor explains decision to educate commuters by flooding portion of I-5

Last week, thousands of San Diegans endured major traffic delays following the flooding and closure of a portion of I-5 North near the downtown area. At the time, blame was placed on a ruptured water main, but since then, details have emerged that paint a more complicated picture. “The fact is, the city made a deliberate decision to rupture the main,” said Mayor Todd Gloria today, in an apparent effort to get out in front of the story. “But we had good reason for doing so. It is crucial that everyone get behind President Biden’s effort to Build Back Better. That effort includes the repair and replacement of our aging infrastructure, and the ruptured main should make it clear just how important that infrastructure is. But more importantly, it includes a reconsideration of the way we live, and an imagining of ways we can improve that — not just Build Back, but Build Back Better. It’s obvious that our reliance on fossil fuels has got to change. Put simply, gasollne-powered cars contribute to global warming, which in turn contributes to the rise of sea levels worldwide. We felt there was a powerful lesson to be learned in letting people experience the eventual effects of their morning commute in dramatic fashion. We must do better, San Diego!”