It is 480 BC and a battle between Greeks and Persians is looming. An overwhelming force of Persians approach a narrow pass leading from the sea to interior regions of Greece. Aptly named, Thermopylae Pass, it translates to “hot gates.” Here, according to Greek Mythology, is an entrance to Hades (Hell). During three days of battle, a much smaller Greek force temporarily held back an overwhelming Persian army.
Although the Greek-Persian battle has become symbolic of the term, Battle of Thermopylae: patriotic sacrifice to protect homeland and freedom, the hot sulfur springs of Thermopylae are also emblematic of a series of bloody battles – 279 BCE: invading Gauls; 191 BCE: Romans; 1941 Allied New Zealand forces verses Germany – that have been fought at the pass. In each instance, use of this narrow, restricted access point (chokepoint) was a critical factor of the engagement.
Sacrifice of the relatively small contingent of Greeks in 480 BC was amplified by the 1962 film, The 300 Spartans, honoring a contingent of Spartan warriors that led the Greek defense. Militarily, chokepoints such as Thermopylae have been recognized as an important tactical reference when facing opposition. Overlooking or minimizing the influence of chokepoints can be disastrous when managing order of battle, terrain, supply chains, and troop movements and training. The same can be said for many other endeavors including growth and traffic circulation.
Chokepoints are not restricted to military or technical discussions. In the Greater Tri-City area of the East Bay, traffic patterns (pre-pandemic) have been a constant concern: intracity, intercity and transregional. Due to geographical, transportation, development and growth patterns, modern day inhabitants are also subject to the effects of chokepoints. Two major north-south freeways squeeze our cities, and when crowded, impact surface roads that connect or circumvent them. East-west traffic is hampered by scarcity of major thoroughfares. For example, the intersection of Durham Road/Auto Mall Parkway with I-680, the site of now defunct Fry’s Electronics, is unable to adequately mitigate the transition to Auto Mall Parkway, an east-west artery. With the demise of Fry’s, will the specter of more housing exacerbate the problem?
In some places, a pre-existing community including streets, housing, commercial, utilities and/or industrial development restricts options available to accommodate increased traffic. Inadequate, yet sometimes unavoidable plans to address these concerns can lead to poor and even dangerous roadway conditions. The Foothill/Jackson/Mission intersection leading to downtown Hayward is such a challenging confluence. It may be, however, that a negative confluence of traffic and development is evident prior to development. A conscious and deliberate decision will either positively or negatively impact conditions both on and off roads and highways.
Nestled at the southeast end of the Niles District next to Alameda Creek, the vacant, former Henkel/Schuckl Cannery property, has long been a controversial subject of development. Iterations of the Niles Gateway project have included homes, townhomes and retail spaces. After a prior mixed-use development was approved by the city council, it was blocked by a resident group – Protect Niles – claiming lack of an Environmental Impact Report. It was back to the drawing boards for Fremont and developers.
Located at a ninety-degree bend of the Niles Boulevard that passes under a train trestle, there is little or no room for alternate road design. Niles Boulevard, as an entrance to Niles Canyon, has often been used to bypass crowded conditions on adjacent Mission Boulevard. A recent decision by the Fremont City Council, accepted by some resigned residents and bolstered by councilmember visions of additional developer fees has been approved. Modifications including lower building heights, a few more “affordable” units and removal of retail spaces did, however, include the magic word “housing.” The immediate result will be additional pressure on an already strained roadway. The final result… Thermopylae?