HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/19/2020 Item 2, Finger
Harris, Andrew
From:Helene Finger <helenefinger@gmail.com>
Sent:Thursday, November 19, 2020 7:13 PM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ATC Communication
Dear ATC,
I ask that ATP Project Prioritization list not be left online on the ATC homepage without clearly labeling it as a draft and explaining what it
represents.
Additionally I ask that the Bob Jones Trail be placed in Tier 1 in the draft ATP Project Prioritization list. H aving the Bob Jones Trail project
missing from Tier 1 not only doesn’t represent community priorities, but it may jeopardize the County’s ATP grant
application for the adjacent section of this trail.
The Bob Jones Trail project at LOVR will connect the last gap in a shared use path from City of SLO to Avila Beach supporting the current
786,000 annual BJT bicycle/pedestrian trips and will trigger a transformative change for non-motorized travel along this corridor, both
for residents of SLO City and those living to the south who work and attend school in SLO City. With the completion of the County’s
section of the Bob Jones Trail, no other project is needed to make this route fully useable.
Ongoing community support and the potential transformational mode shift is supported by a Bob Jones Trail survey in spring 2020 with
over 1,200 respondents. According to this survey, significant latent demand will result in significant mode shift along this corridor.
o It will double frequent non-motorized travel by Cal Poly students along this corridor including increasing commute trips by 4
times and errands by over 3 times.
o Even more transformational for those too scared to bike/walk this corridor now (both general community member and
students), there will be an over 80% increase in their active transportation use on this corridor once the trail is complete.
Significant progress has already been made on this project and in the vicinity, moving this project to be much closer to shovel ready than
most.
o Community based corridor study was completed in 2012 that identified the preferred pathway alignment based on site analysis
and extensive public input. Location of a pathway near the creek was found to be superior to a route along LOVR & South
Higuera for safety, roadway width and user experience reasons. This location will also avoid any potential future development
and is the preferred transition to a riparian corridor.
o Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration is complete and adopted by the City and County planning commissions (11/9/16
and 7/27/17).
o Octagon Barn trailhead was completed in September 2019 and will be an event destination directed connect to this project
when pandemic restrictions are lifted.
o County is finishing design for the adjacent section of the BJT and are about to start negotiating right-of-way with property
owners, including one of the two landowners for this project.
There are several other shared use paths currently on Tier 1 list that will be much slower to build and will
result in much less mode shift.
Please let me know if my requests are possible?
Thank you,
Helene Finger
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