HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/30/2020 Item 2, Disch
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Purrington, Teresa
Sent:Monday, November 30, 2020 7:40 AM
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:FW: ATP Comment MEND THE GAP
From: wendy disch <
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2020 11:47 AM
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: ATP Comment MEND THE GAP
To: ATC for Public Comment
Mail or Email Public Comment ➢ Received by 3:00 PM on the day of meeting - Can be submitted via email to
emailcouncil@slocity.org or U.S. Mail
Please accept my gratitude to the many people who have dedicated time and effort into developing the Active
Transportation Plan.
Although I was not in town when the survey was made, I am a resident and a homeowner for more than 20
years in San Luis Obispo. If I had been aware of the survey, I would have responded to it. As "a would ride
more" demographic, I imagine that the 22% figure in your report is probably a low figure. I would love to ride
more and drive less and I believe there are many others who feel the same, but they probably were not aware of
the survey, or they were not targeted for the survey, or they were not included in the survey. Also there are a lot
of people who commute and ride to San Lan Luis Obispo from nearby communities. Last summer, my son
commuted to work by bike from Morro Bay on a daily basis.
I am a bit confused. The report offers promise, however the list of priorities do not reflect the goals stated in
the report. On pg 82 it states "gaps can keep people from ...biking more often" and on page 87 it states "The
proposed network of improvements closes gaps in the existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure" so I am
led to believe that the gaps will be closed. But on page 127 it states Tier 2: Moderate-priority projects that play
an important role in the future bicycle and pedestrian network, but with less potential than Tier 1 projects to
increase bicycling and walking. I disagree with the characterization of the 0.19 mile gap (ID 70) on the Bob
Jones Trail as a "Tier 2" project. This gap segment has great potential to increase bicycling and walking
and should be given high priority as a Tier 1 project. The detour due to the gap is dangerous, causing
cyclists to be added to an already-high volume of traffic.
Another gap is the Bullock Lane gap along the railroad. I cannot even figure out where this gap is addressed is
the Project List. There too, instead of a couple hundred feet from where the trail stops abruptly to where it
picks up again, the detour around the new neighborhood to the existing trail behind the city pool is at least a
half mile or more and far more dangerous due to the traffic conditions encountered in the detour. This should
also be on the Tier 1 Project List
Eliminating the BJT gap and the Bullock Lane gap along the railroad by the new subdivision would be
two major improvements that would benefit the most riders and pedestrians. I recommend that
both of these should be listed in the Tier 1 category.
As a "would-be" bike rider, I would happily ride the bike paths. Unfortunately there are so many gaps where
the path simply ends, without any indication of where to go to reach the continuation of the bike trail, that I
just become frustrated and give up. While I should make an effort to ride more, the aggravation of having to
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ride alongside traffic is too undesirable. As a cyclist, I prefer not to ride with traffic, and as a motorist, I find it
very dangerous to look out for darting cyclists, cyclists riding in the wrong direction, or a group of cyclists
riding side-by-side.
In the many years that I have been a bike-rider in the past, I understand there are road conditions that affect
cyclists' behavior. For instance, the condition of the pavement (such as rough patches, debris, broken glass,
and vegetation) makes it such that a cyclist must move toward and/or encroach into the vehicular travel
lane. Many, if not most, motorists are not aware of the cyclist's predicament and some/many drivers become
hostile and aggressive toward the cyclist. As a cyclist, I have experienced this hostility not only here but also in
other parts of the country, and I become less willing to subject myself to stressful and dangerous conditions as
a cyclist. Therefore, I am very supportive of the city's efforts to improve the transportation network for cyclists
and pedestrians. I encourage you to reconsider the priorities.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment. To borrow the expression "Mind the Gap", I would like to alter it
slightly to "MEND THE GAP". I offer "MEND THE GAPS" as a remedy to what I consider to be crucial to
improving fluid cycling conditions and creating seamless cycling corridors in San Luis Obispo.
Wendy Disch
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