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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/9/2020 Item 4, Finger Wilbanks, Megan From:Helene Finger < To:Advisory Bodies Subject:PC Communication Dear Planning Commission Members, Thank you for this opportunity to share comments on the City’s Draft Active Transportation Plan. One of SLO’s busiest transportation corridor is north/south along South Higuera/Highway 101. A bike path is already built on this corridor from Prado to Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) and a trailhead for this path opened in September 2019 at the Octagon Barn. The only missing gap is a connection between the two. The 0.19-mile Bob Jones Trail Octagon Barn Connection project is an approved project by the city and the county with environmental work completed that will close this gap. This connection will allow most cyclists traveling to/from the south to avoid the LOVR/Higuera intersection (one of the busiest intersections in the city) and connect to the existing bike path, which has direct connection to the partially built Prado Road east/west bike path. It would also be a more direct route to connect to proposed cycle tracks on LOVR. Currently the plan includes a dead-end cycle track south of LOVR on Higuera at the city limit, stranding cyclists without protections until the bike path starts again at the Octagon Barn. I ask that the Bob Jones Trail connection to the Octagon Barn be placed in Tier 1 to close this gap. Leaving out this joint regional project may jeopardize state funding that the County is currently seeking for the 4.5-mile connection between the Octagon Barn and Bob Jones Trail staging area on Ontario Road. Including this project will provide the prestige needed for the County’s successful grant application with no cost to the city as this project can be built as a condition of development. Thank you, Helene Finger 1