HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/16/2021 Item 2, Otto
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Garrett Otto <
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:ATC - Item 2 - Project Prioritization
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Dear ATC committee members,
Unfortunately I am not able to attend the meeting tomorrow evening. I have written many times in support of
prioritizing S. Higuera and using quickbuild techniques to get it accomplished rapidly. I am fully in support of keeping this
as your fist core network quick build. Sorry for the lengthy email, but I want to provide sufficient justification. Based on
the initial analysis I have the following suggestions:
Try to fit it into 2022. Quickbuilds by definition are supposed to be designed and implemented within a year.
Staff can put tight timelines on consultants to get designs ready for implementation sooner (I know I am a
consultant that is constantly given tight timelines).
Segment 1 & 2 - Ensure green bike boxes are added at High Street and South Street to allow bike riders to get
into left turn lanes. This is especially necessary in the case of southbound at South street to allow riders to get
into the straight lane in advance of the Madonna intersection to avoid having to merge across the double right-
hand slip lane. Obviously, bike boxes will be crucial at most of the intersections to allow riders to get into the left
turn lanes at most intersections along this corridor.
Segment 5 - Keep the southbound reduced to 1 lane. Keeping it one lane helps keep traffic speeds lower which
keeps everyone safe. The flexible posts only serve as visual barriers, they will not actually prevent a vehicle from
entering the travel lanes. Shifting to double lanes will promote vehicle passing and increase the overall speed of
drivers along this segment. Increase the bike lane and buffer width, remember 7ft is only the recommended
minimum, go wider. You can always add the second southbound lane near the intersection of prado when
vehicles are likely to create longer queues.
Segment 6 - though its borderline at the threshold for a road diet, this segment needs wider protected bike
lanes and only one vehicle travel lane each direction. This is the segment where there are many more businesses
and lower income residential units. There are long stretches between controlled intersections for pedestrians to
cross at. With all the businesses and mobile homes on both sides, this segment really needs to reduce the
number of travel lanes to slow vehicles and reduce crossing widths. With the addition of a SB freeway entrance
at Prado, drivers will have more opportunity to hop on the freeway instead of driving along S. Higuera. This
should help reduce the number of vehicles along this segment in the future. The best part about doing this as a
quickbuild, is we get to see the results using actual implementation that can be modified if necessary. I think we
will find that overall vehicles speed slow, collisions are reduced, and ridership increases. If we find otherwise
then we can alway change it to something like the proposed cross section.
As for other project prioritization, I would make the following adjustments:
2024 does not seem to take on any ambitious corridors and I would like to see something like Foothill or Broad added to
that year's list of projects. I would think that the segment of Broad between Orcutt and Tank farm would be super easy
since the width is there and no on-street parking would require removal. Intersections at both could use some work
though.
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The segment of Foothill between Santa Rosa and California is highly used. This could also be a highly impactful yet small
segment to increase safety that should be considered for 2024.
It appears that the projects are prioritized based mostly on complexity and not dealing with on-street parking removal or
reconfiguring intersections. I agree that focusing on the low hanging fruit is probably a good idea to get as much
installed as possible. I would hope to see Broad between South and Orcutt happen sooner and align with the other
Broad street improvements.
I would also suggest making Prado connection to Broad a higher priority than Tank Farm and South Street considering
the residential neighborhoods would greatly benefit from a North/South connection and access to Dameon Garcia Park.
Thank you,
Garrett Otto
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