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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/27/2021 Item 3a, Brooks Oct. 26, 2021 To: Chair Bob Jorgensen and Commissioners Dandekar, Hopkins, Kahn, Wulkan and Quincey From Lea Brooks, San Luis Obispo resident Re: Oct. 27 agenda, Item 3.a.: Bullock Ranch at 3580/3584 Bullock Lane Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this project. My focus is the requirement that the developer extend the Railroad Safety Trail along the west side of Bullock Lane from the project’s south property line to the southwest corner of the intersection of Orcutt Road and Bullock Lane I can’t overemphasize the importance of completing this link of the Railroad Safety Trail that will connect the southern terminus of the pathway at Orcutt Road to the Righetti Ranch development and Tank Farm Road. Residents of the Tank Farm Road area and people who work in the area and want to bicycle or walk to their work sites have been waiting for years for the City to complete the southern end of this regional bicycle- pedestrian pathway. First the positive: Improvements to the Orcutt Road/Laurel Lane/Bullock Lane intersection is crucial for safe connectivity across Orcutt Road. Even though I am an experienced bicyclist and cross this intersection several times a week, I dread it every time because of the unpredictability of speeding, aggressive and distracted motorists. Please see Garrett Otto’s suggestions as part of Bike SLO County’s comments. And, please refer the pathway’s design to the Active Transportation Committee for review. Now for the red flags: -The pathway must consistently be constructed to a minimum of 12 feet wide paved surface with shoulders per city standards and California State design criteria (Chapter 1000 Streets and Highways Code). For those of you haven’t experienced an 8-foot-wide trail, please visit the Bob Jones Trail between Ontario Road and Avila Beach, especially on a nice-weather weekend or holiday. Eight feet was the minimum at the time of construction, but has since been updated to 12 feet for safety reasons. Narrow trails result in conflicts between different users. Through bicyclists commuting or recreating rarely use the Bob Jones Trail because they constantly must slow down or stop because pedestrians are walking two or three abreast and often have young children with them. This is not a criticism of pedestrians because trails should be designed to accommodate all users. It’s a warning that the people who most likely will use the Railroad Safety Trail to replace a car trip with a bike trip don’t want a stressful stop-and- go experience. The City should encourage bicycling, not discourage it with a narrow trail. A 12-foot-wide trail provides enough space to avoid most conflicts. Alternating widths will create conflicts. Remove the parking lane on Bullock Lane if necessary. The City’s priority should be bicycle and pedestrian safety and encouragement over vehicle storage in public spaces. I doubt the City would even consider building a road today primarily intended for motor vehicles with alternating widths. The Railroad Safety Trail is a transportation project and needs to be treated like one. -Two years for the City to reach an agreement with Union Pacific for right of way for this key pathway link is absurd based on how long these negotiations for other segments of the Railroad Safety Trail and other projects have taken. The City must take a long-term approach to complete this pathway of regional importance for active transportation. Yes, strive for two years, but focus on the goal to successfully complete the pathway. If the developer is relieved of the obligation to construct the bike path, funding for the project should be backed up with a bond rather than deposited into the transportation impact fee fund that could be used for other projects. The City must remain committed to finishing this project. Please do not give the Public Works Director the authority to kill this project if he/she deems negotiations with Union Pacific as unproductive. Elected officials must accept responsibility for such a drastic decision. In closing, long and frustrating negotiations with Union Pacific finally paid off with the near completion of the Railroad Safety Trail segment between Taft and Pepper streets, including the bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the railroad tracks. On Friday, Oct. 22, I personally witnessed a huge crane lower the bridge into place. It took a long time, but this pathway segment, which is as important as the Orcutt-Tank Farm segment, is almost reality.