HomeMy WebLinkAbout7/19/2022 Item 6i, Flickinger
Delgado, Adriana
From:Sarah Flickinger <sarah@flickimc.com>
Sent:Tuesday, July 19,
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:FW: Public Comment Flickinger - Agenda Item 6i
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To the Mayor and City Council of San Luis Obispo:
I am a resident of the “above Johnson” neighborhood of the City, living off upper Tanglewood. My child attended Teach
School in recent years, and so the Johnson corridor was part of our regular daily commute, passing by the
Sydney/Johnson intersection in the pre- and post- school hours. As we live in the area, we are often on this route via
motor vehicle as we go about meeting our daily needs in various parts of the City. I’m also an LCI with the League of
American Bicyclists and am raising a young independent rider, who frequents destinations in the vicinity, so have been
watching the progress of the flashing sign warning improvement since it went in.
I am in full support of increased safety improvements, including road diet, use of refuge islands and any other speed
mitigating measures on approach from both directions to the crossing of Johnson at Sydney, and I encourage you to vote
in favor of approving the same. Ideally, I would personally like to see a HAWK beacon, similar to the recent addition on
Broad at Woodbridge, but the issue of approach speed needs to be addressed with road diet measures on Johnson on
approach to Sydney to make any stopping/attention to crossing improvement successful.
I have regularly observed motor vehicles speeding through the crossing even as pedestrians/cyclists are properly using
the existing crossing and the flashing lights are active. I have been stopped in one lane for those crossing and seen cars
in the adjacent and/or oncoming lanes speed through while my vehicle is stopped and pedestrians are well into the
roadway. Every time I am stopped for someone crossing, I cringe and keep an eye on the other lanes and the lane
behind me so that I can attempt to warn other drivers or pedestrians/cyclists when there is a hazard. I’ve had to honk,
flash lights, call out to pedestrians, etc., on several occasions. This crossing, like the one on Tank Farm that was the site
of a recent serious accident, is a time bomb waiting to go off, and presents a liability in that the insufficient existing
system may give a false sense of safety/security for pedestrians and new, young or inexperienced cyclists in an area with
a significant hazard potential due to the rate of speed for motor vehicles, which is frequently well beyond the posted
limited. The posted speed feedback sign shows just how fast so many are travelling on this arterial.
Major arterials require safe crossing points for active transportation to be successful. Interconnection of off-street trails
at multiple points is also essential. While any intersection can be a crossing point, providing enhanced crossings at
regular intervals is helpful in having new riders feel safe and encourages increased adoption of an active transportation
lifestyle. This arterial must be crossed to access neighborhood services and many other destinations throughout the City
for those of us living above Johnson. This location, in particular, is well-suited to improvement to create a connection to
neighborhood public facilities in the Sinsheimer area.
Sincerely,
Sarah Flickinger
Lee Ann Court
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