HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/7/2023 Item 6d, Craig
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Michelle Craig <mh_craig@yahoo.com>
Sent:Saturday, March 4, 2023 7:42 AM
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 6D - Award N. Chorro Greenway
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Dear San Luis Obispo City Council Members,
I am writing to express my continued support for the North Chorro Neighborhood Greenway. At a time
when collisions and fatalities persist at an shocking rate, we need to encourage a culture that is safe
for cyclists and pedestrians, a culture supported by multimodal infrastructure. My former student at
Cuesta College, Andreas Kooi, was killed while riding his bike in 2021. Andreas was one of the most
remarkable students, and I am devastated by the needless death of a bright young scholar who had
returned to SLO to pursue graduate studies. The North Chorro Greenway will provide a much-needed
safe and accessible route for those who walk and bike and it will promote healthy and active living in
our community. It's been five years since this project was approved, and the community support for it
endures.
The final design is the result of years of input and delivers a complete street that provides 46 new
ADA ramps, separated bike lanes, neighborhood beautification, street trees, pedestrian lighting, and
public art. We're all eager to see it completed, and we're counting on you, our city council members,
to prioritize it and allocate the necessary funding to finish it. The Urban Greening grant and other
funding sources account for $1.9M of the project. Delay, changes, or reduction in scope potentially
jeopardize those funds and lose out on some great features of this project like improved crossings,
better sidewalks, underpass lighting, and public art. Do not let this opportunity or grant funding go to
waste.
I urge you to approve the additional funding required to make it happen. As a member of this
community, I believe that we need more robust and protected infrastructure for those who walk and
bike now more than ever. It's alarming to see the increase in deaths of those walking and riding in
SLO, and we need to take action to prevent further tragedies from happening. I survived a hit-and-run
while riding my bicycle in Culver City in 2007, and I live daily with the injuries sustained in that crash. I
don't wish the experience on anyone. I only got back on a bicycle again when I moved to SLO in
2010. I now commute to Cuesta College weekly by bicycle, but I pass two ghost bikes, including the
one for Andreas, on each trip to and from campus. Residents and visitors (tourists) alike deserve
safer streets.
I'm asking you to take action and approve the necessary funding to complete the North Chorro
Greenway project. It will not only promote a healthy and active lifestyle, but also ensure the safety of
all our community members. Thank you for your consideration.
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Sincerely,
Michelle H. Craig, PhD
1645 Hillcrest Pl
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
805-863-1110
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