HomeMy WebLinkAbout3/7/2023 Item 6d, Gallegos
Donal Gallegos <
To:E-mail Council Website
Cc:Donal Gallegos
Subject:Fwd: Item 6D - Award N. Chorro Greenway
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Dear San Luis Obispo City Council Members,
I am writing to request for your continued support for the North Chorro Neighborhood
Greenway. We need to get this project done, and I am urging you to approve the additional
funding required to make it happen. I commute by bicycle to my job as a registered nurse in
downtown SLO to save money, alleviate traffic and increase the number of available parking
spaces. I can tell you from personal experience that riding Chorro Street from downtown to
Foothill Blvd. in traffic can be a terrifying experience. Chorro Street is already a very narrow
street but add in the long lines of cars parked along the road side I’m forced to pedal my
bicycle in the vehicle lane in order to remain a safe distance from car doors that inevitably
swing open in front of me as I ride by. By riding in the vehicle lane I am vulnerable to vehicular
traffic travelling in excess of the posted speed limit, rolling through stop signs and taking any
opportunity to pass me, whether the opportunity is safe or not! It is especially intimidating
when the driver of a lifted truck impatiently “tailgates” and “coal rolls” me when dangerously
passing me by just a few inches. With so many drivers operating vehicles impaired by using
their mobile telephones it is only a matter of time before a pedestrian or bicyclist is killed on
Chorro Street. If safer north to south street option was available I would certainly use it but
Broad Street is equally, if not more, perilous and Santa Rosa Street with its greater volume of
vehicles and higher speed traffic is absolutely out of the question. I truly believe that the
North Chorro Greenway will be an asset to the community by creating a safe outdoor space to
be enjoyed by everybody while also greatly reducing the potential for another fatality on the
streets of our lovely city.
I am writing to express my continued support for the North Chorro Neighborhood Greenway.
We need to get this project done, and I am urging you to approve the additional funding
required to make it happen.
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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. The North Chorro Greenway will provide a much-needed
safe and accessible route for those who walk and bike, especially our children, 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 has not
changed. 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.
I also want to mention that the Urban Greening grant and other funding sources account for
$1.9M of the project. If you delay, change, or reduce scope now, we potentially jeopardize
those funds and lose out on some great features of this project like improved crossing, better
sidewalk, underpass lighting, and public art. We can't let this opportunity or grant funding go
to waste.
In conclusion, 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, no matter their mode of travel. Let's get this
done!
Thank you for considering my input on this matter.
Sincerely
Donal Gallegos RN
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