HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Wren
Wren <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Parking downtown and bike lanes
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Dear Mayor and City Council,
Thank you to the three of you who took the time to respond to my letter below. Since writing that, I have been
to both Santa Barbara’s Paseo Nuevo and Monterey where I paid closer attention to parking. Even at Paseo
Nuevo, which has lost its 2 anchor stores, one can still park for free for 75 minutes. Right on Cannery Row, you
can buy 1 hour of time at a meter for $1.50 and in Carmel, there is up to 2 hours free on the streets. How are
these popular destinations able to offer these better rates?
I do feel hopeful that you say you are still open to ideas and will address this topic again on Nov. 7.
As for the bicycle lanes, they are already a disaster in my neighborhood. This morning I took pictures of the
destruction that had happened (I believe in just one day) in the distance of one block. Cars have run into 2 of
the new curbs and there are tire marks on many others where people have scraped. On Chorro, it narrows the
driving lanes too much! Now after all the money spent installing, there will be repairs needed, throwing more
money at that. My cynical self had already felt that the new barriers separating cars from bicycles would cause
more harm than good.
Thank you for reading my follow-up letter, especially in regards to the bike lanes in my Anholm Neighborhood.
Karen Wren Mead
> On Oct 20, 2023, at 10:14 AM, Wren <kwrenmead@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Mayor Stewart and council members,
>
> There is an ad running on KCBX promoting the “arts, culture and history” of downtown SLO. I wonder just
who this ad is targeting and how much difference it makes?
> For myself and many of my friends, we are now staying out of downtown because of the extremes that the
city has gone to in raising parking fees. For dining, why not go to Foothill, South Broad street or Bonnetti
Ranch for free, no time limit parking? Or is the goal to eventually change that to paid parking also? What about
the college population who want to go downtown for nightlife? Are you driving them away with the restrictions?
> The city is ruining what used to be the happiest place with its parking restrictions and the fact that bicycle
lanes are becoming more important than car lanes. Have you seen the consequences, as one example, of
changing the lanes at the corner of Chorro and Lincoln? With no more left only turn lane, traffic will be backing
up to the mission at some times of the day! It doesn’t matter that a high percentage of us drive e-vehicles (I
have for over 5 years).
> Business owners are unhappy too; I hope you can work towards some kind of compromise. It was so nice to
be able to park for free after 6:00 pm to take advantage of dining downtown.
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> I have written before and have attended meetings having to do with accommodating bikes but my opinions
don’t seem to matter. It’s a frustrating situation for someone who has lived here for over 40 years when I see
my city, to my mind, going to extreme lengths and spending on issues affecting only a small minority.
> Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts.
>
> Karen Wren Mead
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