HomeMy WebLinkAbout11/7/2023 Item 6a, Sexton, R.
From:Ronald Sexton <
To:E-mail Council Website; Stewart, Erica A; jmarx@clocity.org; Francis, Emily; Pease,
Andy; mshoreman@slocity.org
Cc:Ronald Sexton
Subject:Parking & Bike Lane Recommendations
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Dear City Council and Mayor,
What will be done to fix downtown and make downtown far more inviting?
Our family has lived in SLO for 27 years. We used to do a great deal of business downtown living only three miles away:
ample parking, intuitive parking meters, “who cares” parking fees, and co-existence with cyclists, pedestrians,
commercial deliveries, and motorists across three lanes of traffic.
Today we rarely go downtown. Downtown SLO is absolutely un-inviting:
1) Greatly limited parking spots (hotels, commercial parking, outside dining (ex: Giuseppe’s).
2) Two lanes have greatly increased traffic and congestion, especially when delivery trucks take up a lane!
3) The bike lanes are unsafe and NOT needed!
4) Homelessness continues to be a pain - Homelessness is top priority for my property taxes, yet to see any progress!
The bike lanes are scary and unsafe! I’ve been a cyclist all my life. I commuted to and from San Jose to Santa Clara on my
bike for years. Downtown San Jose did the same as SLO removing a traffic lane and adding a bike lane. I cannot tell you
how many times I was almost hit by a car or saw someone almost hit. Drivers do NOT see cyclists when marking a right
turn as cyclists are hidden from view behind parked cars. The other safety issue is pedestrians walking in the bike lane
and/or pedestrians walking in front of cyclists. I will not ride my bike downtown, ever.
Recommendations to help the situation:
- STOP all consolidating traffic lane projects and STOP adding bike lanes resulting in reduced parking!
- Example: Johnson already had a huge bike lane before the lane consolidation project!!!! Total waste of
taxpayer money.
- Example: Lincoln removed parking for neighbors and those working downtown making minimum wage.
- Ask: Add a bike line on Tank Farm between Broad and Higuera. Too much 50 mph traffic with narrow bike lanes.
- Roll back parking fees to 2019
- Reduce the hours requiring parking fees to 2019, (9:00 AM - 5:30 PM)
- Minimum one - two hours of free parking at all garages.
- Reduce the number of commercial parking spots
- Eliminate dining extensions on the street taking up precious parking slots
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Parking is FREE everywhere else in SLO, and parking is especially free for on-line shopping, both without the headaches
of downtown. I'd hate to see downtown become a ghost down of empty storefronts and revolving close out sales.
You must do something to help the downtown businesses, employees and customers to make downtown far more
inviting and for people to stay downtown. The parking fee (tax) is not inviting, nor the bike lanes, lake of parking, lane
removals, commercial parking/deliveries, etc.....
Note: My wife and I spent 3 hours in downtown Paso today (11/6/23). We had lunch and shopped (including Ambience).
Parking was ONLY $2.25 with an intuitive payment system (Flowbird).
Thanks for your consideration.
Ron & Cathy Sexton
965 Goldenrod Lane
SLO CA 93401
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