HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/4/2025 Item 7a, Spoto
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To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:DISAPPROVAL of SLO Bike Lanes on Higuera - item 7 from City Council Meeting
2/4/25
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Good Morning SLO City Council,
I was disappointed to miss my opportunity to speak yesterday at the city council meeting on 2/4/2025 regarding the
Higuera Street “diet” and the additional bike lanes to be added. (I didn’t realize the placement in the agenda and had to
leave prior to speaking.)
I DO NOT approve of the new proposed plan, and I really hope the city will reconsider this change.
I am a 36-year-old resident and homeowner in San Luis Obispo and I care where my tax-paying dollars go. I am also an
outdoor enthusiast, but there comes a point when efficiency needs to be the driving force, not leisure-convenience and
tourism. Yes, I do ride a bike, but I do not think that an entire street (that is still safe and bike-able) needs to be
converted. I know the rules of the road and how to ride a bike safely. We cannot continue to cater to the lowest common
denominator.
I feel that removing lanes of traffic and adding a bike lane would be ignorant of the community’s feelings and best interest
for the following reasons:
TRAFFIC- as we’ve seen from other areas in SLO that have had lanes removed, traffic is on the rise. I have personally
been in SLO since I was 18, 18 years ago, and SLO was a mecca for easy driving and shockingly little traffic. This is no
longer the case. I find myself having to sit in traffic multiple times a day. This is one of the few remaining roads that
makes getting around SLO still possible, and if eliminated, we will just see congestion continue to grow, spilling into
neighboring streets, freeways, etc.
SAFETY- bad driving is on the rise, but reducing areas for the cars to go will not be the solution. If you want to fix safety,
we need enforcement by police, patrol and other governing resources. When drivers feel squeezed in a box, they get
nervous and don’t know where to go. What it will also do is cause drivers to sit behind someone going slow, and then
when the lane opens up, they will speed to make up time. I see it daily and worry this will cause more “slow to fast” traffic
and dangerous conditions. Having a lane to pass and move freely and safely is key.
BIKE SAFETY- Bikers who travel this area are generally not leisure guests from the local hotels. This is an industrial area
used by cyclists who are generally traveling for a distance. My husband is a cyclist who bikes this area when he rides to
Avila. I probed him about this new plan, and he disagrees with the proposed changes. He feels he is a safe rider who
knows the rules of the road. Having the ability to move freely in the existing bike lane is sufficient. He said he feels
unsafe using some of the new lanes, since cars don’t understand how to navigate turns, look for cyclists, etc. He would
rather use his common sense to navigate the area safely.
AUDIENCE- If cyclists are using this area, this isn’t going to be your first-time rider. They should know how to safely
navigate riding on city streets and around vehicles. We must stop catering to an audience that is nominal. Uneasy
cyclists who are uncomfortable can use the Bob Jones trail; safe and without cars. You don’t see an amateur learning to
ride on the most challenging trail on their first attempt. Stop dumbing down our city.
PERSONAL FEELINGS- I am all for improving our community, but I have written several letters to SLO City voicing my
displeasure with the new bike lanes. Every time I write in, I get the response of, “I’m sorry you feel that way, but we’ll be
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taking your tax paying dollars and are going to continue to move forward anyway.” With a $15,000 annual contribution of
my property tax, and other taxes paid throughout the year, I don’t feel like I am receiving the thought and consideration
that I deserve. If you want to put in a bike lane for the tourists, use their “tourism tax” and keep it by the hotels and tourist
areas. However, when the community raises their concerns and voices, they should be heard. Additionally, is it really
worth the benefit of the handful of bikers that would use this lane? There is a continuous stream of traffic that uses this
road daily and relies on this for continuous movement through SLO. Think of the loss of use for cyclists when there is
rain, wind, storms, darkness, and everything else prevents this proposed lane from being usable and worthwhile. I think
our focus should be shifted to more important things in the community that everyone can benefit from.
Please take these concerns into consideration and DO NOT build this proposed plan. It will be a waste of money, time
and use for the community.
Sincerely,
Ari Spoto
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