HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/16/2026 Item 7d, Goddard
Tara Goddard <taragoddard@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, June
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Public comment on South and King signal project
My name is Tara Goddard. I am an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at Cal Poly, but my comments
do not reflect any input from my employer and I'm writing in my own capacity. Prior to joining Cal Poly, I
was an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Texas A&M University, and I served from 2007-2011 as
the Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Davis, CA.
I am also a resident of the Woodbridge condos at South Street and Exposition Drive. I can see the South
and King intersection from nearly every window in my condo, and I've had a lot of time to observe
interactions at this intersection. When bicycling north into downtown or to campus, I go out of my way to
ride down and through Meadow Park to then ride north to take advantage of this crossing, rather than
bicycling along South Street, which is very unpleasant. I also walk through this intersection frequently,
and drive through it multiple times per week.
I am writing in support of staff's recommendation to install a full signal at this location. While a PHB
would be a big improvement over the current RRFB, a full signal will provide a better balance for all road
users, while likely providing greater safety for people walking and bicycling due to the highest level of
driver compliance that occurs at signalized intersections, versus slightly lower compliance at PHBs,
particularly in the clearance (flashing red) phase. Additional elements can help with compliance by all
users, including count-down walk signals. It would also be useful to include an indicator light so
bicyclists know that the detection is activiated (see the Moda Center in Portland as an example). A
bicycle box on the south side of the intersection may help provide visilbility for through-bicyclists, and
reduce infringement by right-turning drivers leaving King Court.
I agree with staff's assessment that cut-through traffic along Woodbridge to Broad is unlikely. It is not a
straight shot, and requires several turns. Woodbridge approaching Broad is nicely narrowed by a narrow
right of way and on-street parking, and thus unlikely to be a useful shortcut for drivers. If it was, people
would be using it already in heavy traffic times. But if there was any evidence of that, additional
measures could be taken to discourage or prevent that traffic, without penalizing the South and King
intersection. I strongly encourage the City to use before and after data collection that includes both the
immediate South/King intersection and the nearby intersections and side streets, to adjust the project if
necessary.
Whether the City implements a PHB or full signal, a larger issue are the high vehicle speeds along South,
particularly before 8 am (which includes school commute) and in the evening (which includes low light
conditions). One factor that likely contributes to high speeds on South St is the lack of medians west of
Woodbridge. The medians aren't even visible when approaching from the west, due to the rise in the
road. Thus, drivers see a wide expanse of open pavement, and naturally drive faster. The high speeds of
the relatively high volume of traffic leads to nearly relentless noise and vibration for all the residences
along South, which is a signficant number. Addressing the larger speed issue would also increase
compliance at the crossings and reduce the severity of crashes if/when they do occur. I hope the City will
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pursue multiple avenues to reduce speeds on South Street. It can be done and still will have negligible
effects on overall throughput of the corridor.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on this project.
Tara Goddard
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