HomeMy WebLinkAbout2/6/2018 Item 12, Ayral
From:odileayral@gmail.com on behalf of Odile Ayral <oayral@calpoly.edu>
Sent:
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Item 12
Mayor Harmon and Council Members Christianson, Gomez, Rivoire, Pease,
My daughter's family lives in Portland, a city known for having made serious efforts to improve biking safety,
and I often ride a bike with my grandchildren in their neighborhood. There are many standard bike boulevards
in that neighborhood: bicycle stencils on the streets, and signs to remind people that bicycles have the
priority. There are also regular bike lanes, but cycle tracks are reserved for arterials and multilane streets. Still,
the simple bike boulevards on residential streets are safe because the speed limit is low (some have been
reduced to 20 mph), and because there are circles at many crossroads, which force cars to slow
down. Consequently, drivers prefer to avoid these streets, and everybody is happy.
Our city should have the wisdom to emulate cities like Portland in placing cycle tracks on arterials and
multilane streets, and using regular bike boulevards everywhere else. Add circles to make things
safer. Because the Broad street exit to Highway 101 is too short, therefore dangerous, and unnecessary since
there is another one nearby, close it with three boulders placed across the street by the exit. Berkeley has closed
streets this way for decades. With no freeway exit, the number of cars on Broad will substantially be reduced,
and cyclists will ride more safely.
The Lincoln solution is simple and cheap, one wonders why you are trying to make it so complicated and
expensive--and ironically, not any safer. Why spend 1, 2 or 3 million dollars on a system that has been proven
to be flawed in several cities, including Los Angeles, and had to be completely redone? As a resident who
voted for measure G, I do not appreciate to see my taxes wasted.
I wish to add that I am deeply troubled to see strong young bikers willing to deprive their elders and the
disabled of such a simple thing as having a normal curb, where they can park a car, and place garbage
containers. When they were younger, these elders bought houses on Chorro and North Broad, and maintained
them carefully. Now we can all enjoy the beautiful environment they created, when we walk or bike in their
street. Some of these homes came with no garage and no driveway, that's the way it used to be. Telling their
owners, now possibly weak or disabled, that they can't park in front of their homes and will have to push their
garbage containers through traffic to the other side of the street is heartless and absolutely unnecessary. It may
also go against ADA regulations, and we all know that San Luis Obispo previously got into trouble with ADA.
As the Council members of a small city, we expect you to show consideration for everyone, and for the
weakened in particular. Therefore I urge you to choose the Lincoln alternative, much cheaper than the other
one, and also the only solution that protects cyclists without harming some of our long-time residents.
Sincerely,
Odile Ayral
San Luis Obispo
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