HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/4/2018 Item 15, Mohan (2)
Purrington, Teresa
From:Terry Mohan <mohan2416@gmail.com>
Sent:Monday, September 3, 2018 9:17 PM
To:Gomez, Aaron; E-mail Council Website
Subject:Re: Anholm Bikeway Agenda Item #15
Upon rethinking my response to my objections to the Anholm Bikeway I thought perhaps your colleagues might be
unfamiliar with the vehicle code I stated and the RESPONSIBILITIES of cyclists. I decided to forward my explanation to
them but I will leave it to you to send them your email to me.
Aaron,
I am not going to argue the rules of the road Aaron as they have been in existence well before the 3' law. When bicycles
are passing parked vehicles obviously cars cannot pass them when there is a double yellow line but when there is an
opening space by the curb, which I found numerous ones in my ride, they should move to the right out of common
courtesy and by law to allow other traffic to pass. My description of "neurotic parents" are the people you seem to
support you who will fight to inconvenience others but no matter how many safeguards are put into place they will
never let their children ride to school alone because there will always be some other dangers. My daughter went to
Pacheco so I dealt with many parents there and as the president of the SLO High Booster club when she went there. As
I stated about sharrowing California Vehicle Code 21202 reiterates what I told you that bicycles must stay to the right
when practicable and can only "take the lane" when reasonably necessary to avoid certain conditions, Motorist are
willing to allow cyclist room to pass obstructions but are angered when cyclist insist on holding up traffic because they
feel they are entitled to take the lane due to the markings even when there is room for them to ride to the right of
traffic. This entitlement the bicyclist think they have because of their ignorance of the law. Let's not get into pictures of
angry motorist because I will just counter with wrong way cyclist, numerous sidewalk riders next to bike lanes in the
street and numerous stop sign runners and other cyclist vehicle violators. You don't have to rethink anything as
everyone knows which way you are going to vote in advance. Lincoln/West is the only logical route and if you can't see
that then you are not working for the safety of the cyclist or consensus in the Anholm Neighborhood.
You also have a great night,
Terry Mohan
On Mon, Sep 3, 2018 at 8:26 PM Gomez, Aaron <agomez@slocity.org> wrote:
I appreciate the explanation.
Thank you.
Aaron Gomez
Council Member
City of San Luis Obispo
Office of the City Council
E agomez@slocity.org
T (805) 540-9053
slocity.org
From: Terry Mohan <mohan2416@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2018 8:22:26 PM
To: Gomez, Aaron
Subject: Re: Anholm Bikeway Agenda Item #15
1
I am not going to argue the rules of the road Aaron as they have been in existence well before the 3' law. When
bicycles are passing parked vehicles obviously cars cannot pass them when there is a double yellow line but when there
is an opening space by the curb, which I found numerous ones in my ride, they should move to the right out of common
courtesy and by law to allow other traffic to pass. My description of "neurotic parents" are the people you seem to
support you who will fight to inconvenience others but no matter how many safeguards are put into place they will
never let their children ride to school alone because there will always be some other dangers. My daughter went to
Pachecho so I delt with many parents there and as the president of the SLO High Booster club when she went
there. As I stated about sharrowing California Vehicle Code 21202 reiterates what I told you that bicycles must stay to
the right when practicable and can only "take the lane" when reasonably necessary to avoid certain
conditions, Motorist are willing to allow cyclist room to pass obstructions but are angered when cyclist insist on
holding up traffic because they feel they are entitled to take the lane due to the markings even when there is room for
them to ride to the right of traffic. This entitlement the bicyclist think they have because of their ignorance of the
law. Let's not get into pictures of angry motorist because I will just counter with wrong way cyclist, numerous sidewalk
riders next to bike lanes in the street and numerous stop sign runners and other cyclist vehicle violaters. You don't
have to rethink anything as everyone knows which way you are going to vote in advance. Lincoln/West is the only
logical route and if you can't see that then you are not working for the safety of the cyclist or consenses in the Anholm
Neighborhood.
You also have a great night,
Terry Mohan
On Mon, Sep 3, 2018 at 7:15 PM Gomez, Aaron <agomez@slocity.org> wrote:
Hello Terry,
Generally I like to thank people for their correspondence. Your labeling of people as “neurotic parents” unfortunately
makes me rethink what I should thank. I am appreciative that you chose to participate, but I am not a fan of choice in
labels. It is very counterproductive to your messaging of a shared road. It is that type of animosity that has people
concerned. Although you had a safe ride on your trike we have footage of drivers who were less than accommodating.
You may not know this but it is encouraged for bicycle riders to take the lane, that is the whole point of a sharrow
(shared road). Bikes and cars are to share the road, that does not mean that a bike has to get out of the way of the
car. Cars have to legally be able to pass a bike with 3 feet distance between them. Chorro is a double yellow line,
therefore a car cannot legally pass a cyclist and maintain the legal 3’. Many people either do not know that law or
choose to ignore it. Having a dedicated bike lane would be the only way that a car can go its same speed and path
without interference of a cyclist. It is obvious from your comments in the email that you too were not aware of the
need to “take the lane” for safety when cycling. The 3’ rule and bicycles taking the lane of designated shared roads like
Chorro is actually the law and it is taught to anyone who gets a driver’s license in the State of California. As a
professional truck driver I would have assumed that would have been part of your license test as well... I hope that
brings some clarity to the legal framework of the issue.
Have a great night,
From: Terry Mohan <mohan2416@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 3, 2018 12:26 PM
2
To: E-mail Council Website <emailcouncil@slocity.org>
Subject: Anholm Bikeway Agenda Item #15
Council Members,
I took the opportunity to ride the Anholm Neighborhood on my Trike this past week to see what the problem
was with bicycle safety in that area that constituted pitting neighbor against neighbor and the involvement of
non-city resident agitators. Having ridden a bicycle for sixty years and growing up and cycling in a city ten
times the size of San Luis Obispo this whole safety thing is blown out of proportion by, as evidenced by the
recent opinion piece in the Tribune, neurotic parents who don't want their children to grow up.
There is very little danger of children riding in this neighborhood if they are taught the rules of the rode that
they are the slowest moving vehicle and should stay to the right for automobiles to pass. The most dangerous
thing I saw in my rides was the marking allowing the bicycle riders to use the whole street on Broad and
Chorro. This gives the riders the sense of entitlement to block traffic thereby angering motorist and
endangering themselves. As a professional truck driver, I am required by law, as are all motor vehicles, that if
you cannot keep up with the speed limit you have to move to the right to allow traffic to pass. This is a basic
rule of the road and to teach children that they don't have to obey them puts them in more danger now and
when they become automobile drivers. As far as the neurotic parents if they are not confident enough to ride
in traffic they should get off their bikes as they are a danger not only to themselves but to others using the
street. We cannot close off all of our roads to accommodate their neuroses.
To close off a street to placate the few bicyclists in the Anholm neighborhood is extremely poor
planning. Logically anyone coming from downtown should be directed to use the Lincoln/West alternative
route. Neither Lincoln or West have any stop signs and are twice as wide as either Broad or Chorro. This
will greatly increase their travel except for those cyclists, of which there are many, who don’t believe in
stopping at stop signs. Using the full green stripes like the one on Madonna and Higuera, where it is
completely inappropriate but leave it to Cal Trans to waste money, at Chorro and Murray and Mieneke as well
as Broad and Romona to allow protected left turns for those riders who which to cross Foothill at the light at
Tassajara.
Common sense must be used here as bicycles will never be the primary mode of transportation in San Luis
Obipso no matter the believe of some misguided individuals. It is just to hilly and you can’t force people to
exercise because you think it is in their best interest. Just look at Laurel Lane where new protected bike lanes
are being installed. Only a fool would attempt to climb that hill when you can easily go up Orcutt Road and
cut through the neighborhoods. While the only people you see coming down are free wheelers just looking
for the thrill of going fast and ignoring the stop signs.
I hope this council does not make the mistake of a past council who placed a circle at Chorro and Lincoln to
calm traffic only to have to remove it later after numerous complaints from city residents. To correct the
mistake of closing Broad Street will be costlier. To save city residents from future expenditures I hope you
will use common sense and reject the current Anholm Bikeway plan.
Terry Mohan
3
2416 Santa Clara
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
4