HomeMy WebLinkAbout1/8/2019 Item 6, Brooks
To: Mayor Harmon and Council Members Christianson, Gomez, Stewart and Pease
From: Lea Brooks, San Luis Obispo resident
Re: Consent agenda item 6 for Jan. 8, 2019, meeting: Approval of final map for tract
2428-3 (3000 Calle Malva TR 121-13)
Jan. 6, 2019
I am chair of the Active Transportation Committee (ATC), but am submitting this
comment as a resident of San Luis Obispo as this issue has not recently been
considered by the committee.
I am deeply concerned about the staff recommendation that “Condition # 1 requiring
construction of a Class I bike path from the existing Prado terminus to Broad Street be
removed from the project requirements rather than pursue eminent domain. The
Damon-Garcia family is unwilling to dedicate the land for the bike path at this time
because it would conflict with their existing uses on the property. The path is shown in
the Orcutt Area Specific Plan. Construction of the path would become the
responsibility of whomever develops the Damon-Garcia property.”
The staff report for this third and final phase of the project emphasizes that the need for
housing stock is a higher priority than the Prado Class 1 bike path even though the path
is a priority in the City’s Bicycle Transportation Plan and a priority for the ATC. The staff
report notes that City staff has met with the Garcia family multiple times during each
phase of Tract 2428 to discuss possible alignment of the trail and compensation for the
right of way, but the discussions were unsuccessful. There is no mention that alternative
temporary options were discussed, such as a route using decomposed granite that
could be replaced with a paved facility once a permanent alignment is agreed upon.
The Traffic Safety Report, also on your agenda Tuesday, notes that the City
experienced a 3 percent growth in auto volumes overall, including 18 percent in the
Margarita area and 13 percent in the South Broad/Orcutt area, from 2014-16. The staff
report doesn’t mention this recent increase in auto traffic or the predicted motor vehicle
growth as San Luis Ranch, Avila Ranch and other residential projects in the area are
built.
The routes for people on bikes between South Higuera and Broad streets are limited:
South Street, Tank Farm Road and Buckley Road. High motor vehicle traffic speed and
volume on these routes are challenging for many bicyclists and are likely the cause for
low use by bicyclists as shown in current City Bicycle Count data. The distance between
South Higuera and Broad streets is less than two miles, well within the average bicycle
commute distance/time listed in the most recent American Community Survey (ACS) for
people commuting by bicycle. In other words, the Prado Road bike path represents an
opportunity for growth in the bicycle commute rate.
The Prado Road bike path is a crucial link to housing, job sites, school, shopping and
other destinations on both street corridors. If the City is serious about meeting its 20
percent trips-by-bike goal, constructing this pathway will provide residents with a
convenient bike route perceived as safe for all levels of abilities.
Please consider pulling this item from the Consent agenda and directing staff to explore
a non-permanent pathway connection that can be used by bicyclists and pedestrians in
the immediate future, providing residents of the Margarita area transportation options
other than driving. Unless the bicycle transportation network and connectivity between
Higuera and Broad streets are improved, it’s unlikely people will chose to commute by
bike as motor vehicle trips climb.