HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/10/2019 Item 2, Harris
Wilbanks, Megan
From:Adrienne Harris <adrienne@adrienne-harris.com>
Sent:Tuesday, December
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Comments for Dec 10 Active Transport Committee Meeting
Dear ATC Members,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments on the Project Prioritization in the new Active
Transportation Plan. I will not be able to attend the meeting in person, so I am providing these brief
written comments. I hope there will be additional opportunities for the public to weigh in on the
priorities in the plan.
First, I appreciate staff designating a core network of bikeways for highest priority for urgent
implementation. In my opinion, the city is at a crossroads where they could convert many local trips if
potential bike riders felt safer on the streets. With the increase in electric bike availability, more people
are exploring biking for work and other trips. For example, I recently purchased an electric bike for
commuting purposes that will also allow me to transport my children. However, I have yet to take them
with me out on busy crosstown routes. I have had drivers block bike lanes, prohibit me from merging
safely at intersections, and completely ignore the presence of bikers on the street. Protected lanes
would go a long in making me feel safe to travel with them. I could then use the bike to take them to
school and activities instead of a car, further decreasing cars on the road during high traffic times.
I would like to know more about the numbering of the routes on the map in the staff report and how
the city will determine potential ridership for each. Do these numbers represent the priority status of
each route? In my opinion, Route 9 and 5 are critical for connecting new and older residential areas to
downtown. Route 7 is critical for connecting workers to a growing commercial area. Route 4 is super
critical for safe routes to school and will allow more people to convert shopping trips to bike trips. I feel
there should be more attention paid to routes in these Southern and Western areas of town, where high
speeds and high traffic volumes represent a major safety concern.
I also wanted to note that I support the city prioritizing other routes based on key destinations like
schools, parks, and employment centers.
Thank you for your hard work on this plan. I look forward to the day we do have a core network of
protected bike lanes in SLO.
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