HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/19/2017 Item 15, Heal SLO
September 14, 2017
COALITION PARTNERS:
TO: Mayor Heidi Harmon
Council Members Andy Pease, Aaron Gomez, Dan
Bike SLO County
Rivoire and Carlyn Christianson
Boys and Girls Club – South County
Cal Poly State University
Art and Design Department
FROM: HEAL SLO - Healthy Communities Work Group
Center for Sustainability
Food Science & Nutrition Department
RE: Support for a continuous Class II bike lane on Buckley Road
Kinesiology Department
STRIDE
The Healthy Communities Work Group requests that the San Luis Obispo
CenCal Health
City Council support and require consistent Class II bike lanes on Buckley
City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation
Community Action Partnership of SLO
Road, a key connector to the Avila Ranch Development Project proposed
Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo
on 150 acres at 175 Venture Drive in San Luis Obispo. We believe that the
County
City and County of San Luis Obispo are responsible for finding a viable
Dairy Council of California
solution for continuous Class II bike lanes as a condition for approving
Diringer & Associates
Avila Ranch.
First 5 San Luis Obispo County
Food Bank Coalition of SLO County
There is an urgent need for complete Class II bike lanes on Buckley Road.
French Hospital Medical Center
Lucia Mar Unified School District
While the developer has agreed to add Class II bike lanes from Buckley
One Cool Earth
Road’s extension to Higuera Street to the eastern boundary of the project
Rideshare – Safe Routes to School
site, there remains an approximate one-mile gap in the Class II bike lanes
San Luis Sports Therapy
from the project site to Thread Lane. By ensuring that there are
SLO Council of Governments
continuous Class II bike lanes, there is an opportunity to better align Avila
SLO County Departments:
Ranch with the City’s stated goals of climate action, 20% mode share, and
Board of Supervisors
promoting a healthy community.
Health Commission
Planning and Building
Public Health
The 2015-16 County Bikeways Plan’s priority list includes Class II bike
SLO County Office of Education
lanes on Buckley Road between Highway 227 and Vachell Lane, including
The Community Foundation SLO County
the one-mile segment in question. Buckley Road is already perilous for
UC Cooperative Extension
people on bikes during commute hours because it lacks consistent Class II
YMCA of SLO County
bike lanes. Traffic has steadily increased on Buckley Road and Highway
227 as more work sites are added in the airport area, including the
unincorporated area.
Traffic will increase significantly, as Avila Ranch is phased in and Buckley
Road is extended to Higuera Street. A consistent Class II bike lane should
be a priority so people who choose to ride bikes have a safe way to reach
their destinations. The regional bicycle transportation network must be
complete to provide transportation choice, help reduce traffic congestion
and greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve the County’s multi-modal
and climate action goals. Buckley Road is now an integral connector, not a
country road, and must be safe for all users.
HEAL-SLO is the SLO County obesity prevention coalition and its mission is to increase healthy eating and regular physical activity among County
residents through policy, behavioral and environmental changes. In carrying out that mission, a subcommittee called the Healthy Communities Work
Group provides responses to Planning staff from a healthy community’s perspective on proposed land development projects, ordinance and general plan
amendments, and special projects.