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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/19/2017 Item 15, Brooks Christian, Kevin From:Lea Brooks <leabrooks332@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, To:E-mail Council Website Subject:Avila Ranch and Buckley Road Attachments:BAC and Avila Ranch.docx Please distribute this letter to Mayor Harmon and City Council Members for their Sept. 19 meeting on Avila Ranch. Thank you. Lea Brooks, Chair Bicycle Advisory Committee 1 To: Mayor Harmon and Council Members Christianson, Gomez, Pease and Rivoire From: Lea Brooks, Chair of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, on behalf of the BAC Re: The BAC’s Concerns about Avila Ranch’s Significant Bicycle Connectivity Gap and Safety Sept. 17, 2017 The stated intent of the San Luis Obispo 2013 Bicycle Transportation Plan’s Buckley Road Bikeway Network is: “Connect existing and future bicycle facilities along Buckley Road to preserve and enhance this popular cycling route as traffic volume and speeds increase.” The plan describes Class II bike lanes on both sides of Buckley from Vachell to Broad to “provide space for both bicyclists and motorists.” At its Dec. 1, 2016, meeting the BAC unanimously found the Avila Ranch project inconsistent with the Bicycle Transportation Plan because it will not widen the Buckley Road Bridge across Tank Farm Creek so that continuous Class II bike lanes can extend the length of Buckley Road. The project proposes to terminate the Class II bike lanes on Buckley Road approximately 200 feet short of the Tank Farm Creek Bridge and reroute eastbound people on bikes to a separate bridge across the creek. Westbound people on bikes would be diverted to a Class I path. BAC members expressed concern that diverting bicyclists off Buckley Road to a separate bridge and separate bike path will create additional intersections and challenges, especially for those riding tandems, adult tricycles, bikes designed to carry children and heavy loads or pulling trailers. It’s unclear if bicyclists will be expected to stop before re-entering Buckley Road. Commuting and recreational bicyclists who do not want to slow down or be inconvenienced by detours may choose not to divert and stay on Buckley Road, slowing motorists who are expected to comply with the 3-foot-for-safety law or not ride at all because of safety concerns. BAC members also expressed deep concern that the Class II bike lanes on Buckley Road will terminate at the eastern boundary of Avila Ranch because completing the bike lanes is beyond the responsibility of the developer. The result is a significant gap in the regional bicycle network. The BAC voted 4-2 to encourage the project applicant to extend the Class II bike lanes eastbound to Broad Street to reinforce the goals of the Bicycle Transportation Plan. The BAC supports implementation of the Bicycle Transportation Plan that shows continuous Class II bike lanes on Buckley Road in both directions as does the 2015-16 County Bikeways Plan. The Land Use and Circulation Elements and Climate Action Plan set a 20 percent trips-by-bike goal. The City’s commitment to bicycling was recognized with a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Designation by the League of American Bicyclists. Without continuous Class II bike lanes to serve thousands of new Avila Ranch residents and additional traffic generated by the extension of Buckley Road to Higuera Street, it’s highly unlikely that people will ride bicycles on Buckley Road between Higuera Street and Highway 227 to reach numerous destinations within easily rideable distances because of significant risks to their safety. Sincerely, Lea Brooks, Chair Bicycle Advisory Committee Buckley Road is a narrow, poorly maintained rural road with cracks and crumbling edges.