Dear City Council Members, Thank you for moving towards opening Santa Cruz Avenue to people. Staff, Subcommittee Members Nash and Mueller and the Chamber's CEO should be commended for acting quickly on this important issue. I have two main concerns about the new proposal vs. the original staff recommended option of closing the street completely between El Camino and University/Eveyln: * Safety - Downtown can be tricky to navigate as a pedestrian as-is. Stop signs don't line up and are located in unexpected places. The new plan has cut-through traffic at each block, forcing pedestrians to constantly go from a "safe" pedestrian zone to the sidewalk in order to cross the intersection. This awkward design could easily lead to dangerous mid-intersection crossings. Is there anything in the new plan ("pedestrian zone" signage/lower speed limit, etc.) to mitigate these issues? * Missed Placemaking Opportunity - Many of us were looking forward to a "town square" feel on Santa Cruz Avenue, a place where a 5 year old could roll on a scooter between having dinner and getting an ice cream, while parents sauntered close behind. The vehicle cut throughs hamper this possibility greatly and the draw of coming downtown to enjoy a large community space may be lost to those who were envisioning a different type of pedestrian-friendly Santa Cruz Avenue. Also, how will those establishments not fronting the open streets be treated? Will there be sufficient room and tables/seating areas for people to enjoy food from The Refuge, Octopus, etc.? From looking at the map, it appears that only 50% of downtown restaurants are included in the new pedestrian areas. Regardless of which plan is ultimately adopted, please consider the following: * How will success be measured? Retail/restaurant sales, # of people coming out, satisfaction/enjoyment of people coming out, how safe/comfortable people feel walking around, car parking usage, bike parking usage, # of cars crossing side side streets? * How will you assess the opportunity cost of who is not coming due to the design? * When will you assess design and make changes? 45 days seems too long. * Which stakeholders will be involved in decision making? Are the businesses/restaurants not directly on Santa Cruz Avenue included? Are advocates for safe streets involved? Families? What you are considering is a pilot. There appears to be a lot of community enthusiasm for a full pedestrian zone that brings vitality to businesses, safety for all, and a community gathering place. Changes can always be made. Please don't start with a compromised vision. Thank you again for your hard work on this. Sincerely, Jen -- Jen Wolosin Parents for Safe Routes www.parents4saferoutes.org http://www.parents4saferoutes.org > jen_at_(domainremoved)415.710.5838 [ https://docs.google.com/uc?id=0B5BGvPHdC67QVENja3JKVVJqZHc&export=download ] Received on Tue Jun 16 2020 - 14:58:26 PDT
