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CC 2023-03-14_12c Supplemental 1MEMORANDUM TO: CITY COUNCIL FROM: Jessica Matson, Legislative & Information Services Director/City Clerk SUBJECT: Supplemental Information Agenda Item 12.c – Halcyon Complete Streets Plan Update DATE: March 14, 2023 Attached is correspondence received before 4 PM for the above referenced item. cc: City Manager Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Community Development Director City Attorney City Clerk City Website (or public review binder) From: Jim Dececco <jim.dececco@lmusd.org> Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2023 11:47 AM To: Brian Pedrotti; Jim Empey; Caren Ray Russom Cc: Andrew Perez; Steve Kahn Subject: Re: Update for Halcyon Complete Streets Plan - Arroyo Grande Brian and Company, I have looked over the plan, and I have a couple of comments: First, I hope that during any public presentation Level of Service will be minimized. LOS is an outdated ranking system that grades the level of comfort for drivers. An example for Mr. Empey is a Grade of A, would be for freeways where drivers are not impaired in any way. Complete freedom to go fast without stopping. For a city street this type of grading system is not appropriate because we don't want to grade the level of comfort for drivers. We want all users (pedestrians, transit, bikes and motorists) to feel comfortable on the road (which later sections of the plan do a very nice job of covering). Second, I hate to be critical because there are some really good aspects of the plan, but the intersection of Grand and Halcyon is dangerous before and after the redesign. A pedestrian has to cross 60 feet (or more) of asphalt to get across Grand Ave. without an island or refuge. Would you want your 80 year old grandmother to cross that intersection? If the answer is "no", then there is a huge problem. If the goal is greater safety, then this intersection needs to be improved. All lane widths leading to the intersection should be 11 feet wide, so drivers feel the discomfort of coming to an intersection. Get rid of the "right turn" lanes, and make the corners of the intersection extend farther into the street (bulbouts). Would I want my 12 year old son riding home from school on Halcyon, going toward 101, trying to merge into the green painted bike lane while cars are jockeying for position in the right turn lane? No. I want my son to be able to ride straight and wait at a protected intersection to cross Grand Ave. Third, I fully support a round-a-bout. As designed there is no space for cyclists. With the volume of traffic going through that intersection, there needs to be dedicated space for cyclists. Having cyclists go onto the sidewalk with pedestrians is dangerous for pedestrians and should not be an option. I have included a short (20 seconds) video (below) of a roundabout with a bike lane. Super easy. Fourth, if a roundabout is out of the plan, then the lighted intersection needs to be upgraded. Rather than the traffic light being on the opposite side of the intersection, the traffic light should be in front of the crosswalk. That way motorists are forced to stay behind the crosswalk in order to see the light (https://link.edgepilot.com/s/0c916a95/2QsCAysjf0C5xupXnMV1tQ? u=https://sf.streetsblog.org/2017/03/23/traffic-signal-placement-are-we-doing-it-wrong/). Also, lane widths should be 11 feet within 1/4 mile of the intersection to slow up traffic. Because this intersection is in front of a school, there should be a protected bike lane (class 4) leading to the intersection with no "right hand" turn lane. That means it could be a protected intersection like the great example you gave on page 28. This is a very good plan that could be made into a great plan with some modification. The four elements of traffic design as I see it are: Safety, cost, volume and speed (in those orders). I have included some other interesting videos to keep in mind. I hope my comments have helped. Jim DeCecco Former Safe Routes Director Lucia Mar Unified School District https://link.edgepilot.com/s/a9020784/p32iXHx5IkCpLYaBdf2aRA? u=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knbVWXzL4-4 https://link.edgepilot.com/s/8168f172/q9zV3sRul0icix8KM_Ppaw? u=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ByEBjf9ktY%26t=51s