I do not ride a bike. I do like to walk and there are places in town and close to town that need sidewalks. I hope that bikable does not overwhelm walkable.
When I'm downtown and notice a car in one lane stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian, I frequently see the cars behind it whip around that car to pass it in the other lane, unaware there is a person in the crosswalk. My heart immediately leaps into my throat for fear that a person is going to be killed or injured.
Sebastopol already has a great trail - the JRT. Focus should be on making safe connections to the JRT as there are few junctures that have terrible connections. For those living downtown, pay close attention to the "bicycle boulevards" proposed for Florence, Hayden and other very narrow residential streets. This seems like a disaster, especially the one proposed in front of Sunridge Elementary as the majority of families don't live in downtown and drive to pick up kids. It's is extremely difficult for working families with multiple children to bike around due to the fact they often have multiple stops and have bags and equipment with them. This plan needs to be carefully vetted. I agree that sidewalks should be the focus - especially a sidewalk that connects the crosswalk at Palm and South Main and Palm and Petaluma blvd. Why isn't there a sidewalk there? A would love to see a separate multi use trail on Ragle Road to Mill Station and then a separate multi use trail along Mill Station to the JRT near Sebastopol Charter.
Wander a grocery store. Look at our demographics. The people are mostly old and not at physical median. Sebastopol has so many challenges that do not have bicycles as THE solution…
And virtually no one can bike in from west county as the roads, traffic and lack of useable ground immediately off the pavement as an escape make bike travel for utility silly.
A vast distraction from the realities of the vehicles we citizens use.
I agree with you about the age demographic of Sebastopol. But I don’t agree with you about the difficulty of biking in from West County. I live in Forestville and I used to regularly bike to Sebastopol. For years, I biked from Forestville to Santa Rosa for work. If you’re anywhere near the West County Trail, and in decent shape, biking into town is very doable. Unfortunately, someone stole my bike right off the porch of the Sebastopol Times!
I think some of these bike lanes, multi-use paths (separate from cars and boulevards are just crazy. The one for Ragle Road especially. Where exactly are we going to get the room to create a multi-use path, seperate from cars?? That road is So narrow that 2 cars can barley pass each other. So what will they use, the sidewalks (the few that exist), people's front yards?? Some of those houses are just a few feet from the road now. The same thing goes for the whole Florence Ave, Washington Ave, etc. What space are they planning to use for that. All the parking, sidewalks and front yards???? I live on Washington Ave and my front widow is 30 feet from the road!! I have yet to hear a plan that will force people out of their cars and on to bicycles. That is just not going to happen!
If one of the goals is to eliminate traffic fatalities, then traffic circles is a bad idea. Almost no-one who lives here knows how to drive safely through a circle and pedestrians and bicyclists will become ground meat before people learn.
I do not ride a bike. I do like to walk and there are places in town and close to town that need sidewalks. I hope that bikable does not overwhelm walkable.
When I'm downtown and notice a car in one lane stopped at a crosswalk for a pedestrian, I frequently see the cars behind it whip around that car to pass it in the other lane, unaware there is a person in the crosswalk. My heart immediately leaps into my throat for fear that a person is going to be killed or injured.
Sebastopol already has a great trail - the JRT. Focus should be on making safe connections to the JRT as there are few junctures that have terrible connections. For those living downtown, pay close attention to the "bicycle boulevards" proposed for Florence, Hayden and other very narrow residential streets. This seems like a disaster, especially the one proposed in front of Sunridge Elementary as the majority of families don't live in downtown and drive to pick up kids. It's is extremely difficult for working families with multiple children to bike around due to the fact they often have multiple stops and have bags and equipment with them. This plan needs to be carefully vetted. I agree that sidewalks should be the focus - especially a sidewalk that connects the crosswalk at Palm and South Main and Palm and Petaluma blvd. Why isn't there a sidewalk there? A would love to see a separate multi use trail on Ragle Road to Mill Station and then a separate multi use trail along Mill Station to the JRT near Sebastopol Charter.
Wander a grocery store. Look at our demographics. The people are mostly old and not at physical median. Sebastopol has so many challenges that do not have bicycles as THE solution…
And virtually no one can bike in from west county as the roads, traffic and lack of useable ground immediately off the pavement as an escape make bike travel for utility silly.
A vast distraction from the realities of the vehicles we citizens use.
Did I hear traffic circles….?
I agree with you about the age demographic of Sebastopol. But I don’t agree with you about the difficulty of biking in from West County. I live in Forestville and I used to regularly bike to Sebastopol. For years, I biked from Forestville to Santa Rosa for work. If you’re anywhere near the West County Trail, and in decent shape, biking into town is very doable. Unfortunately, someone stole my bike right off the porch of the Sebastopol Times!
oh no! Sorry about your bike!
I also agree with this point: "A vast distraction from the realities of the vehicles we citizens use."
I think some of these bike lanes, multi-use paths (separate from cars and boulevards are just crazy. The one for Ragle Road especially. Where exactly are we going to get the room to create a multi-use path, seperate from cars?? That road is So narrow that 2 cars can barley pass each other. So what will they use, the sidewalks (the few that exist), people's front yards?? Some of those houses are just a few feet from the road now. The same thing goes for the whole Florence Ave, Washington Ave, etc. What space are they planning to use for that. All the parking, sidewalks and front yards???? I live on Washington Ave and my front widow is 30 feet from the road!! I have yet to hear a plan that will force people out of their cars and on to bicycles. That is just not going to happen!
If one of the goals is to eliminate traffic fatalities, then traffic circles is a bad idea. Almost no-one who lives here knows how to drive safely through a circle and pedestrians and bicyclists will become ground meat before people learn.