First, a study funded by Caltrans is a study being paid for by taxpayers, presumably many in Sebastopol. Studies in this city abound. The library may have to be expanded to accommodate all the binders. All were conducted with presumably free money from the County, or Caltrans that literally goes to waste. The primary issue is that reimaging downtown is not a question of 1 way or 2 way streets. We need a wholistic approach. First is the problem of reducing the amount of traffic coming through the city. Caltrans did a study a few years ago on potential options for a bypass that the city council at the time refused to review. If traffic can realistically be reduced then imagining changes that can make the town more attractive to businesses, visitors and residents, increasing economic activity and sales taxes should be the goal. Without a substantial increase in sales tax revenue the city is on a path to insolvency. Spending staff time and tax dollars on pet projects like bike lanes and 2 lane traffic is wasting money, taxpayer money, your money, my money.
Having been here for so long, it’s hard to believe that this study will have any true impact on how to address Sebastopol’s traffic concerns. The points made by @economist ring true for me. Many studies. Many solutions suggested. I was around for the years before the one way street fix was implemented to alleviate the congestion problem. The bypass solution has been floated and rejected many times over. There was an idea that Sebastopol’s downtown could become a walking mall like Santa Cruz’s downtown. We, however, are a town that is built on two intersecting highways. The issue here is not new. Funding studies is not, either. I look forward to seeing if there are new solutions being proposed and, then, adopted. That would be new.
Thank goodness for the Sebastopol Times being here to keep us informed of local issues like this. I have not seen anything about it in the PD yet.
Larry Harper
First, a study funded by Caltrans is a study being paid for by taxpayers, presumably many in Sebastopol. Studies in this city abound. The library may have to be expanded to accommodate all the binders. All were conducted with presumably free money from the County, or Caltrans that literally goes to waste. The primary issue is that reimaging downtown is not a question of 1 way or 2 way streets. We need a wholistic approach. First is the problem of reducing the amount of traffic coming through the city. Caltrans did a study a few years ago on potential options for a bypass that the city council at the time refused to review. If traffic can realistically be reduced then imagining changes that can make the town more attractive to businesses, visitors and residents, increasing economic activity and sales taxes should be the goal. Without a substantial increase in sales tax revenue the city is on a path to insolvency. Spending staff time and tax dollars on pet projects like bike lanes and 2 lane traffic is wasting money, taxpayer money, your money, my money.
I would love to see a pedestrian only section of Main Street…. They did it on Sebastopol’s 100th birthday….. it was so nice and doable!
Wow. I wonder if a few “round-abouts” could be added like other modern villages, instead of inefficient stop lights?
Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.
Having been here for so long, it’s hard to believe that this study will have any true impact on how to address Sebastopol’s traffic concerns. The points made by @economist ring true for me. Many studies. Many solutions suggested. I was around for the years before the one way street fix was implemented to alleviate the congestion problem. The bypass solution has been floated and rejected many times over. There was an idea that Sebastopol’s downtown could become a walking mall like Santa Cruz’s downtown. We, however, are a town that is built on two intersecting highways. The issue here is not new. Funding studies is not, either. I look forward to seeing if there are new solutions being proposed and, then, adopted. That would be new.