I've lived here for 9 years now, just outside of town. I still regret the downtown walking/driving experience. I came from a big city, Brooklyn, where you had more of a sense of your neighborhood, particularly when walking and shopping, than Sebastopol's downtown's confusing experience.
I'm surprised more local businesses aren't pushing for a two way main street. Parking always can be improved. A freeway through town can't. It needs to be made two way.
Love this, “I think we need to focus on making downtown a better place to walk, to do business and to shop,” Badiner said. “We should worry less about throughput, which is not the most important thing, I think, as we look to the vitality of Sebastopol.”
The last couple weeks have been a turning point for Sebastopol—and not a good one.
In a single vote, four members of our City Council approved allowing anyone to place a manufactured home in their driveway and rent it or make it a condo and sell it for profit, promoting it as “affordable housing” and “generational wealth.” Nothing prevents corporations from buying up properties, putting a mobile home on the driveway and flipping it. They chose not to discuss permitted design standards that might maintain the character of our city.
In that same meeting, they chose not to discuss but voted to approve Low Barrier Navigation Centers in single family residential areas, including near the high school and downtown. The Piazza Hotel lot could become a homeless shelter with trailers, tents, or container units housing residents that by law can be active substance abusers or have criminal backgrounds.
An agenda item on the Sebastopol Commons continued the troubling trend. What began as a new library has evolved into a health services center for underserved populations—despite data showing those populations largely do not live in Sebastopol. These decisions are steadily turning our town into a regional homeless services hub for Sonoma County.
Meanwhile, the Planning Commission has dismissed years of community input and consultant work by approving the idea of two-way streets downtown. While the stated goal—creating a place where people want to gather, shop, and live—is admirable, nearly half of survey respondents recognize the traffic problems this would create.
Those of us who rely on Highway 116 already face daily gridlock. Getting out of our neighborhood often requires playing chicken to join the flow of traffic. Going to town is often impossible. Maybe people who would like to shop locally, shop elsewhere or detour to Santa Rosa.
All of this is happening while our police department has to deal with more crime, street conditions are the poorest in the county, and the city’s financial challenges remain unaddressed. Pedestrian safety is cited as the core concern, yet it’s hard to see how confusing two-way streets and increasingly frustrated drivers will make anyone safer.
A small group is making big decisions, and they are getting them wrong. Sebastopol’s character has changed — worse traffic, more homelessness, and declining infrastructure all at the same time we pay the highest sales tax and water rates. Residents deserve better planning, clearer priorities, and leadership that listens.
This makes me so angry. Why do they even do a survey if they have no intention of listening to us?!! They need to work with Caltrans to reroute 116 and 12. Once that happens it would be reasonable to add bike lanes, create more parking, add parklets to their hearts content. Until that happens they need to Stop adding bike lanes. Cars and trucks make up the vast majority of the traffic, cyclists do not. Adding bike lanes, removing vehicle lanes and parking places are just making the already horrible traffic worse and worse and more dangerous. Why would a commuter stop to shop or dine when they can't find a place to park and the majority of their focus is just trying to get through town? The bike coloration is loud and pushy but that is no reason they should be allowed to bully everybody and everything to suit them.
No matter what anyone wants two highways go through town. The vast majority of cars are driven by people who just want to get through town. They don’t want to stop and shop. They don’t want to stay and play. They just want to get home or to work.
Also, what happens at the south end of Petaluma Ave. where it meets Main Street? Two two way streets collide there.
Years actually decades ago there was a proposal to reroute 116 at Llano. Run it across the Laguna and back to the current 116 but at Occidental Road. That idea got killed mostly out of concern for the Laguna. Looks more viable now.
What things do you think should be eminent domain-ed away from being what they are now? I like round-abouts but I can't think of a place to put one that wouldn't mean tearing down some businesses.
I attended the meeting and think the Planning Commission came to the best conclusion taking the best parts of Option 3 (better Main Street pedestrian experience) and combining it with a two way solution. Two way streets will slow traffic and make walking safer and more pleasant. The consultant stated that Sebastopol is one of the least safe cities in the state for pedestrians. One way streets are obviously not safe. The consultant’s data from previous presentations also states that two way streets will actually REDUCE travel time and miles driven. Win-win.
Your subheading "flies in the face" seems a tad inflammatory. I would welcome a little more balanced approach to reporting. We have enough inflammatory news sources already.
You only looking one way is exactly why the one-way streets are so dangerous and Sebastopol is one of the most dangerous towns in California for pedestrians. I walk downtown every day and can't count the times I've almost been hit while walking in a crosswalk by a person zooming up to an intersection from a side street and only looking one way.
I've always look both ways, mostly out of habit. But I've always felt a little silly when I've done that for a one way street. I'll think to myself "Now why did you do that? It's a one way street?" Now I don't feel so silly after all. Thanks Ted!
I've lived here for 9 years now, just outside of town. I still regret the downtown walking/driving experience. I came from a big city, Brooklyn, where you had more of a sense of your neighborhood, particularly when walking and shopping, than Sebastopol's downtown's confusing experience.
I'm surprised more local businesses aren't pushing for a two way main street. Parking always can be improved. A freeway through town can't. It needs to be made two way.
Love this, “I think we need to focus on making downtown a better place to walk, to do business and to shop,” Badiner said. “We should worry less about throughput, which is not the most important thing, I think, as we look to the vitality of Sebastopol.”
Amen!
The last couple weeks have been a turning point for Sebastopol—and not a good one.
In a single vote, four members of our City Council approved allowing anyone to place a manufactured home in their driveway and rent it or make it a condo and sell it for profit, promoting it as “affordable housing” and “generational wealth.” Nothing prevents corporations from buying up properties, putting a mobile home on the driveway and flipping it. They chose not to discuss permitted design standards that might maintain the character of our city.
In that same meeting, they chose not to discuss but voted to approve Low Barrier Navigation Centers in single family residential areas, including near the high school and downtown. The Piazza Hotel lot could become a homeless shelter with trailers, tents, or container units housing residents that by law can be active substance abusers or have criminal backgrounds.
An agenda item on the Sebastopol Commons continued the troubling trend. What began as a new library has evolved into a health services center for underserved populations—despite data showing those populations largely do not live in Sebastopol. These decisions are steadily turning our town into a regional homeless services hub for Sonoma County.
Meanwhile, the Planning Commission has dismissed years of community input and consultant work by approving the idea of two-way streets downtown. While the stated goal—creating a place where people want to gather, shop, and live—is admirable, nearly half of survey respondents recognize the traffic problems this would create.
Those of us who rely on Highway 116 already face daily gridlock. Getting out of our neighborhood often requires playing chicken to join the flow of traffic. Going to town is often impossible. Maybe people who would like to shop locally, shop elsewhere or detour to Santa Rosa.
All of this is happening while our police department has to deal with more crime, street conditions are the poorest in the county, and the city’s financial challenges remain unaddressed. Pedestrian safety is cited as the core concern, yet it’s hard to see how confusing two-way streets and increasingly frustrated drivers will make anyone safer.
A small group is making big decisions, and they are getting them wrong. Sebastopol’s character has changed — worse traffic, more homelessness, and declining infrastructure all at the same time we pay the highest sales tax and water rates. Residents deserve better planning, clearer priorities, and leadership that listens.
Let’s also bring back Diagonal Parking and the train down Main. Good grief!
This makes me so angry. Why do they even do a survey if they have no intention of listening to us?!! They need to work with Caltrans to reroute 116 and 12. Once that happens it would be reasonable to add bike lanes, create more parking, add parklets to their hearts content. Until that happens they need to Stop adding bike lanes. Cars and trucks make up the vast majority of the traffic, cyclists do not. Adding bike lanes, removing vehicle lanes and parking places are just making the already horrible traffic worse and worse and more dangerous. Why would a commuter stop to shop or dine when they can't find a place to park and the majority of their focus is just trying to get through town? The bike coloration is loud and pushy but that is no reason they should be allowed to bully everybody and everything to suit them.
No matter what anyone wants two highways go through town. The vast majority of cars are driven by people who just want to get through town. They don’t want to stop and shop. They don’t want to stay and play. They just want to get home or to work.
Also, what happens at the south end of Petaluma Ave. where it meets Main Street? Two two way streets collide there.
Years actually decades ago there was a proposal to reroute 116 at Llano. Run it across the Laguna and back to the current 116 but at Occidental Road. That idea got killed mostly out of concern for the Laguna. Looks more viable now.
Seems like turning across traffic leads to congestion and accidents.
Too bad eminent domain and then building traffic circles is impossible.
What things do you think should be eminent domain-ed away from being what they are now? I like round-abouts but I can't think of a place to put one that wouldn't mean tearing down some businesses.
Who put the all knowing Trump on the commission. I guess everyone but the
commission are idiots. Why did we even go through this lengthy process.
I attended the meeting and think the Planning Commission came to the best conclusion taking the best parts of Option 3 (better Main Street pedestrian experience) and combining it with a two way solution. Two way streets will slow traffic and make walking safer and more pleasant. The consultant stated that Sebastopol is one of the least safe cities in the state for pedestrians. One way streets are obviously not safe. The consultant’s data from previous presentations also states that two way streets will actually REDUCE travel time and miles driven. Win-win.
Your subheading "flies in the face" seems a tad inflammatory. I would welcome a little more balanced approach to reporting. We have enough inflammatory news sources already.
I've just seen how the sausage is made.
Agggh. It took me a little while to learn the town. I don't want to do it again. Also it is so easy to only need to look one way
You only looking one way is exactly why the one-way streets are so dangerous and Sebastopol is one of the most dangerous towns in California for pedestrians. I walk downtown every day and can't count the times I've almost been hit while walking in a crosswalk by a person zooming up to an intersection from a side street and only looking one way.
I've always look both ways, mostly out of habit. But I've always felt a little silly when I've done that for a one way street. I'll think to myself "Now why did you do that? It's a one way street?" Now I don't feel so silly after all. Thanks Ted!