A historical look back at the decision in the 1980s to make Sebastopol's downtown streets one way. Plus, tell us your experience of the 1985 change from two-way to one-way streets
" It was eye-opening to learn that the most significant difference between one-way and two-way was not considered or studied yet." Sebastopol has had financial woes for what seems like a long time. Now it turns out that the city hired consultants who did not consider the most important aspect of the study they were hired to conduct. And nobody on the City Council noticed? What else is the City Council not noticing? Don't get me wrong, I love our small town feel, but our leadership needs to pay attention. And personally, I remember the backups downtown and I'm for keeping the streets one way. Safer is better.
Bravo! Such an in-depth, coherent study of this long-standing conflict can really help decision makers. It’s scary to realize that planners make decisions without doing this kind of research.Thank the stars for a free local press, and for Ms. Pierce’s life-long commitment to her community.
As a new West County resident, I found this very interesting. And the research is a testament to the importance of newspapers for historical information. Grateful for
Thank you Lisa Pierce! It's unbelievable to think that the consultants did not address the impacts of left turn lanes. It shows that they didn't even do a traffic study. The increase of backups and traffic time due to left turns would be phenomenal. What a horrendous waste of taxpayer's money. Yes, the taxpayers paid for this, not only because our state and federal taxes pay for CalTrans grants but the city put in $28,000 as part of the matching grant! What to do? Show up at the March 3 council meeting and let the council know what you think or write to the council members by addressing your email to: citycouncil@cityofsebastopol.gov And put in Public Comment on the subject line. Let your voice be heard - one way or the other.
Thanks for the thorough article. The two way system before 1985 was a misery, and the current system is vastly better. Just ridiculous that an expensive consultancy didn't consider real traffic conditions. the Council needs to reject the recommendation of Planning, who may not have been aware of this omission in the study when they voted.
A bypass would in deed be a game changer. Wanting a walkable/bikeable downtown AND in the center — an intersection of two highways — seems counter productive. I’ve seen large trucks struggling to make the sharp turn and a woman hit in a crosswalk at that intersection. Neither of these options seems to solve the obvious issue. The article mentions the extensive research which found obstacles that would make the bypass too difficult. I’d like to hear more about what those were. Just wondering — would adding wayfinding traffic signs on 12 (directing a bypass to Forestville) and 116 (directing a bypass to Santa Rosa) using the stretch of Occidental road be a start?
It is a bit too logical. Signs would not cost enough...no problem in this city is worth solving if you can't get a $200,000+ grant, otherwise termed "free money" by some on our current council.
True, it would be useful to do a recap of how that process went, and what the obstacles were/are, to a bypass, maybe in another piece, or an addendum-so folks have a broader understanding of that issue.
Fantastic to get some historical perspective. Thank you! What's made clear here is that points of contention remain even though conditions now don't fully resemble those of yesterday.
"vehicle counts on Main Street were 14,000 per day in 1986. We now have close to 30,000 vehicles a day."
We now have apps that tell us where the traffic is and suggests alternative routes.
There are now standardized traffic calming measures and dynamic traffic light systems that can address traffic buildups as they happen.
We now have study after study that shows that traffic goes where traffic flows. For example, widening freeways temporarily reduces traffic, but within a few years, people adapt where they drive and live until travel time reverts to the mean.
We are the traffic. Each of us have a certain tolerance for it and each of us has a breaking point. Yet, traffic is an equilibrium based upon all available travel paths and destinations. It's impossible to isolate a single element in an equilibrium. Each change necessarily will be accompanied by a change in something else.
It's complex, but traffic will always adapt to local conditions. It really feels like we ought to first be clear as a community on whether Sebastopol is a drive thru or a destination city. Of course it is neither all one nor the other. But really, let's pick a percentage, let's pick the priority. Only then can we make a rational decision about which traffic and how much are we willing to tolerate to achieve the city we want.
There doesn't seem to be a clear and material benefit from making this change which will, at a minimum, cost us money and inconvenience. Given the attention we have to pay to the existential threats to our democracy and to the planet, it seems like this project is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Please let's prioritize how we spend our money and our time and energy.
Traffic flow at the corner of McKinley and Main can be improved with some additional signage and changes to the stop light. Frequently the left lane of McKinley gets backed up because the driver does not turn left after stopping when there is no traffic on Main in the left southbound lane. A simple sign used at some one-way onto one-way streets states "Left turn on Red ok after stopping", or "Left turn on red yield to oncoming traffic"
The traffic light, for the right-hand lane of McKinley should never turn red unless a pedestrian has pushed the button. One frequently has to stop for a red light when turning right from McKinley onto northbound N Main for no reason, causing unnecessary traffic delays.
I don't see that residents of sebastopol are going to get to vote on this. I hope that we do. It's too important to be decide by the city council alone.
I have lived here in downtown since 1981. Traffic improved significantly when one way arrived. We took 2 steps backwards when biking lanes were introduced on Petaluma Hill and traffic lanes reduced.
A great article. Thanks. A few months back I posted to Nextdoor asking people's opinions about the 1 way/2 way street issue. Too few addressed this issue to form a meaningful conclusion but one thing people did agree on - they want the train back. Maybe Sebastopol should build tracks and have one car train go back and forth, from the empty store where Rite Aid was to the empty lot by the fork at the S end of town.
I pointed out some of the deficiencies of the study that were mentioned in the article: no consideration of cars making left turns and no consideration of whatever goes on at the fork. And of course a majority of people want one-streets. The merchants should be aware that vacancies in town are much higher on the two-way streets than the one-way streets and the two-way Barlow has a very high vacancy rate and at the moment
There is no evidence presented that the two way streets are safer or more advantageous to drivers, pedestrians or cyclists than one way streets. What would make streets safer is installation of speed cams and red light cams and the automatic generation and billing of tickets would leave Sebstopol with a budget surplus and we could let the police focus on more important stuff.
Kudos and gratitude to Lisa Pierce (who has studied the history of our town for many years, made videos about it, and carefully studied maps and plans), for her conscientious, fastidious and clear-headed recounting of relevant history. Why repeat mistakes that have already been made?
Any solution that could increase traffic accidents and gridlock must be deeply scrutinized, and not rushed through. Consultants who don't live here (remember the Ives Park proposal to do away with our beloved ball field?) and even our local planning commission, no matter how well intentioned or visionary, are not themselves elected officials, but can have an outsized influence over them, with little to no accountability.
And even though walking and bicycling to town are ideal options to promote (for the nearby and able-bodied), they are not viable for many who live in the hills or in other West County or coastal towns, beyond public transit- or for visitors/ passers-through from faraway. We still must consider drivers, traffic flows and parking issues, as cars are a current reality in a rural town with a couple of city blocks and two state highways passing through.
Let's please be kind to ALL parties involved, including our beloved local businesses.
I've lived in Sebastopol since 1969, and remember the two way and the train occasionally going down Main St. to Graton and back. The Main Street 2 way traffic became awful, backing up to Safeway in the north and at the Y merge in the south end of town. That's why the City went to the 1 way options on Main and Petaluma Ave. It solved the backup problem until they recently put in the bike lane on Petaluma Ave. Going back to a 2 way on both streets, with bike lanes, will bring back the backup problem.
" It was eye-opening to learn that the most significant difference between one-way and two-way was not considered or studied yet." Sebastopol has had financial woes for what seems like a long time. Now it turns out that the city hired consultants who did not consider the most important aspect of the study they were hired to conduct. And nobody on the City Council noticed? What else is the City Council not noticing? Don't get me wrong, I love our small town feel, but our leadership needs to pay attention. And personally, I remember the backups downtown and I'm for keeping the streets one way. Safer is better.
I definitely prefer the one way. Traffic backs up enough as it is, and reading this, it would get much worse with the 2 way.
Bravo! Such an in-depth, coherent study of this long-standing conflict can really help decision makers. It’s scary to realize that planners make decisions without doing this kind of research.Thank the stars for a free local press, and for Ms. Pierce’s life-long commitment to her community.
Yes! Lisa is a treasure.
As a new West County resident, I found this very interesting. And the research is a testament to the importance of newspapers for historical information. Grateful for
journalists!
Thank you Lisa Pierce! It's unbelievable to think that the consultants did not address the impacts of left turn lanes. It shows that they didn't even do a traffic study. The increase of backups and traffic time due to left turns would be phenomenal. What a horrendous waste of taxpayer's money. Yes, the taxpayers paid for this, not only because our state and federal taxes pay for CalTrans grants but the city put in $28,000 as part of the matching grant! What to do? Show up at the March 3 council meeting and let the council know what you think or write to the council members by addressing your email to: citycouncil@cityofsebastopol.gov And put in Public Comment on the subject line. Let your voice be heard - one way or the other.
Thanks for the thorough article. The two way system before 1985 was a misery, and the current system is vastly better. Just ridiculous that an expensive consultancy didn't consider real traffic conditions. the Council needs to reject the recommendation of Planning, who may not have been aware of this omission in the study when they voted.
A bypass would in deed be a game changer. Wanting a walkable/bikeable downtown AND in the center — an intersection of two highways — seems counter productive. I’ve seen large trucks struggling to make the sharp turn and a woman hit in a crosswalk at that intersection. Neither of these options seems to solve the obvious issue. The article mentions the extensive research which found obstacles that would make the bypass too difficult. I’d like to hear more about what those were. Just wondering — would adding wayfinding traffic signs on 12 (directing a bypass to Forestville) and 116 (directing a bypass to Santa Rosa) using the stretch of Occidental road be a start?
It is a bit too logical. Signs would not cost enough...no problem in this city is worth solving if you can't get a $200,000+ grant, otherwise termed "free money" by some on our current council.
True, it would be useful to do a recap of how that process went, and what the obstacles were/are, to a bypass, maybe in another piece, or an addendum-so folks have a broader understanding of that issue.
As long as it doesn't cost the taxpayers any more money. The taxpayers have already spent way too much money on this.
Fantastic to get some historical perspective. Thank you! What's made clear here is that points of contention remain even though conditions now don't fully resemble those of yesterday.
"vehicle counts on Main Street were 14,000 per day in 1986. We now have close to 30,000 vehicles a day."
We now have apps that tell us where the traffic is and suggests alternative routes.
There are now standardized traffic calming measures and dynamic traffic light systems that can address traffic buildups as they happen.
We now have study after study that shows that traffic goes where traffic flows. For example, widening freeways temporarily reduces traffic, but within a few years, people adapt where they drive and live until travel time reverts to the mean.
We are the traffic. Each of us have a certain tolerance for it and each of us has a breaking point. Yet, traffic is an equilibrium based upon all available travel paths and destinations. It's impossible to isolate a single element in an equilibrium. Each change necessarily will be accompanied by a change in something else.
It's complex, but traffic will always adapt to local conditions. It really feels like we ought to first be clear as a community on whether Sebastopol is a drive thru or a destination city. Of course it is neither all one nor the other. But really, let's pick a percentage, let's pick the priority. Only then can we make a rational decision about which traffic and how much are we willing to tolerate to achieve the city we want.
There doesn't seem to be a clear and material benefit from making this change which will, at a minimum, cost us money and inconvenience. Given the attention we have to pay to the existential threats to our democracy and to the planet, it seems like this project is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Please let's prioritize how we spend our money and our time and energy.
Traffic flow at the corner of McKinley and Main can be improved with some additional signage and changes to the stop light. Frequently the left lane of McKinley gets backed up because the driver does not turn left after stopping when there is no traffic on Main in the left southbound lane. A simple sign used at some one-way onto one-way streets states "Left turn on Red ok after stopping", or "Left turn on red yield to oncoming traffic"
The traffic light, for the right-hand lane of McKinley should never turn red unless a pedestrian has pushed the button. One frequently has to stop for a red light when turning right from McKinley onto northbound N Main for no reason, causing unnecessary traffic delays.
I don't see that residents of sebastopol are going to get to vote on this. I hope that we do. It's too important to be decide by the city council alone.
Lisa Pierce for City Council!!! Common Sense for Sebastopol!!
*Note this is my idea and my idea only....it would be refreshing. Someone curious, willing to dig into things, a critical thinker.......
I have lived here in downtown since 1981. Traffic improved significantly when one way arrived. We took 2 steps backwards when biking lanes were introduced on Petaluma Hill and traffic lanes reduced.
A great article. Thanks. A few months back I posted to Nextdoor asking people's opinions about the 1 way/2 way street issue. Too few addressed this issue to form a meaningful conclusion but one thing people did agree on - they want the train back. Maybe Sebastopol should build tracks and have one car train go back and forth, from the empty store where Rite Aid was to the empty lot by the fork at the S end of town.
I pointed out some of the deficiencies of the study that were mentioned in the article: no consideration of cars making left turns and no consideration of whatever goes on at the fork. And of course a majority of people want one-streets. The merchants should be aware that vacancies in town are much higher on the two-way streets than the one-way streets and the two-way Barlow has a very high vacancy rate and at the moment
There is no evidence presented that the two way streets are safer or more advantageous to drivers, pedestrians or cyclists than one way streets. What would make streets safer is installation of speed cams and red light cams and the automatic generation and billing of tickets would leave Sebstopol with a budget surplus and we could let the police focus on more important stuff.
Kudos and gratitude to Lisa Pierce (who has studied the history of our town for many years, made videos about it, and carefully studied maps and plans), for her conscientious, fastidious and clear-headed recounting of relevant history. Why repeat mistakes that have already been made?
Any solution that could increase traffic accidents and gridlock must be deeply scrutinized, and not rushed through. Consultants who don't live here (remember the Ives Park proposal to do away with our beloved ball field?) and even our local planning commission, no matter how well intentioned or visionary, are not themselves elected officials, but can have an outsized influence over them, with little to no accountability.
And even though walking and bicycling to town are ideal options to promote (for the nearby and able-bodied), they are not viable for many who live in the hills or in other West County or coastal towns, beyond public transit- or for visitors/ passers-through from faraway. We still must consider drivers, traffic flows and parking issues, as cars are a current reality in a rural town with a couple of city blocks and two state highways passing through.
Let's please be kind to ALL parties involved, including our beloved local businesses.
I've lived in Sebastopol since 1969, and remember the two way and the train occasionally going down Main St. to Graton and back. The Main Street 2 way traffic became awful, backing up to Safeway in the north and at the Y merge in the south end of town. That's why the City went to the 1 way options on Main and Petaluma Ave. It solved the backup problem until they recently put in the bike lane on Petaluma Ave. Going back to a 2 way on both streets, with bike lanes, will bring back the backup problem.