From: Jeff Kuyper <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 20, 2024 2:10 PM
To: Nina Buelna
Cc: Luz Reyes-Martin; City Clerk Group; Paula Perotte
Subject: Agenda Item D.1 - reducing speed limits on Berkeley & Fairview Hi Mayor Perotte, Mayor Pro Tempore Reyes-Martin, and Ms. Buelna:
I’m writing as a parent of two kids who ride their bikes to school and around the neighborhoods of Kellogg and GVJH schools, and a resident of Berkeley Road. The issue of bicycle safety and speed limits resonates strongly with our family, as our son was hit by an at-fault vehicle at the Berkeley/Fairview intersection last year while biking to school. We recently learned about the City’s proposal to reduce certain speed limits in Goleta and appreciate the time that City staƯ put into the proposal. We generally support the recommendations, but have a couple of comments and suggestions:
1. Berkeley Road (between N. Kellogg Ave and Fairview Ave) should be added to the list safety corridors or routes with a high concentration of bicyclists/pedestrians. This segment seems like it would fit the Vehicle Code criteria for both categories, given its proximity to Kellogg School, and as the main route that kids in the neighborhood take to bike/walk to Kellogg and GVJH. The road is also part of the North Goleta Bicycle Route with dozens of bicyclists using this route daily. We ask that you consider adding Berkeley Road between N. Kellogg Ave and Fairview Ave. as a safety corridor or route with high concentration of bicyclists/pedestrians given its status as an oƯicial bicycle route near a school.
2. We appreciate and support your recommendation for designating a safety corridor on Fairview Ave from Berkeley Rd to Cathedral Oaks, with a speed limit reduction from 35mph (current) to 30mph (proposed). We ask you to extend this safety corridor south two-tenths of a mile, to the intersection of Fairview Ave. and Encina Rd. That stretch is currently marked 35mph, but 30mph seems appropriate there too, in order to avoid a short one-block segment of 35 mph sandwiched between 25mph (to the south) and 30mph (to the north). Specifically, as a vehicle drives north on Fairview Ave from Calle Real, it starts in a 25mph zone, enters a 35mph zone at Alli Way for one block, and then would enter the proposed 30mph zone from Berkeley to Cathedral Oaks. We need northbound cars to be slowing down as they approach the Fairview/Berkeley intersection, not speeding up, as this intersection is the primary crossing for students going to/from GVJH. There are also several intersections and driveways along that short segment with cars crossing the flow of traƯic, so a speed limit reduction would just make that whole segment safer. We ask that you extend the N. Fairview Ave. safety corridor south to Encina Rd. to avoid an unsafe one-block speed limit increase. This would ensure a consistent 30mph speed limit on N. Fairview Rd. between Encina Ave and Cathedral Oaks.
Thank you for your consideration, and for all your eƯorts to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe.
Jeff Kuyper & Family