From:Jim DeCecco
To:City Council; Rick Ellison; Lea Brooks
Subject:Intersection- Bello and Price Canyon
Date:Monday, June 5, 2023 7:00:42 PM
Attachments:image.png
20220901_111548_1_1 (2) (4).mp4
External Email
To Pismo Beach City Council,
This email is in regard to the proposed Bello and Price Canyon intersection "upgrade". I want to first give you some information on intersections. Since I assume the city council members are not traffic engineers by trade, I would like to provide some background information on intersections so you can make informed decisions.
First is a video I took of a working roundabout with a bike lane (not protected, just one with paint). Two of your options are roundabouts without any bike infrastructure. Bike lanes could be easily incorporated their designs. Second is a picture of the traffic light placement. Notice in the picture that the traffic lights are NOT across the intersection but are in front of the crosswalk. This placement keeps cars from creeping into the crosswalk because they can't tell if the light has changed color. The current intersection option in your packet with the traffic signal is a bad design. Coming south on Price Canyon a cyclists will have to merge into heavy car traffic with zero protection. No continuity. If the cyclist wants to head straight toward the ocean and vehicles behind them want to turn right onto Bello, cyclists will be sitting at the red light with some angry drivers. Right turns on red should not be allowed. There is no space for cyclists to wait at the light on Price Canyon. They are super vunerable at this intersection.
Bad design. The third is a link to a very short video on safe intersection design.
At this point, I can hear some members say this information comes from other countries. My response to that is, "well spotted", but too bad. Good design comes from many places. It is the job of the city council to ensure the safety of ALL individuals. People in cars are already protected by 2 tons of steel and air bags. Cyclists and pedestrians are not and therefore it the job of traffic engineers, planners and city council members to protect them with the best possible street design. My major concern is the fact that some of those cyclists and pedestrians may be Judkins students. There are close to 500 middle school students in coming into the area. Every precaution should be taken to protect them - no matter how they get to school.
In the end, I probably prefer the traffic light option. But I have huge problems with its design.
Please send this back to the drawing board and have your consultants come up with a better design that allows all users of this space the protection they deserve.
Thank you,
Jim DeCecco
Home owner: 1340 Bello Street, Pismo Beach
Safe Routes Coordinator - Lucia Mar Unified School District County of San Luis Obispo 3rd District Bicycle Advisor Committee member
From: Jim DeCecco
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2023 4:48 PM
To: Jim DeCecco
Subject: Intersections
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlApbxLz6pA&t=124s
Junction design, the Dutch -cycle-friendly - way [120]
The Dutch build cycle paths that continue ontheir junctions. They must have wider streets,right? Wrong! This video shows how it is done,no extra space is ... www.youtube.com