From: mark
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] 2024-25 Transportation and Public Works budget Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 5:01:17 PM
Dear City Council,
I am NOT what anyone would call a “cycling enthusiast.” I’m in my 50s, I own a car, and live in a neighborhood that is devoid of cycling infrastructure (Memorial Hospital neighborhood).
That said, I am asking for the allocation for cycling infrastructure to be increased to 15% in the 2024-25 Transportation and Public Works budget.
The reason for this is I care about taking decisive action to avert catastrophic climate change. While it may be tempting to believe that we will get the needed CO2 reduction from the transition to electric cars, this transition is happening far too slowly to avert a climate catastrophe. That is why cities need to fully embrace Active Transportation instead of more forced Automobile Dependency. By setting aside 15% of the transportation budget for Active Transportation projects, Santa Rosa residents will finally have safe routes needed to cycle, walk, mobility scoot (wheelchair), and e-scooter to their destinations. More than 50% of car trips are less than three miles, so a working Active Transportation network will greatly cut VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) of cars.
Most people are interested in using a bicycle or other form of micro-mobility to complete small errands. But they don’t do it because it inevitably means riding next to fast moving heavy cars, where any mistake is a certain death sentence. In cities where there is real protected cycling infrastructure*, cycling can be a hugely popular transportation choice. Case in point is the city of Amsterdam, where 2/3rd of the residents use a bicycle on a daily basis.
They say that a city's values can be found in its budget. Let's show that Santa Rosa’s transportation budget is not just about perpetuating automobile dependency and timid half measures to cut CO2. Please take decisive action to avert climate change today by making this change in the budget priorities.
*protected cycling infrastructure: means having a substantial physical barrier between the cycle track and fast moving cars, like bollards or a row of parked cars. It does include half- assed measures like painting a stripe on the ground to “protect” the cyclists! Sincerely,
Mark Franaszek
From: mark
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] 2024-25 Transportation and Public Works budget [with typo at end fixed] Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 5:12:17 PM
Dear City Council,
I am NOT what anyone would call a “cycling enthusiast.” I’m in my 50s, I own a car, and live in a neighborhood that is devoid of cycling infrastructure (Memorial Hospital neighborhood).
That said, I am asking for the allocation for cycling infrastructure to be increased to 15% in the 2024-25 Transportation and Public Works budget.
The reason for this is I care about taking decisive action to avert catastrophic climate change. While it may be tempting to believe that we will get the needed CO2 reduction from the transition to electric cars, this transition is happening far too slowly to avert a climate catastrophe. That is why cities need to fully embrace Active Transportation instead of more forced Automobile Dependency. By setting aside 15% of the transportation budget for Active Transportation projects, Santa Rosa residents will finally have safe routes needed to cycle, walk, mobility scoot (wheelchair), and e-scooter to their destinations. More than 50% of car trips are less than three miles, so a working Active Transportation network will greatly cut VMT (Vehicle Miles Traveled) of cars.
Most people are interested in using a bicycle or other form of micro-mobility to complete small errands. But they don’t do it because it inevitably means riding next to fast moving heavy cars, where any mistake is a certain death sentence. In cities where there is real protected cycling infrastructure*, cycling can be a hugely popular transportation choice.
Case in point is the city of Amsterdam, where 2/3rd of the residents use a bicycle on a daily basis.
They say that a city's values can be found in its budget. Let's show that Santa Rosa’s transportation budget is not just about perpetuating automobile dependency and timid half measures to cut CO2. Please take decisive action to avert climate change today by making this change in the budget priorities.
*protected cycling infrastructure: means having a substantial physical barrier between the cycle track and fast moving cars, like bollards or a row of parked cars. It does NOT include half-assed measures like painting a stripe on the ground to “protect” the cyclists! Sincerely,
Mark Franaszek
From: Linda Hoffman
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] City of Santa Rosa 2024-25 Budget Consideration for Recreation Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 7:25:00 PM
My name is Linda Hoffman and I am a long-term Santa Rosa resident with over 55 years of residency. My five children grew up here and our family has enjoyed numerous City Recreation programs.
I am currently a principal of a local, private K-12 school of about 250 students. I have been in School Administration here in Santa Rosa for about 25 years.
For recreation and competition, I play pickleball. I am a USA Pickleball Ambassador for the City of Santa Rosa and represent 1000s of local players in this sport which is exploding nationally in numbers in the last four years. Our community feels our City is sorely lacking in pickleball facilities for youth and adults to play. Pickleball is an accessible sport for youth and adults of all backgrounds and abilities. It is an extremely social sport with multi-generational interaction and long-term mental and physical benefit.
I have recently met with various City of Santa Rosa personnel at A Place to Play Park. Several City employees whom I regularly interact with have suggested A Place to Play as a viable option for a dedicated pickleball facility. A Place to Play is devoid of activity on any weekday morning as I have personally witnessed multiple times. The Master Plan of A Place to Play is due for revision within the next few months. Measure M money stands available to better serve recreational needs for our City.
I would like to request that the City Council of Santa Rosa in planning the 2024-25 Budget would seriously consider pursuing a dedicated pickleball facility being put in at A Place to Play Park. Pickleball is mostly played from 8am-12pm every day. A Place to Play is being underutilized currently with many questionable activities occurring there due to a lack of recreational use. A Place to Play meets the current parking and restroom needs that a pickleball facility would require. Given the name of this park - A Place to Play - pickleball would bring much needed activity and social interaction for all ages to the only park left within the City limits that has enough space for a complex of this type.
Our pickleball community is heavily invested in supporting and promoting youth activity for all socioeconomic backgrounds. We would be willing to partner with the City of Santa Rosa in providing programming revenue for various youth programs for the social, mental, and physical benefit of local youth if the City would be willing to build a pickleball complex.
Current construction costs on flat land of pickleball courts run about $30,000 per court. We are seeking to place a 16-24 court complex at A Place to Play with an overall cost to the City of about $600,000. If we had a pickleball complex at A Place to Play, Finley Park could return to a tennis only facility allowing for west side play for the tennis community without the impact of cross-lined courts, which neither the pickleball community nor the tennis community desires, and would allow for five dedicated tennis courts at Finley Park.
In the last two years, I have been one of the Tournament Directors of the Wine Country Pickleball for All Classic tournaments. With Santa Rosa being a destination venue and the extreme popularity of pickleball, our tournaments have been filling to capacity within weeks of posting them on the tournament site. These tournaments are bringing in hundreds of players from outside our local area with a notable economic benefit to our local restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and wineries. In surveying our players in our last few tournaments we estimate an economic benefit of about $25,000 for the three day tournaments we have held. With a pickleball complex at A Place to Play, semi-annual tournaments could generate closer to $50,000 in immediate local economic benefit per tournament. This is an additional consideration and compelling reason for a large dedicated facility.
Please seriously consider the immense benefit a pickleball facility at A Place to Play would have for the youth, working adults, and seniors in our community, meeting the desperate need for additional safe court space within our City limits, at a facility where all ages and skill levels of players could convene and participate in a mentally, socially, and physically stimulating up and coming community driven sport.
Sincerely,
Linda Hoffman
Long term City resident and USA Pickleball Santa Rosa Ambassador
For a short 5 minute YouTube video showing one of our recent local pickleball tournaments with several player interviews and compelling Santa Rosa resident input on how we desperately need a dedicated facility, go to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcG7J6v5klM
From: Leilani Clark
To: City Council Public Comments
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Budget comment for tomorrow’s meeting Date: Monday, January 8, 2024 7:47:40 PM
To Santa Rosa City Council,
I’m writing as a resident of Santa Rosa to as the council to increase the share of its transportation budget devoted to bike infrastructure improvements to at least 15%. This is not only necessary to help accelerate the creation of a complete, low-stress bike network connecting all of Santa Rosa, but offers a greater return-on-investment than similar dollars spent on auto-centric infrastructure.
I ride my bike back and forth to work almost everyday. I used to also regularly take my 5th grader to school by bikes but stopped this year, partially because it feels so sketchy to ride around most of Santa Rosa by bike. I just didn’t feel safe.
I’m looking forward to increased bicycle infrastructure in the future. The city has potential I’m this realm but do you as City Council have the vision and political will to actually make it reality? Sincerely,
Leilani Clark Law
Sent from my iPad
From: JAMES MCADLER
To: CityCouncilListPublic
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Request to Support Recreation & Parks Department Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2024 10:25:42 PM
Dear Mayor Rogers and Members of the City Council,
I am sorry to miss last night's public hearing to discuss the City's FY24-25 budget priorities. As a long-term citizen of our fair city and a backer of the Southeast Greenway, I respectfully request your full support of the Recreation and Parks Department. While we expect outside funds to assist with the planning and development of the Southeast Greenway, your help to provide adequate funding for staff and maintenance will be most appreciated.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Jim McAdler
Santa Rosa, CA 95405