From: Gayle Bergmann
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2026 10:31 AM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Cc: Mary Gourley <[email protected]>
Subject: Preferred alternative for Downtown Sustainable Transportation Grant
I just realized I won't be able to attend the 3/3 meeting and wanted to convey my opposition to the Planning Commission’s decision to override Sebastopol citizens’ preferences and recommend that we return to 2-way streets downtown.
I did not live in Sebastopol proper before the change to one-way streets but some of my neighbors did and they have been adamantly opposed to changing back to two-way traffic every time this idea has been suggested. Traffic has been the subject of numerous studies over the years and I participated in meetings to hear the ideas even though I lived in the country outside the City limits. It always came down to the fact that Sebastopol doesn’t control the two state highways that intersect downtown and bring in traffic from all directions.
Now, apparently, Caltrans is involved and the planning commission has seized the opportunity to push through a short-sighted solution.
I attended one of the recent community meetings introducing the plan options and asked the consultant to consider more than the small area covered by the plan. So I have concerns:
Did anyone consider the effects of two-way streets on the neighborhoods that are not in the plan area?
What additional changes must be made to the state highways in every direction outside of the plan area?
As congested as the traffic is now, at least it is possible for a motorist to access the oneway streets to get out of town. We must face the reality that people who live here do have to use a car sometimes. In the past, two-way streets resulted in gridlock. I see two additional issues resulting from the recommended option: frustrated drivers risking unsafe turns on the highways or frustrated drivers trying to find other routes through the neighborhoods.
The result would be trading theoretical pedestrian safety on Main Street for the possibility of 1) more automobile accidents on the highways and 2) increased pedestrian/cyclist peril on the neighborhood streets.
Caltrans is not responsible for our streets. The City budget is insufficient for proper maintenance on those streets now; increased wear and tear from traffic would only increase that burden.
Please do not approve the Planning Commission’s recommendation and instead opt for fiscally responsible improvements that prioritize safety for Sebastopol citizens and preserve the current one-way traffic flow system.
Thank you.
Gayle Bergmann