From: Ernie Carpenter
Sent: Wednesday, March 4, 2026 1:41 PM
To: City Council <[email protected]>
Cc:
Subject: By Pass
Dear Council.
Please do not make up a solution. There is a long history here.
A comment from me: "There is no way in hell you will get people to go to Stony Point Road to anywhere." Repeat: No Way in hell.
We did a funded campaign in the Eighties, including changing the signs on 101 to get people going to The River to use River Road. No indication it took people off 116 through Sebastopol. That campaign included getting residents to drive less in town.
There is a plan line from Stoney Point to Occidental Rd for the Sebastopol Bypass in the Sonoma County General Plan. It is not doable as it goes through the Laguna. It would cost a ton, and demand tons of fill in protected areas. This is an old issue. Plan lines have been explored up the gump stump. Former Sebastopol Councils have studied this. There isn't a bypass plan route that works. No wishful thinking here, please.
And, don't forget, all previous studies have indicated that "we" the locals, are the problem, not the through traffic. I am a part of the problem, as some days I come to Sebastopol three times, often to spend money. You need to recognize and come to grips with the very fact that locals, your voting constituents, are the traffic problem. Disagree? Do another study.
You are part of the problem. The City residents, the 15,000 surrounding County residents shopping in Sebastopol, ARE the problem. School trips, shopping trips, trips to yoga, going to Ragle, Screaming Mimis, The Square, the Grange, civil cubs, beauty parlor, the Club, and oh, ducking around traffic. So, try to make the streets work within this context.
Just saying.
Eman