Traffic “calming” Project Widely Unpopular
By David Bolling
A temporary traffic circle, installed to slow vehicles for increased bicycle safety at the intersection of West Third and Perkins Streets, has riled residents of the neighborhood who question the need, purpose, and even the cost of the proposed permanent installation.
Area resident (and Sun columnist) Loretta Carr has compiled a list of more than 70, signed comments from area residents all opposed to the project, which the City describes as a “traffic circle,” not a roundabout.
Officially titled the “Third Street West Bike Boulevard Project,” its purpose is to “calm” traffic on Third Street West, enhancing the safety and security of bicyclists riding north and south between the Sonoma Bike Path and the Fryer Creek trail.
The recently-installed temporary circle involves metal signs on heavy rubberized anchor pyramids, with orange pylons. There is not yet any permanent infrastructure installed, but the proposed traffic circle will be just one of several “Bike Boulevard” enhancements. The City defines bike boulevard as, “a low-speed, shared facility designed to prioritize bicycles while still allowing vehicle access. These streets use traffic calming, signage, and pavement markings to reduce vehicle speeds; improve comfort for people biking and walking; and to encourage safer, neighborhood-scale travel.”
Why the term “traffic circle” instead of roundabout? The City website states that roundabouts are much bigger and carry much more traffic than traffic circles. Otherwise they’re the same and work the same way, with traffic yielding always to the left.
To which area residents have responded in large part negatively. Among the numerous signed online commenters are:
Gil Latimer, Sonoma: “Who actually made this decision, when, and was there an opportunity for public input? I’ve driven up and down that section of Third for years and never once was it apparent that it needed a roundabout.”
Tricia Ladouceur, Sonoma: “I went through here … first time since this was placed. I was so confused as I came up on it at the same time as a cyclist. The youth on the bike was traveling alongside me and nearly sideswiped my car as we both navigated. It was crazy. I thought, where was the cyclist supposed to go? Up on the sidewalk? I stopped of course, but wondered what on earth the purpose of this was. I’m so baffled as to how this helps cyclists? We had a close call. They have essentially narrowed the street in that intersection.”
Barbara Graziani, Sonoma: “Totally unnecessary and dangerous. Many people use this walkway, including Sassarini 4Cs. I have seen very few bicyclists use this route. Find another more sensible project, City of Sonoma!”
Cristine McMillan, Sonoma: “I live on 5th St W and have been begging for a traffic calming solution. By the time drivers pass my house many are driving over 40 and all in my experience are speeding. (Yes I bought a speed gun to prove my point with the Traffic Safety Committee.) So WHY is money spent here when it sounds like no one has asked for it?”
Loretta Carr, Sonoma: “In my opinion, the roundabout poses more danger than benefits. If someone gets hurt, it will be the City’s responsibility because they have been warned numerous times. The Public Works Director, Mike Berger, said he had been looking at data that reported slower traffic because of the roundabout. He may be sitting in his office looking at data, but I’m witnessing the close calls on the street.”
According to City Public Works Information Officer Sarah Tracy, the Third Street project is part of a larger, broader Active Transportation plan, that includes Speed cushions (“gentler than speed bumps”), painted curb extensions, relocated stop signs, sharrows (street markings indicating cars and cyclists share the road); other pavement markings and accessibility improvements.
Projected cost of the improvements, which fall under the City’s Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project, which taps into approximately $1.6 million in Go Sonoma transportation grant funding, and that requires a City match of some $227,000.
When asked if the City had data for bicycle traffic and bicycle safety on West Third, Tracy said she did not have an answer, but said she would check to see if such data was available, upon request.
The timeline for the permanent Bike Boulevard improvements is sometime this Fall.
Sonoma already has dedicated bike lanes on 5th Street West and Broadway, both of which were pushed through despite local resident input which was overwhelmingly against them. And surprise, surprise…both are largely unused as was predicted. Clearly, the Santa Rosa Bicycle Coalition has the attention and fealty of the city council, who are actively ignoring citizen input. I have a suggestion: Perhaps the city council can at least temporarily put aside their catering to the interests of a political organization which is not even located in the valley. Alternatively, maybe they could focus on all the bicyclists, scooter riders, and electric bicycle and motorcycle riders who are riding on our sidewalks and blatantly ignoring traffic and safety laws, endangering pedestrians, and giving the metaphorical middle finger to those of us who are simply trying to navigate our streets and sidewalks in a lawful fashion.
More bullsht from Sonoma City representatives. They are always screwing up the traffic situation. I never see bicycles on Broadway since the City messed with the bicycle lanes.
These things are all over in other cities and towns. But, I guess they are not familiar to drivers here in Sonoma. When driving in Berkeley and Minneapolis we encounter them all the time. So I guess that is why I do not find them confusing or odd.