Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village

Addressed to: San Jose Mayor Liccardo and the Councilmembers; Jim Orbital, SJ DOT

From: David Zappelli, Chairperson, Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village

Subject: Lincoln Avenue Road Diet in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose.

Position: Confirming the support of the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet in Willow Glen.

As early as December 11, 2009, Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village (SGV) first proposed a “bicycle-pedestrian friendly Lincoln Avenue” to the City of San Jose. That day, we issued our original Position Paper to Michael Brilliot of the Envision San José 2040 Task Force regarding the connectivity of bike lanes and trails that link Lincoln Avenue to the City of San Jose.

I am writing to you today, before your vote tomorrow at the City Council Meeting on 28 June 2016 (at San Jose City Hall) on Item 6.1: Lincoln Avenue Pilot Project Report.

Stakeholders SGV stands firm with the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet initiative and urges Mayor Liccardo and all the Councilmembers to support the recommendation that reads as follows: "Accept the Lincoln Avenue Pilot Project Report, and support the plan to pave and stripe Lincoln Avenue in the current pilot configuration, implement minor traffic signal improvements at the Minnesota/Lincoln intersection, and traffic calming improvements in adjacent neighborhoods.”

It's been over a year since the Road Diet Pilot Project has been implemented, including community meetings and feedback. In that time, mitigation and adjustments have been made to the road diet configuration.

We still ask that three bulb-outs (curb extensions) be placed at three corner locations: (1) Lincoln at Minnesota Avenues on the southwest corner; (2) Lincoln at Minnesota Avenues on the southeast corner from Willow Glen Elementary School; and (3) Lincoln at Broadway Avenues, close to River Glen School.

There's been denial, objection, and confusion by some residents; but, ultimately, there's mostly been support for the road diet. Over the last year, Lincoln Avenue has become a safer, greener and more livable place with fewer accidents. Just in the last two years, there are new and developing businesses on the main strip that keep downtown Willow Glen its dynamic and vital place for yet another generation.

Discussions have been prolonged. The road diet experiment has run its course as an initial plan since the year 2009, as well as that it has continued as a pilot program over the last year. It is now time to close this final chapter on the Lincoln Avenue road diet and move on with plans of Envision San José 2040.

The Lincoln Avenue corridor is foremost a school route, a proper designation that’s been established for over 150 years with the founding of Willow Glen Elementary School at Minnesota Avenue. That’s before Lincoln Avenue had even cut-through to the other side, and the business district had been expanded to Willow Street (circa the 1940s), and points beyond. Moreover, at Broadway Avenue, there is River Glen School. Before the current road diet, students and parents had indeed been victims of auto-related accidents (within the crosswalk area, at that).

Safe, green and livable routes for pedestrians and bicyclists must be a commitment by the City of San Jose in accordance with the National Safe Routes to School program, Vision Zero, and environmental and health initiatives. Stakeholders SGV is the primary neighborhood program sponsor and organizer in those regards, as was Willow Glen Neighborhood Association in several past years. We promote the Walk and Bike to school programs.

Vital links that connect the neighborhoods are made in the Lincoln Avenue road diet and bike lanes. Willow Glen, MidTown, and Downtown San Jose are now connected; but, beyond that, there’s the newer development and expansion happening at Tamien Station Area Plan/Transit Village; Communications Hill 2; Ohlone Towers; Fruitdale Station (final phase); Sobrato residential at Lincoln Avenue; between Parkmoor & Auzerais (final phase).

Growing populations outside the historic center will require a connection to downtown Willow Glen and Willow Street-Frank Bramhall Park. This makes the planning and vision for safe, livable and complete streets significantly momentous. Comprehensive development is happening right now in the nearby area around Lincoln and Auzerais Avenues, including West San Carlos Street, the Ohlone Towers project, and Del Monte Park area. The time to get serious about this is now, whereas fumbling the Lincoln Avenue road diet would be a serious setback for the city, as well as for its many stakeholders.

Santa Clara Valley bikeways, as programmed by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), recognizes Lincoln Avenue is a vital connector. It connects with Willow Street from the Los Gatos Creek Trail to Downtown Willow Glen and ultimately rides out to the Three Creeks Trail entrance. Aside from being a trail connector, it's by street bike lanes and sharrows that Lincoln Avenue has become a major arm that completes the routes from the areas of Meridian-Leigh Avenue (trails and bike lanes); Willow Street-Frank Bramhall Park and Glen Eyrie Drive (bike lanes and sharrows); and the developing area around the Lonus Street entrance to Three Creeks Trail.

Lincoln Avenue is understated as a historic district, requiring preservation, street calming and other major improvements. This starts from its original Downtown Willow Glen intersection at Minnesota (i.e., Willow Glen Elementary School; the Rossi Building; the old fire house at Vin Santo Restaurant; and the Willow Glen Library) to Lonus Street and the Parkmoor Avenue area where the United States registered landmark known as the Roberto-Sunol Adobe & ''Laura Ville" House is situated. Do realize that accidents have occurred here, as well as those cars jumped the curb and crashed the fence in front of this landmark. The city must take action and induce traffic calming here that will reduce urban blight.

Emergency routes on Lincoln Avenue (as well as Willow Street) significantly benefit from the road diet’s center turn lane. The neighborhood is currently seeing more urban development, population increases, and density; therefore, we need to ensure quick, accessible and unobstructed routes for fire apparatus, police patrolling and enforcement, plus emergency medical services (EMS). The road diet increases safety on the avenue itself, but it also improves emergency response times. Voters twice approved measures that called for building and funding Fire Departments like #37 on Lincoln Avenue, adjacent to the Willow Glen Community Center (nearby Curtner Avenue). It’s time to make good on these initiatives from Measure O (2002) and Measure L (2008), protecting our investment in the neighborhood.

Accommodating the growing and diverse share of bicyclists in the area with dedicated bike lanes is essential on Lincoln Avenue. Bicyclists already used the avenue, prior to the pilot program. But we need to comply with the standards of California’s new Three Feet for Safety Act. Willow Glen and San Jose must acknowledge and promote bicycling, not hinder it, or render it secondary, or tertiary. We require multi-modal transportation ways.

We must participate in programs that fund our community and allow it to repave and improve its streets, avenues, expressways and highways. We all know that San Jose, Santa Clara County, and California State are in dire need in such regards. San Jose has identified ten streets that have received a combination of city, state and federal funding, which pays for road diets/lane reductions. Funding for Park Avenue serves as a part of San Jose’s Primary Bikeway Network. The San Jose Department of Transportation has secured three grants. These three grants are from U.S. federal Community Design and Transportation; California state’s Bicycle Transportation Account; U.S. federal Highway Safety Improvement Program; as well as California state’s Environmental Services Department secured grants, which provide funding to install “green street treatments.”

Respectfully,

David Zappelli Chairperson,

Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village

C/c San Jose Planning, Building & Code Enforcement (Envision 2040); Councilmember Oliverio, (District 6); San Jose Department of Transportation (DOT); San Jose Police Department (SJPD); San Jose Fire Department (SJFD); Santa Clara County Emergency Medical Services (EMS); Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA); Willow Glen Business Association (WGBA); Willow Glen Neighborhood Association (WGNA); San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD); community bicycle coalitions, environmentalists, residents, and businesses.

SAN JOSE COUNCIL DISTRICT 6 DEBATE — MAY 5th, 7pm

Dwell Christian Church ★ 1292 Minnesota Avenue ★ Willow Glen.

Located at the corner of Hicks & Minnesota Avenues. Basement meeting room. Entrance from rear parking lot. Meet candidates 6:30 - 7 pm. Candidates forum 7-8:30 pm. Meet candidates 8:30 – 9 pm.

Kris Cunningham, Former President, Willow Glen Neighborhood Association will be the moderator.

All eight District 6 City Council Candidates have confirmed they will be participating. They include Peter Allen; Helen Chapman; Devora Davis; Erik Fong; Norm Kline; Ruben Navarro; Chris Roth; Myron Von Raesfeld.

Please send your candidate questions to sjd6nl@gmail.com by 5 pm Tuesday, May 3rd for the Thursday, May 5th Candidate Forum. There will be no submitted questions from the audience at this forum due to time limitations.

The submitted candidate forum questions will be available online for Willow Glen forum starting on Sunday evening at https://sanjoseneighborhoods.org

Candidate Forum format will be: a) 30 seconds - 8 opening statements, b) 45 seconds to answer - 7-8 long questions c) 3-5 Yes / No - short questions, if No - 10 seconds , d) 2 - 30 seconds challenge cards with 30 seconds response and e) 45 seconds - 8 closing statements.

We have 8 candidates we will have to limit the number of questions to do the forum in 90 minutes (7-8:30 pm ).

The debate forum is sponsored by District 6 Neighborhood Leaders (D6NL); UNSCC-United Neighborhoods of Santa Clara County; Stakeholders for a Safe Green Village.

NOTE, A SECOND DEBATE will occur as of 11 May 2016 at an alternate location in the Shasta-Hancett neighborhood, situated at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 7pm. Beth Willon, Senior Editor/Reporter for KQED's Silicon Valley Desk will be the moderator.