Sunday, April 11, 2010

Safe Routes to School

Incoming mail:



Western Dirt has created a severe traffic hazard during construction of the "safe route to school" in front of Paul Ecke Elementary. Union Street evidently is to be shifted northward by several feet, but they have encroached more than halfway into the southern (eastbound) lane before widening the northern (westbound) lane, creating a pinch point less than two SUVs or trucks wide. This is what we call a "break before make switch" in electronics -- "make before break," widening the westbound lane BEFORE choking off the eastbound, would have been much better for the community.



They have also failed to provide a safe alternate route for pedestrians, who are currently forced to share what is left of Union Street with bidirectional traffic. Western Dirt has also torn up the entire route and left things in disarray, with fences down, temporary bans on parking, etc. Why can't they finish a section and then move on to another, working a block at a time?

Other things our readers have found questionable:

1) Why not make the walking surface permeable? Why not use D.G. paths instead of concrete, which will put more water into our already overtaxed storm drain system?

2) Putting a sidewalk on the east side of Vulcan when there is one on the west side already will cause some issues. This is where dozen of parents cue up to pick up and drop off kids. Does this mean more parents will have to circulate or block traffic and create a dangerous mess now?

3) Another spot where cars line up is being removed, causing more cars out in the streets. This is the strip between the corner of Union & Vulcan and the entrance to the little lot off Vulcan. Why not put the sidewalk along the fence line up to the kindergarden classroom instead of along vulcan. This would put kids further from traffic and allow the cue to continue to stay out of the way of north bound traffic on Vulcan.4) Why isn't this work being done during the summer recess?

4) Why isn't this work being done during the summer recess?

11 comments:

  1. Because they are idiots running this city. Throw the bums out so the new council can change the city make up by firing the department heads who are resonsible for this mess.

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  2. I like the new walkways. It will be much safer for children walking to school. They need protection from all the ass hole commuters racing around with a cell phone hand with one hand blocking half their line of sight.

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  3. Why would Western Dirt be held responsible for design or scheduling? Do you think this company or the cement contractor designed the roads and walkways? Do you believe they dictated schedule? Silly man.

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  4. 818,

    Who is saying western dirt should be responsible?

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  5. 657,

    Is it sidewalks that make things safe or wide right of ways that don't make kids go near the path of traffic?

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  6. I wish that we were getting sidewalks along Santa Fe Dr east of the freeway. Be thankful that they are going in near Paul Ecke Elementary.

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  7. biped,

    I am thankful. That doesn't mean they didn't screw the pooch managing the project.

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  8. Photos would be helpful Kevin.

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  9. The emails didn't come with any photos. I don't know much about what is going on with this situation and I've been just a little busy. JP or I will post photos or a follow up if you send it to us.

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  10. When I went to Central School we didn't have sidewalks! We had to walk in the snow (ok, it was dirt), next to the train tracks, up hill, both ways, and we liked it that way! These young whippersnappers are gonna be spoiled.

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  11. Yeah. The kids now a days only get to be gang banged by priests and perverts. Spoiled yeah right! Watch that house on the corner of Vulcan and La Costa. A registered molester lives there.

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