BikeWalkSolana Meeting (Zoom), February 7, 2022
The next meeting of BikeWalkSolana, the Solana Beach Active Transportation Committee, will be held on Monday February 7, 2022, 5pm on Zoom. For an invitation please email [email protected]
Agenda:
- Updates from the City
- Santa Helena Traffic Calming
- FY21-22 Community Grant Planning
- Scavenger Hunt
- Community Bike Ride
- Smart Cycling
- New Business
Meeting Notes by Jill Cooper
Those present at the February 7, 2022 Zoom meeting of BikeWalkSolana were Douglas Alden, Jill Cooper, Paul Dickstein, Shawna McGarry, Karl Rudnick, Kristine Schindler, and City Engineers Mo Sammak and Dan Goldberg.
Updates from the City
Mo reported on proposed traffic calming measures involving installation of traffic furniture (items installed on roads to control traffic, such as speed cushions) which will be discussed at the City Council meeting on February 9 (Item C.2). All projects must follow steps in a process described in Council Policy 25, summarized below:
- After members of a neighborhood ask for a speed cushion on a particular street, City Staff does an eligibility evaluation. The evaluation determines whether it would be safe and feasible, considering how a speed cushion might impact existing curb placements or emergency responder access, etc..
- If the proposed speed cushion meets the physical requirements, the City puts up a week-long speed survey, monitoring the speeds of cars.
- If the 85th percentile speed exceeds 25 mph by 3 mph, neighbors are asked to approve or disapprove of the proposed speed cushion.
- If 67% of the residents and 100% of those living adjacent to the proposed speed cushion approve, the City moves forward with the installation.
Speed cushions have been successfully installed, following this process, on the following streets:
- Glencrest Drive between Dell Street and Glencrest Place
- Highland Drive between San Lucas Drive and San Andres Drive
Two more sets of speed cushions have been approved and will soon be installed on South Cedros Avenue between Cofair and Marsolan Avenues as part of the City’s annual Pavement Rehabilitation Project.
The proposed traffic calming projects:
1.San Mario Drive between Santa Sabina and Santa Elena
San Mario has been evaluated and found to be eligible for one speed cushion between Santa Elena and Santa Sabina. Mo is working with the block captain to gather signatures. If the City obtains 67% approval and the full support of the two property owners on each side of the proposed cushion, construction will begin as part of the annual paving project that hopefully will be awarded by the City Council at the meeting of February 23.
2.South Sierra Avenue speed cushions, two locations between Border Avenue and Dahlia Drive.
Condo owners on South Sierra represented by COOSA (The Condominium Organizations of South Sierra Avenue) have requested the City’s help in reducing perceived high traffic speeds, asking for the installation of 2 traffic cushions. There are currently two electronic speed feedback signs in operation on the street, but the condo owners don’t believe that they’re effectively lowering speeds. The City owns the property on which City Hall is located, in addition to a total of four parking lots within the boundary of the community in which the speed cushions are proposed. City Staff will ask Council for guidance prior to circulating the petition for approval to South Sierra residents and business owners.
(At the February 9 City Council meeting, Council asked Staff to work with the condo owners as Council has no objections to the proposed speed cushions.)
Douglas Alden asked that sharrows be placed in the middle of both north and south bound lanes on South Sierra AND on South Cedros. Both of these streets have lanes too narrow to accommodate a car and a bicycle next to each other.
3. Santa Helena Drive speed choker, one location between Sun Valley Road and Santa Rosita
The City has worked to slow traffic speeds for at least 10 years, including the installation of a buffered bike lane on the uphill direction of the street and sharrow bike lanes on the downhill direction, narrowing the vehicle travel lanes, placement of electronic speed indicator signs, and additional enforcement by the Sheriff’s Traffic Deputy in the community. Some Santa Helena residents believe that traffic speeds continue to be too high, and the data indicates that they’re right. Since speed cushions on the curving street of Santa Helena do not meet Council Policy 25 criteria, Staff will ask Council for direction about the proposed temporary
Karl Rudnick has concerns about kids on ebikes colliding with the choker, then falling into the traffic lane. Instead of the choker, he concurs with Brian Seymour’s suggestion to use paint to narrow the roadway, crosshatching a 2 foot buffer to the left of parked cars. This would provide a safety barrier for cyclists in the door zone, and a (painted) narrower roadway would slow car traffic, but not emergency responders. We aren’t in favor of the flexposts; we worry that cars would clip them and that they’d detract from residents’ enjoyment of the attractive garden-like median.
(At the February 9 City Council meeting, Council decided against the proposed choker and flex posts. They directed Staff to instead paint a crosshatched 2 foot buffer next to the parking line which would narrow the traffic lane to 10 feet, consistent with east and westbound traffic lanes between Santa Rosita and Sun Valley.)
4. North Highway 101 Speed Limit Reduction, 40 MPH to 35 MPH
A new speed survey supports a 35 mph speed limit for the entire stretch of Highway 101 through Solana Beach. This is good news for the safety of all who use this roadway: motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians! We support the adoption of Resolution 2022-012 which determines that “upon the basis of the Engineering and Traffic Speed Survey, that North Highway 101, between Cliff Street and the northern city limit, the speed limit shall be 35 miles per hour, which is the most appropriate speed to facilitate the orderly movement of traffic and is reasonable and safe.”
(At the February 9 City Council meeting, Council adopted this resolution.)
Also from Mo:
The City Council voted to add $200,000 from the General Fund to the Pavement Restoration Project. The City Engineering Department is compiling a list of needed repair locations for their report to Council at the February 23 meeting. Please let Mo or Dan know about streets and areas that should be included.
From Dan: Safe Routes to Schools progress
The mobility assessments around local schools have been completed, as well as some interviews with students, school staff, families. Click here for the Solana Beach Safe Routes to School page on the City website.
Shawna will check to see if parents at Skyline are aware of the parent survey. Paul wants SRTS to reinforce proper etiquette and safety, such as not riding bikes on sidewalks near Earl Warren Middle School. One idea is for Bike Coalition-trained high school students to teach e-bike safety classes to middle school kids.
2021-2022 Community Grant Planning
Events and Dates
- Tour of Solana Beach Scavenger Hunt from May 1 – 31
- Tour of Solana Beach Community Ride on May 14
- Smart Cycling Class on May 8
- City Cycling Class on April 22
- E-bike Special on April 29
Please refer to Douglas’s 2021-2 BikeWalkSolana Community Grant spreadsheet sent on February 7, and add your name to anything that you can help with.
Tasks include:
- City permits
- Insurance for Community Ride
- Scavenger Hunt list
- Mission Federal Credit Union support
- In kind donations
- Scheduling instructors for classes
- Scheduling ride monitors
- Community outreach
- City Council presentation on April 27 for Bike Month recognition
- Donation collection
- Donation dissemination
- Final grant report
ALL 8 OF THE BIKE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY SIGNS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED!
Our next meeting will be on Monday, March 7, at 5:00 pm PST.