CCMIN110795 - Laserfiche WebLink

Linda Adams, 159 Ray Street, commented she had some alternative recommendations based on the following assumptions: 1) the City wants to encourage business in the downtown area; 2) the City wants to preserve the neighborhood in the downtown area; and 3) the City wants to be riseally responsible. Based on that, one alternative is to remove the left turn pocket from Main Street to Ray Street and have Ray Street restriped. That would allow for two lanes 17.5 feet wide. Or, remove the bulb-out from the Coffee Roast corner on Main and Ray Streets. Leave the street as is and allow trucks the same access they have been using for ten years. She urged Council to consider this issue and not widen Ray Street. She also complained of speeding problems on Ray Street and asked for more police enforcement. Ed Churka, 722 Main Street, felt the staff report neglects the pedestrian issue. All the studies that have been done have shown that vehicular traffic should travel at a slower speed on Main Street which will create an awareness of entering a special area; encourage pedestrians and maximizes visibility of the downtown businesses. The issue began when Chevron vacated the Ray Street site and the traffic lanes were stated to be nine feet versus actually being eleven to thirteen feet wide. The City is going to move the PG&E pole for $25,000 to another eight foot easement on this lot. In previous staff reports it is mentioned that all new developments must put electrical services underground. He measured various streets in the area and the combined street widths are approximately thirty-four feet. If the City wanted to solve the truck and traffic problem, the City should remove the bulb-out and make the speed limit 45 mph on Ray Street. Gary Schwagerle, 189 West Angela Street, stated that the Downtown Task Force Committee recommended taking out the St. John/Ray Street alignment entirely. He had recommended a few years ago the City buy all the Main Street lots. The Council needed support from the neighbors on Del Valle Parkway to get some sort of alignment to tie over through the 76 station lot that would tie into Stanley which is wider and could accommodate more traffic. If the City wants to offer a land swap, the City still owns a lot on Vervais. If the City had wanted that land, it should have bought it when it was available. Curtis Hall, 397 Ray Street, stated he crosses Ray Street several times a day. He felt cars making left turns from Main to Ray Street is dangerous and he has had to move quickly to get out of the way. Ray Street is a heavy traffic route and even though the speed is posted at 25 mph, it is seldom observed. If Council receives the $25,000 payment, it should be used to install a cop there. Mr. Pico asked staff if there are any statistics regarding traffic incidents with single unit trucks at that intersection in the last year or two. Mr. Lum replied there were no incidents that he was aware of. Mr. Van Gelder indicated that he was not aware of any traffic incidents at that comer. He has seen trucks run over the curb but those are not recorded. The main concern of staff is when people stand on the comer and the trucks make the turn. He did not feel it was the type of pedestrian environment that the City wanted to have downtown. 11/07/95 - 10-