CCMIN083005 - Laserfiche WebLink

Brad Hirst, 2456 Minivert Court, congratulated staff on finally getting definitions for cut-through traffic. However it sounded like people coming from Livermore to Valley Care Hospital would be labeled cut-through or Dublin residents coming to downtown Pleasanton to dine. He questioned if that was really what staff wanted to do and whether it was productive. He believed the most productive thing to address and what most people are really concerned about was the regional issue. But instead of talking about funding, he believed Highway 84, 1-580 and 1-680 should be toll roads and improvements could then be funded in short order. If everyone paid a quarter whenever they drove over the Altamont or the Dublin Pass or Sunol Pass, it would not take long to raise the necessary funds. He wanted people to expand their thinking. He was concerned about congestion downtown and without more ways to get traffic in, out and around, it will be strangled. It is a one street downtown that is pedestrian friendly. He urged Pleasanton to acquire the old railroad right of way to create parking and a through lane to reduce traffic on First Street. He supported extension of Stoneridge Drive for many reasons: 1) it is planned; 2) none of those homes would exist if it had not been built; 3) there are only two driveways on Stone ridge Drive east of Nielson Park and neither of them are residential. If there is concern about cut-through traffic from 1-680, consider that there are nine traffic signals and felt that would discourage cut-through. He agreed that is a "chip" that should not be given away. Senior housing is being considered on that property outside the city as well as car dealerships. Those residents could not get to a hospital in Pleasanton and Pleasanton residents could not visit relatives in the senior housing or get to the car dealerships without getting on 1-580. He urged leaving Stoneridge Drive in the General Plan. Kurt Kummer, 4456 Clovewood Lane, said he became involved in city government because he wanted to eliminate the West Las Positas interchange from the General Plan and he is still working toward that goal. Quality of life is something to be considered and part of that is being pedestrian friendly. On Appendix A, page 2, regarding intersection changes, he noted the removal of crosswalks at many locations. That is not being pedestrian friendly. Eliminating the possibility of walking, riding bikes, or pushing strollers is not a friendly thing to do. Roger Harris, 4842 Cobbler Court, said he was on the Traffic Committee for the 1996 General Plan. For 21 years he has not understood the discussion on the West Las Positas interchange and the Stoneridge Drive extension. The reality is that traffic in any community is complex but he felt the staff's job is to make the flow as easy as possible for everyone in the community. The traffic engineers know how to do that best. He supported keeping the West Las Positas interchange and Stoneridge Drive extension in the General Plan because that improves traffic flow in the city and regionally. If they are taken out of the plan he asked people to think about where the traffic would really be going. As traffic congestion continues to increase without other interchanges, it merely forces traffic into other neighborhoods in the city. Traffic patterns should be as efficient as possible for everyone in the community. If someone lived on the east or west side of 1-680 they would have to go through someone else's neighborhood in order to get to their homes because there is no convenient way to get off the freeway. Nancy Krakauer (sp?), 1969 Palmer Drive, opposed the Stoneridge Drive extension and did not think it was the final bargaining chip. Cars will go to whatever road is opened and she did not think it would take any traffic of the freeway. It would just clog up her neighborhood. She also opposed the West Las Positas interchange. Joint Workshop City Council/Planning Commission 11 08/30/05