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Home My WebLink AboutCORRESPONDENCE - 75BOrozco, Norma From: Kristopher Fortin <kris@saascoalition.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2020 3:59 PM To: eComment Subject: Public Comment, 06/16/20 City Council Meeting: Item 75B PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET... Attachments: Public Comment, Item75b, Santa Ana Active Streets.pdf Hello, Please receive this public comment for the item 75B "PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) (NON - GENERAL FUND)" for 6/16/20 city council meeting, Thank you, SANtA ANA ACTIVE biRFE[b Kristopher Fortin Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets (657) 205-7306 -;, SANIA ANA A[IIYI STREM 06/16/2020 Kristopher Fortin, Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets 450 W 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: 75B.PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) (NON -GENERAL FUND) Dear Santa Ana City Council and Mayor, My name is Kristopher Fortin, and I'm writing this letter to oppose Item 75B Fairview Bridge Replacement and Street Improvements from 9th Street to 16th Street (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) as currently proposed. Santa Ana Active Streets Coalition (SAAS) is a coalition of residents and community partners that aim to cultivate diverse community participation in creating a safe and accessible environment for active transportation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana is at a pivotal moment for improving mobility. The City of Santa Ana has completed various strategic initiatives to make it safer for residents to walk, bike, and be mobile through multi -modal options and developed these ideas with ambitious community engagement. Concerning the Fairview Bridge Replacement and Street Improvements project, we appreciate the need to update the bridge as it is a safety hazard to all users, but we believe that the proposed design will continue to be unsafe for bicyclists. The proposed 'typical' cross-section lacks a physical barrier between cars and the proposed bike lane. As we have seen on Bristol Street, users will not feel nor will they be safe on a lane next to high-speed traffic. Instead, we believe they will rely on the pedestrian sidewalk. There are many options to improve this infrastructure project, but the following is what we would propose at minimum make it a safer and more accessible one for our community: 1. Creating a single raised 13 ft multi -use path 2. Adding a protective barrier between the bike lane and general-purpose lanes Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 W 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org SANIA ANA ALIIYI STUM Further improvements would include the reduction of lane widths to 10 feet in order to limit vehicle speeds and reduce the amount of land needed to be acquired for the project. This has been done on other City streets, including Bristol Street. Our proposal would only need 92ft of the roadway to complete. This would save the City in acquisition costs, materials, and construction costs. According to the city's own Surface Road maintenance study, the road repair budget is underfunded by nearly half a billion dollars. It is your responsibility to save the city from unnecessary long term liabilities. fill Nil 4Mwalk TO Pike lane Nh 1}rve W. r Une inveaee NI lliuebac Itrve bw I4rve Ww R lI - — ii�lewalk SAAS preferred street configuration on Fairview Street includes 10 ft general purpose lanes, 1 ft buffer between car and a bike lane, 13-ft multi -use path. Note: the image above shows a separation of cyclists and pedestrians, but we propose the mixing of those two modes. If the project must be 100ft wide due to other engineering factors, there are still more efficient ways to use the available road space to make the pedestrian and bicycle experience more pleasant such as in this model below. A slightly larger outside lane would be able to fit buses without any issues. _ ..... o�.e rune on.e ian= aroelane w_ O rn lane ..i on elai.e 0_ B lane sleexzlk I I SAAS alternative proposed street configuration on Fairview Street Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 W 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org SANIA ANA ACHM STEM As an organization, we are also against the demolition of homes for street widenings in the name of safety. Studies have shown that increasing street widths and speeding up vehicle speeds are the leading contributors to dangerous road conditions. According to the City's Safe Mobility Plan, arterial streets, which Fairview Street is defined as, constitute only 20% of our roadway network, but 60% of all pedestrian -involved collisions and 68% of the collisions involving people on bicycles occur on them. The City's own study also states that the number of lanes in an intersection is associated with an increase in the number of pedestrian and bicycle collisions. If this project is truly about increasing safety we should acknowledge that large intersections and wide streets are and continue to be dangerous for our communities, especially youth, the disabled, and the elderly. Regardless of the outcome of this letter and proposal, SAAS will continue to stay engaged in the Fairview Street project and future infrastructure improvements throughout Santa Ana. Again, we would like to thank the City, for being leaders in a safe active transportation movement in Santa Ana. We welcome a meeting to further discuss Complete Streets and alternative street designs to ensure the safety of all people. Sincerely, Kristopher Fortin Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 W 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org Orozco, Norma From: Kristopher Fortin <kris@saascoalition.org> Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2020 3:57 PM To: eComment Subject: Public Comment, 06/18/20 City Council Meeting: Item 75B PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET... Attachments: SAAS Letter - FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT (1).pdf Hello, Please receive this public comment for the item 75B 'PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) (NON -GENERAL FUND)" for 6/18/20 city council meeting. This letter is an updated version from one sent on 06/16/20, please disregard the 06/16 letter. Thank you, SANtA ANA ACTIVE MEETS Kristopher Fortin Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets (657) 205-7306 -;, SANIA ANA A[IIYI STREM 06/16/2020 Kristopher Fortin, Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets 450 W 4th St, Santa Ana, CA 92701 Re: 75B.PUBLIC HEARING - ADOPT A RESOLUTION FOR A MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM FOR THE FAIRVIEW BRIDGE REPLACEMENT AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS FROM 9TH STREET TO 16TH STREET (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) (NON -GENERAL FUND) Dear Santa Ana City Council and Mayor, My name is Kristopher Fortin, and I'm writing this letter to oppose Item 75B Fairview Bridge Replacement and Street Improvements from 9th Street to 16th Street (PROJECT NO. 15-6827) as currently proposed. Santa Ana Active Streets Coalition (SAAS) is a coalition of residents and community partners that aim to cultivate diverse community participation in creating a safe and accessible environment for active transportation in Santa Ana. Santa Ana is at a pivotal moment for improving mobility. The City of Santa Ana has completed various strategic initiatives to make it safer for residents to walk, bike, and be mobile through multi -modal options and developed these ideas with ambitious community engagement. Concerning the Resolution, we appreciate the need to update the Fairview bridge as it is a safety hazard to all users, but we believe that the proposed design will continue to be unsafe for bicyclists and pedestrians and is not consistent with the City's recently approved Active Transportation Plan. On page 106-107 of the Active Transportation Plan, the street type proposed shows four general-purpose lanes, a center turn lane, a 10-foot multiuse path on the west side of the street, and a 5-foot sidewalk and 5-foot greenway on the east side of the street. This would maintain the street at 82 ft, and that is even with maintaining most general-purpose lanes at 11 ft and one lane at 15 ft. In our initial letter we submitted to the council, we proposed a different street configuration, but what is proposed in the City approved active transportation plan is even better. What is proposed in today's agenda would widen the road to 100 ft and cause the acquisition and demolition of one residential and commercial property. And as we have seen on Bristol Street, users will not feel, nor will they be safe on a lane next to high-speed traffic. Instead, we believe they will rely on the sidewalk. Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 W 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org Potential Street Configuration Center turn Lane Drought -tolerant trees to shade sidewaLk MuLd-use path -;, SANIA ANA ACIIYI STRIEIS Adequate street lighting SidewaLkwith parkway Potential Class I multi -use path along North Fairview Street Image: City of Santa Ana Active Transportation Plan CHAPTERS //PRIORITY PROJECTS Street Constraint Locations Pedestrian Crossing at Warner Avenue N Fairview Street experiences high vehicular speeds SANTAANA ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN 107 To propose an even better street, we would include the reduction of lane widths to 10 feet in order to limit vehicle speeds and reduce further need to acquire land for the project. 10 ft lanes have been done on other City streets, including on Bristol. SAAS, multiple community -based organizations and many Santa Ana residents were involved in the development of the Active Transportation Plan and applaud the creative path the city took in working with CBOs in developing this plan from 2018-2019 and to the city council for approving this plan. But what is proposed today ignores the community voices that have already said what they want on Fairview. Instead of coming back to this street after it is dramatically changed, we Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 w 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org SANIA ANA A{IM STEM can design the street as proposed in the active transportation plan, again that the city approved, with better infrastructure for cyclists, skaters, folks of all ages and diminish the long term impact on that roadway. I understand today's proposed project would adhere to OCTA's Master Plan of Arterial Highways, but no mention of the City's Active Transportation Plan is mentioned in the City staff report. When City Council voted for the Active Transportation Plan, it was incorporated into the City's Circulation Element, which we understand has not been fully updated. So the questions rests on whether the City chooses a project that adheres to an outdated general plan or our future general plan and circulation element we hope to be updated in the next year or so. We believe the most recent ideas put forward take precedence, and we support the Fairview project included in the Active Transportation Plan, not what is included in this agenda item today. If this item moves forward, studies have shown that increasing street widths and speeding up vehicle speeds are the leading contributors to dangerous road conditions. According to the City's Safe Mobility Plan, arterial streets, which Fairview Street is defined as, constitute only 20% of our roadway network, but 60% of all pedestrian -involved collisions and 68% of the collisions involving people on bicycles occur on them. The City's own study also states that the number of lanes in an intersection is associated with an increase in the number of pedestrian and bicycle collisions. If this project is truly about increasing safety we should acknowledge that large intersections and wide streets are and continue to be dangerous for our communities, especially youth, the disabled, and the elderly and we should create designs that put safety in a complete way, forward. And according to city documents like the active transportation plan, they have already been designed, and we hope they have just been overlooked. I ask the council to direct city staff to adopt what is in the active transportation plan and adhere to what is proposed in that document. We would like to thank the City, for being leaders in a safe active transportation movement in Santa Ana. We welcome a meeting to further discuss Complete Streets and alternative street designs to ensure the safety of all people. Sincerely, ;1z" Kristopher Fortin Project Director Santa Ana Active Streets 1450 W 4th St, I Santa Ana, CA 92701 I Tel. (657) 205-7306 1 www.saascoalition.ora I info@saascoalition.org