ReaderWire ReaderWire (January 16, 2004)

Advice for the mayor

I just moved to Palo Alto from Mountain View in December 2003. In your Jan. 9 issue, you solicited advice for the new mayor of Palo Alto, Bern Beecham. So here goes some advice from a new citizen.

Mr. Mayor, your desire to help retailers in Palo Alto is right on target. Bill D'Agostino's article in the same Jan. 9 issue about the closing of the Nissan dealership on El Camino Real resurrected a memory for me relating to plight of local businesses.

In the mid 1990s, I came to Palo Alto and purchased some tires for my car from a shop on El Camino Real. On my next visit for regular maintenance, the technician informed me that the Palo Alto shop was closing. I asked why, and he told me that the laws and taxes in Palo Alto made it nearly impossible to run an automobile-related business in this city.

I like living in Palo Alto. I live in a beautiful neighborhood with nice people. Palo Alto has some wonderful restaurants. I doubt though that restaurants can create the tax revenue that this city needs to thrive.

Even before I moved to College Terrace, I was saddened to see that the neighborhood hardware store off of California Avenue closed, as has Printers Inc., the bookstore. The reality is that there are no dealerships that can service my car or motorcycle in Palo Alto.

Basic necessities such as groceries and gasoline are more expensive here. Sure, I can get chain-store cheesecake downtown, but the next time I need tires, I will probably be back in Mountain View.

Anything the mayor and City Council can do to help local businesses that provide day-to-day services thrive would be good for the city. Arne Hillesland Hanover Street, Palo Alto
Mr. Kott's conundrum

Joe Kott and his consultants propose converting most of the Charleston-Arastradero corridor from four lanes to three in a trial redesign.

My neighbor says, "If the city uses 12-inch sewer pipe, and you show me a new nine-inch pipe and say it will carry more sewage, I know that's wrong."

How can the engineers be right? They claim they've done extensive research and computer modeling. They've posted traffic studies on the Web on successful four-lane-to-three conversions in Florida, Washington, Iowa, etc.

Consultants claim the more efficient three lanes would be reinforced by new "smart" traffic signals and creative solutions to corridor hot spots like Gunn High School and Hoover School.

Who would pay for the new signals and hardscape? Joe Kott claims he can find grant money and that he has already funded the new traffic signals.

Why risk a six-month trial with removable barriers when it could fail?

The redesign would make the corridor safer for cyclists, neighbors and the roadway's seven schools.

Common sense tells me you can't push the same number of cars into fewer lanes. But common sense also rules out radio waves and neutrino particles. A traffic redesign has to rely on professional knowledge.

Hey, I'm from Missouri. Show me. Give the redesign a trial. Joan Marx La Para Avenue, Palo Alto
Defrost before driving

Ever get up in the morning to drive off to work and your car windows are fogged up with dew or frost? Sure, this happens all the time, especially in winter. It could mean the difference between having a good day and having a bad day.

Just the other day as I was riding my bicycle to work I watched a man get into his car and start it up. The windows were completely fogged up from condensation on the outside of his car. I approached on my bicycle and expected to see him get out of his car to wipe off the windows.

No siree. He just pulled out after quickly clearing the front window with his wiper blades. Off he went, leaving me stopped in the street to avoid being hit. Good thing I was paying attention.

How hard is it to wipe off the windows before you get into a multi-ton steel vessel and venture out into a community full of walkers and bicyclists of all ages? Not very hard. A lot easier then dealing with the injury or death of a bicyclist or pedestrian that you "didn't see." Take an extra moment -- it might save a life. Amanda Jones Palo Alto Avenue, Palo Alto
An intriguing issue

Many recent letters in the Palo Alto Weekly have discussed the issue of traffic barriers in Downtown North. I find the issue intriguing, since I rarely use the streets in question but do frequent University Avenue for shopping and eateries.

It seems quite simple to me. Everyone wants the streets they reside on to be safe for their children, their pets and themselves. It doesn't matter if you live in Downtown North or Rio de Janeiro.

But the use of motor vehicles, bicycles or other modes of transport are essential to everyone's financial well-being, not to mention a good way to visit family and friends. Yet the dissenting views regarding the Downtown North traffic barriers have caused a fervor in that area, leading to accusatory finger-pointing, harsh words and the dastardly crime of "sign stealing."

The residents of that area, with the help of the Palo Alto City Council, must find a way to reach an agreement that satisfies everyone. This is one instance where the solution has caused more problems than the original issue at hand. Cooperation, people -- it's what makes the world go round. Daniel Rand Park Boulevard, Palo Alto

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