Publication Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Council angers bicyclists
Council angers bicyclists
(September 29, 2004) Split vote leaves Homer without bike lane
by Bill D'Agostino
When hundreds of bicyclists exit the newly opened Homer Tunnel and head toward Palo Alto's downtown in November, they will have to turn and ride along Alma Street -- a thoroughfare known for its aggressive drivers who rarely obey the supposed 25 miles-per-hour speed limit.
On Monday night, the Palo Alto City Council -- against the advice of their bicycle and transportation advisors -- decided to leave Homer Avenue as is once the new underpass is completed. The one change approved by the council to help bicyclists maneuver Alma Street will be a new stoplight "phase" that will give cyclists 20 seconds to ride while all cars are stopped at the intersection.
Bicycle advocates, fearful of Alma Street, wanted the city to build a one-block bike lane to take them toward downtown without the treacherous turn. That bike lane, though, would have gone against automobile traffic on Homer Avenue -- a two-lane, one-way street.
Paul Goldstein, chair of the Palo Alto Bicycle Advisory Committee, simply shook his head as the council voted against adding the new bike lane. His wife, Councilwoman Dena Mossar, voted in favor of the lane.
"I think it's an irresponsible act for this body not to make sure bicyclists have a safe and protected travel route," Mossar said.
After the council rejected the $10,000 bike lane for Homer Avenue, Mossar asked for a new short bike lane to be added on Alma Street. That plea was also ignored.
Many of those riding through the $5.4 million tunnel will likely come from Palo Alto High School. Around 600 cyclists and 1,200 pedestrians are expected to use the tunnel every day.
The council's rejection of the bike lane also went against the advice of the city's Planning and Transportation Commission. The council's three most avid bicyclists -- Mossar, Councilwoman Yoriko Kishimoto and Councilman Jack Morton -- voted in favor of the new bike lane. (Councilwoman Hillary Freeman abstained.)
"Trying to use Alma to solve this problem borders on nuts," Morton said. He later added: "I cannot imagine a 16-year-old, or even a 60-year-old, on Alma when the light changes and the traffic goes and they're trying to pedal as fast as they can to either Forrest or Channing."
Because of the council's action, bicyclists wanting to ride south after heading downtown will have to turn right on Alma Street and then turn left against two lanes of oncoming traffic or, alternatively, ride two extra blocks (both with stoplights) out of their way.
The reason the city was stuck in the situation -- with no good options for bicyclists heading downtown -- was that it had failed to transform Homer and Channing avenues from one-way streets into two-way streets, as had been recommended in the past, Mossar argued. The council also killed a study of that plan, even though the planning commission recommended that as well.
Real Estate Developer Chop Keenan said that transforming Homer and Channing avenues would be bad for business for Whole Foods grocery store, also located on Homer Avenue.
Cheering the council's action was the owner of Ole's Car Shop, because the new bike lane would have taken away eight parking spots in front of his store. Ole Christensen said it would have been impossible for the car repair shop to get deliveries without the spots. Mayor Bern Beecham said he could not vote for the new bike lane because there was no solution to the Ole's dilemma.
"I think it's far better to lose eight downtown parking spaces than to lose one teenager," argued Audrey Alonis, the traffic safety representative for Palo Alto High School's PTA.
Vice Mayor Jim Burch said he hoped bicyclists using the tunnel would simply walk their bikes one block to High Street if they did not feel safe riding on Alma Street.
"Only car owners like to save a block; bicyclists like to ride," he said. But in the staff report, city officials admitted that many cyclists would simply disobey and ride illegally on the sidewalk or the wrong way on Homer Avenue.
One of the lessons of the divisive traffic calming debate in the Downtown North neighborhood was to choose the less-intrusive measure first, and then "build up" if need-be, Burch said, explaining his vote.
"Let's try it ... and see what happens," he said.
Staff Writer Bill D'Agostino can be e-mailed at bdagostino@paweekly.com
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