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Consider sidewalk widening on El Camino
Editor:
The proposal to eliminate parking along El Camino to accommodate bike lanes is troubling, both for the loss of parking spaces in front of small businesses, and also for the unsafe conditions for bikers along such a busy road.
One possible solution to both problems might be something I have seen in cities in Germany, where many people routinely bike to work. The sidewalk is widened by narrowing the parking strip, and a designated bike lane runs right next to the pedestrian lane. This keeps the bicyclists separated from the vehicular traffic by the curb, and also doesn’t affect the parking along the street.
Shaila Sadrozinski
Churchill Avenue, Palo Alto
Don’t rule out bikes on El Camino
Editor:
There has been a lot of discussions recently about bicycle lanes on El Camino Real, with some people saying the bicycles shouldn’t be on that road. This ignores the obvious: you have to use El Camino Real to reach businesses and other destinations along it. In addition, sometimes El Camino Real can be the only viable road to use. As an example, once, before we had cell phones and Google maps, I went to a party in Tiburon, just north of the Golden Gate bridge. In the late afternoon, I decided to get there by bicycle, leaving around 4 PM: without any maps. I used El Camino to get to San Francisco, then headed west to the coast and followed that around until I reached the Golden Gate Bridge. An interesting experiment for anyone who thinks bicycles should not use El Camino Real is to try to reach the Golden Gate bridge by car without maps, without
GPS, and without using a freeway or El Camino Real.
While bicycle lanes on El Camino Real would make some people feel safer, these lanes do not prevent accidents caused by right-turning drivers cutting bicyclists off, and El Camino has a lot of driveways. Protected bicycle lanes can be a problem when bicyclists have to make a left turn — they can prevent one from crossing several lanes of traffic when there is a large gap in traffic. There is also a question of what to do for businesses that do not have sufficient off-street parking. Unfortunately it may not be possible to please everyone.
Bill Zaumen
Clara Drive, Palo Alto
No to a new gym on California Avenue
Editor:
The expansion of a gym on this California Ave corner that caters to a minority of the community is outrageous! I walk by the gym at least twice a week and see only one or two people there. Makes no sense. This is NOT the appropriate place for a gym which, in this case, damages the character of the neighborhood.
Suesan Taylor
Esplanada Way, Palo Alto
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