Fwd: [HEAR US] Evergreen Walk Report

From: Charlessands 

Date: December 15, 2010 2:34:50 PM PST

To: hanne

Subject: Re: [HEAR US] Evergreen Walk Report

FYI

 

Read Hanne Barnes below email and then the below reply. 

 

Attached is two week independent traffic/walker/biker survey taken made in Sept. 2010.  It disproves MHS' claim about the number of its MHS walkers used to justify a 5'-0" wide sidewalk. A 4'-0" wide sidewalk exactly the same 4'-0" wide City of Mill Valley's Sycamore neighbourhood's sidewalks are that serve Park and Mill Valley Middle Sch

 

And shows that 33% of the total morning traffic are MHS vehicles and 51% of the total afternoon traffic are vehicles.

MHS vehicles have as significantly negative impact on Evergreen Ave.'s traffic that was deceptively concealed by MHS' Environmental Initial Study used to gain Board of Supervisors approval of imposing MHS on Homestead Valley. As the MHS' Environmental Initial Study conveniently omitted to evaluate MHS' negative traffic impact on Evergreen Ave.' vehicular and pedestrian traffic. If it had revealed the MHS' negative traffic impact on Evergreen Ave.' vehicular and pedestrian traffic and had proposed that the County build a sidewalk and reduce Evergreen Ave.'s existing travel width the Board of Supervisors most likely would not have approved MHS' expansion.  "What goes around comes around"

 

 

Charles

-----Original Message-----
From: Hannelore Barnes 
To: Keith Garriott <saveevergreenave@gmail.com>
Cc: hearus <hearus@googlegroups.com>; hv94941; charlessands 
Sent: Wed, Dec 15, 2010 1:03 pm
Subject: Re: [HEAR US] Evergreen Walk Report

Sorry, I meant Scott and Melrose.  The school's address is Montford so I always  confuse Montford and Melrose.  My intention is to make a report to add to the other reports, not stir a debate.  Cheers, Hanne   On Dec 15, 2010, at 12:34 PM, Keith Garriott wrote:  > Hi Hanne, >  > I just read your morning report for Evergreen Avenue traffic and > pedestrian interactions. >  > I was a bit confussed about your where abouts on Evergreen Ave between > Scott and Montford....do you mean Scott and Hawthorne? >  > If so, then with parked cars on the road at that section of the roadway > measures approximately 22 feet in width, the same as the desired > traffic calming senerio proposed to be planned for the entire length > of the street in the DPW current plans to build a 5 foot wide sidewalk > on the south side of Evergreen Avenue. >  > I noticed in your experience with two cars passing and then the Prius > coming toward > you quickly as a car approached from behind while you were between > Scott and Montford (Hawthorne?), you have found that the most > dangerous time for pedestrians on Evergreen is when two cars are > passing next to them as the drivers seem more focussed on clearing > each other than clearing a pedestrian. >  > Well Hanne, what if you were a MHS student or anyone else bicycling up > the street in that same senerio? >  > You stated the Prius suddenly stopped completely as did the oncoming > car as they realized there was not room for all of you at that exact > spot.  The Prius then continued on slowly and the oncoming car waited > for it to pass. >  > Had all as described not been on the street, both cars would have been > able to pass each other without any problems.  Had you not extend your > arm, you may have been clipped by the Prius at 20-25 mph. >  > This would be the same case for bicycle handlebars extending into the > right-of-way of the proposed narrowed road for traffic calming effects > and the proposed narrowed road to accommodate the addition of the new > 5 foot sidewalk. >  > Now I agree with your statement of...If you had been on a sidewalk, > with a parked car or not next to you when these cars passed, there > would have been no need to "defend" your space as a pedestrian. >  > Hanne, the current DPW plans call for a 5 foot wide sidewalk on the > southside of Evergreen Avenue with on street parking and two 11 foot > travel lanes for vehicles. >  > Where's the room to safely bicycle and wheelchair access for people > who need it on the north side? >  > Imagine your experience at Scott taking place in the blind curve > section between Linden Lane and Ethel Ave! >  > I think I can speak for all of the residents on Evergreen Ave and in > Homestead when I say, "We want everybody who travels Evergreen Avenue > to have the safest route possible no matter if you're: walking, > running, bicycling, in wheelchair, a car, truck, SUV, emergency > response vehicle, delivery truck, unicycle, RV, tractor trailor, > mobile home, etc,..." >  > Sincerly, >  > Keith Garriott >  > aka: (The Local S. Disturber) >  >  >  > On 12/15/10, Hannelore Barnes <hanne@hannebarnes.com> wrote: >> Since this is a neighborhood forum, I thought I would contribute my >> perspective as an HV resident, Evergreen walker, and MHS parent.  My >> intention is to provide a periodic report of walking the street with my >> daughters and/or dogs. >>  >> I appreciate the earlier head counts of pedestrians on Evergreen in the >> morning but think things may have been a bit skewed given that one day was >> the week of Thanksgiving and the other was a very rainy day.  Those counts >> were certainly not in line with my own experience of walking to school in >> the morning, thus my own report. >>  >> Please keep in mind that I have young children who start at MHS at 9am, long >> after kids are heading out of the valley to go to school as well as most of >> the children heading to MHS.  If anyone cares to provide a report for the >> morning school "rush hour," I would welcome it.   I also want to note that I >> do notice whether the cars are MHS or not as I feel the parents get an >> unjust bad rap in the neighborhood.  It seems that any car driving down >> Evergreen, especially an expensive one, is assumed to be MHS and that is >> just not the case, there are many people who live in the Valley using >> Evergreen to get out of Homestead as it is the widest and fastest way to >> Miller.  And many of these people have expensive cars too. >>  >> I begin my walk at Linden Lane (where I have lived for over five years) >> between 8:45 and 9am and walk up to MHS with my 4 year old so I only see >> half of Evergreen most mornings. >>  >> 12/15/10 8:45am Report: >>  >> On our way to MHS, we passed two people heading out of the Valley, one with >> a dog and one with a stroller, no bicyclists (probably given the weather). >> Given that it was a borderline rainy day, this is pretty typical.  On sunny >> days we usually pass a lot more people with dogs and strollers and a couple >> of bikes. >>  >> The car experience was pretty typical I regret to report.  Most cars drove >> the speed limit which seems fast but I know is actually 20-25 mph.  Four MHS >> parents drove by me and six vehicles that were not MHS, ten cars total. Two >> of the vehicles drove in a way that illustrates for me exactly why a >> protected and dedicated pedestrian path is needed. >>  >> The first was a large four door silver pick up truck that passed us at 20-25 >> mph with an enormous side mirror less than a foot from my head even though >> there was no oncoming traffic close to the intersection of Scott and >> Evergreen.  I was surprised and frightened that the driver chose to drive so >> close to us, particularly my head, when there was ample room on the street >> for him to give us more buffer.  We happened to be walking next to a parked >> car in the so I was further into the street than I would be if there were no >> cars parked.   Walking on the strip on that block is just not an option >> given the uneven terrain and multiple surfaces/landscaping. >>  >> Two more cars passed and then a blue Prius came toward us quickly as a car >> approached from behind while we were between Scott and Montford.  I have >> found that the most dangerous time for pedestrians on Evergreen is when two >> cars are passing next to them as the drivers seem more focussed on clearing >> each other than clearing a pedestrian. >>  >> I extended my arm out from my body to give my daughter and I an "arm's >> reach" of buffer space which I find helps to slow cars down and notice us. >> The Prius suddenly stopped completely as did the oncoming car as they >> realized there was not room for all of us at that exact spot.  The Prius >> then continued on slowly and the oncoming car waited for it to pass, then >> proceeded towards Montford.  Neither car was MHS staff or parent. >>  >> Had we not been on the street, both cars would have been able to pass each >> other without any problems.  Had I not extend my arm, I would have been >> clipped by the Prius at 20-25 mph.  If we had been on a sidewalk, with a >> parked car or not next to us when these cars passed, there would have been >> no need to "defend" my space as a pedestrian. >>  >> The walk back to Linden at 9:45 am was uneventful, there were 3 people >> walking dogs heading out of the valley and two cars heading into the valley >> and one car heading out. >>  >> Hanne Barnes >>  >>  >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "HEAR US " group. >> To post to this group, send email to hearus@googlegroups.com >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> hearus+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/hearus?hl=en >> HEAR US is a community service sponsored by http://www.avehicleforchange.org >>  >  > --  > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "HEAR US " group. > To post to this group, send email to hearus@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > hearus+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/hearus?hl=en > HEAR US is a community service sponsored by http://www.avehicleforchange.org