To: Mr. Yoshino, Director of Public Works, City of Santa Clara, 
To: Dave Pitton, City Traffic Engineer

Cc: Ms. Sparacino, City Manager, 
Cc: Mr. Rajeev Batra, PE, City Engineer

From: Akos Szoboszlay, President, Modern Transit Society
Date: 6/5/06

Subject: Need list of claimed "choke points" (if any claimed)

Dear Mr. Yoshino and Mr. Pitton:

This email provides detail to the very brief voice mail I left with Mr. Yoshino. 

Here is my transcript of the minutes of April 25, from my tape of the meeting, regarding the agenda item regarding repeal of the pedestrian prohibition:
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Kennedy made this motion:
"... that staff take pictures of [the] 10 areas of San Tomas or Lawrence where they feel is the most dangerous or a choke point ... and give some idea of what would have to be done to address that."

Mathews: Consider a limited resolution or [consider] a strategy to address these [safety concerns].

Kennedy: [accepted]
-----------

I would like to obtain a list of these locations, if any actually exist, so I can see them.

The most dangerous action is to force unnecessary expressway crossings, the case today, as the result of posting "pedestrians prohibited" signs. Other dangers of the "pedestrians prohibited" signs are crossing the many additional intersections and commercial driveways of the detour route. Staff has never taken these facts into consideration with either the 4-year fight to oppose bicyclists from using expressway shoulders or the current issue. 

Consideration of the above leads to these conclusions:
1) In no case, should there be "pedestrians prohibited" signs posted because that misleads car drivers not to watch out for pedestrians. Those in greatest danger are slow walkers and others crossing the expressway, according to accident statistics. 
2) Pedestrians should not be forced (by "pedestrians prohibited" signs) or directed (by guide signs) to cross the expressway if the side they desire to be on has either a "wide shoulder" (as shown on maps), sidewalk or path. All locations on San Tomas or Lawrence in Santa Clara have (or will have) these except the following:
(a) The east side (northbound) of the San Tomas bridge over Caltrain.
(b) The on-ramp (northbound) to Lawrence, just north of Stevens Creek Blvd. I have been requesting guide signs here for years. Here are photos of this:
http://moderntransit.org/expy/repeal.html#guide

The Master Plan mentions guide signs (the term "directional signage" is used in the San Tomas and Lawrence sections). 

The Master Plan supports use of "wide shoulders" and paths, and explicitly shows these on pedestrian maps. This Master Plan was endorsed by the City Council. Therefore, it is astounding that staff completely contradicted the Master Plan in their prior staff report, and omitted all mention of it. I hope staff will recommend full compliance with the Master Plan which is achieved by: 
1) Repeal of the prohibitory resolution.
2) Compliance with its shrubbery trimming, path creation requirements at "intersection areas".
3) Posting of guide signs as mentioned.
4) Opening the fence on San Tomas at El Camino (SW corner).
5) Removal of "pedestrians prohibited" signs.

Further improvements, while not contained in the Master Plan, can also be achieved. These include opening 4 more fences (as I show in the aerial map, previously distributed) and posting guide signs to these pleasant routes. 

Here are details and excerpts of the Master Plan:

http://moderntransit.org/expy/ped-element.html

Sincerely

Akos Szoboszlay,
President

Modern Transit Society
http://moderntransit.org            PO Box 5582, San Jose CA 95150            408-221-0694