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134 | riding on Fernside Boulevard after including the cycle track there and he felt Central Avenue will have the same outcome. Bernie Matthews, west end resident, gave a shout out to Jennifer Ott because she's a true professional. However, he felt there are many similar issues to Shore Line Drive where parts of the community, especially renters, feel the plan is ugly and inefficient. He felt Appazatto Way is a freight train coming down the track and the project is like my way or the highway. He said he has been a resident of the west end for 18 years and cycles often. He encouraged the Commission and staff to take a look at the traffic on Central Avenue because he does not trust the data. He also pointed out that the bike group must have partnered with this project, which felt like a conflict of interest. Kelly Jackson, Central Avenue and 8th Street resident, stated that she generally supports the project, but she has a problem with the plan along the Central Avenue and 8th Street segment. Last year, she wrote the City about the intersection and she was surprised with the relatively low number of reported accidents. She felt it was a step backward for this intersection and people will speed to jockey past each other to get ahead because there is a quick merge ahead of the intersection. She also felt this is an effort to compromise, but this is putting everyone at risk including residents and visitors. Julie Connor, Bay Street resident, said she understood the variety of interests and circumstances that come into play. Were it not for the road diet proposed at 4th and Sherman Streets, she would be in support and she felt the Commission should have more information about this intersection. She referred to slide 7 of the presentation and noted there were three injuries on Sherman Street within a 10 year span and one accident within the 10 year span. She said only Lincoln and Central are thoroughfares and to cross Central Avenue is already difficult. She brought up the survey data and noted that 25 percent of 4th and Sherman residents were not in favor. Also, she stated that the streets along San Antonio Avenue and Sherman Street will have unintended consequences of extra traffic. Bonnie Waimain, bike safety instructor, thanked staff for their work and explained that the benefits of bike riding connects to better health and reduces the need for parking spaces. She explained that more people would bike if they felt safe. She said the separated bike lane creates visibility and predictability for cyclists and motorists. Overall, she supported the plan. Scott Milston, Bay and San Antonio resident, said he is pro bike, pedestrian and kids on bikes, but he opposed the plan because he needs good data. When he read the literature he was disheartened by what he saw was one minute increases to traffic time and that memo did not support the statistic at all. He also explained that the memo readily admitted that no study was done on the spillover affects to the side streets. He pointed out that the majority of tonight's meeting was very pro and at the November meeting there were plenty of dissenters in the crowd. He felt it was the responsibility of the Commission and staff to think of the macro effects of the pro-growth initiative occurring within the island. Yet, the City is restricting one of the main arteries on the island. Rein Clostenter, Bay Street and Central resident, said he rides his bicycle to work daily to go to work and supports the road diet. He explained that his mother-in-law lives on Shore Line Drive Page 9 of 17 |