“Chorro Traffic Calming”
June 1994
 

To the Editor,

The recent City Council action to approve a major traffic calming program in the North Chorro neighborhood was presented in the Telegram Tribune as a major victory for the neighborhood in maintaining their quality of life. Left unsaid in the various newspaper articles was much of the background information and concerns I expressed during the public hearing. This letter is intended to clarify some of those points.

I presented traffic volume counts taken at four locations along North Chorro between 1985 and 1995. These show that traffic has decreased at every location at an over all average of 2%/yr, with todays average volume being 9217 vehicles/day. The critical speed (85% of vehicles are traveling this speed or slower) has reduced from 33.7 mph in the 1964-74 period to 32.8 mph in 1995.

Considering this type of information the staff and Planning Commission had recommended in 1994 that North Chorro be reclassified from an "Arterial" to a "Neighborhood Arterial," with desired traffic volume under 10,000 vpd and speed under 30 mph. Under pressure from the neighborhood, the Council changed the designation to "Residential Collector," with desired volume under 5000 vpd and speed under 25 mph. The figures are included in the Circulation Element of the General Plan. I voted against the change because I felt that both the 5000 vpd and the 25 mph speed were unrealistic and could not be obtained without severely distorting traffic movement in the Foothill area of the city.

Fueled with high expectations implied by the City Council action, the neighborhood worked hard over many months to present the comprehensive plan submitted to and approved by the Council. The neighborhood is certainly to be complimented for their diligent efforts. The plan calls for 16 road humps, 5 traffic circles and 3 stop signs in the neighborhood, with monitoring and perhaps other control on neighboring streets if necessary. Initial cost is $65,000.

All traffic control devices bring negative impacts, somewhat balancing the positive impacts they are intended to foster. Stop signs bring noise and air pollution (sometimes increased accidents), road humps bring noise, auto damage and slowed fire, ambulance and police response. The small traffic circles proposed on the narrow street, besides being somewhat of a hazard, will make it very difficult for garbage trucks, moving vans, delivery vehicles, or buses to service the area and will be most awkward for neighborhood residents wishing to tow a mobile home or boat. The shortened left turn pocket for northbound traffic at Lincoln will at times generate long lines of waiting traffic.

We don't really know whether this massive effort will create the desired volume and speed reductions, or on the other hand will create so much inconvenience for the North Chorro neighborhood that they'll wish for something else. My caution at the meeting was, "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it." The suggestion I made was to go slowly, trying as a first step to reduce the critical speed to 30 mph by installing stop signs on Chorro at Center and at Mission. This would cost a few hundred dollars.

Was it hard to vote against my many friends in the North Chorro neighborhood after they had spent so much time on the plan - particularly with an election coming up. You betcha. Councilmembers represent the whole city, not just an individual neighborhood. Due to limited notice, few of the greater Foothill area residents attended the meeting. Someone had to consider their unspoken concerns. It is my judgement, based on 40 years experience as a traffic engineer, that the "traffic calming" plan will generate many problems not fully considered. My no vote on the plan made it clear for the record that I was not against traffic calming in the North Chorro neighborhood, merely that I felt this plan was excessive.

Very truly yours,
Dave Romero
Councilman