Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives
c/o Hal Bohner, 115 Angelita Avenue • Pacifica, CA 94044phone 650-359-4257, hbohner@earthlink.net,
Via Email June 11, 2013
Mayor Len Stone LenStonePacifica@gmail.com
Mayor Pro Tem Mary Ann Nihart nihartm@ci.pacifica.ca.us
Councilmember Sue Digre digres@ci.pacifica.ca.us
Councilmember Karen Ervin ErvinK@ci.pacifica.ca.us
Councilmember Mike O'Neill O'Neillm@ci.pacifica.ca.us
Re: The proposed Calera Parkway project
Dear Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and Council Members:
Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives (PH1A) is an organization of Pacifica residents who are concerned about Caltrans' proposed plan to widen Highway 1. As you know, many parents drive their children to school in the morning and this is amajor contributor to traffic congestion. PH1A sent a letter dated May 4, 2013 to the Pacifica School District (PSD) explaining a number of things the District could do to reduce traffic congestion on Highway 1, and we are attaching a copy of that letter. (Letter from PH1A to the School District - May 4, 2013.pdf) The District responded to our letter with a letter dated May 8, 2013 (Letter from Pacifica School District to PH1A May 8, 2013.pdf) in which the District stated that they are working to implement the actions requested in our letter.
Caltrans is expected to finalize the Environmental Impact Report for the project soon and at that time you will consider whether to request funding for the project from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. It is clear that the actions which the Pacifica School District plans to take have the potential to significantly reduce congestion on Highway 1. Therefore we are asking that you 1) urge Caltrans to hold off on releasing the Final EIR until the PSD implements their actions and the results are known, and 2) not hold hearings or study sessions or agendize discussion of the FEIR until after the PSD has completed its projects and their effects on traffic congestion have been fully evaluated.
We sent a letter to Caltrans dated May 28 urging Caltrans to delay any further work on the Calera Parkway project for the same reason. A copy of the letter is attached (letter to Bijan Sartipi - with attachments.pdf).
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Hal Bohner
Attachments: letter to Bijan Sartipi - with attachments.pdf, Letter from PH1A to the School District - May 4, 2013.pdf, Letter from Pacifica School District to PH1A May 8, 2013.pdf
--------
Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives
c/o Hal Bohner, 115 Angelita Avenue • Pacifica, CA 94044, phone 650-359-4257, hbohner@earthlink.net
Via Email May 28, 2013
Mr. Bijan Sartipi, District Director, California Department of Transportation District 4, Bijan.Sartipi@dot.ca.gov
Re: Caltrans’ Proposed Calera Parkway / Highway 1 Widening Project in Pacifica
Dear Mr. Sartipi:
Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives (PH1A) is an organization of Pacifica residents who are concerned about Caltrans' proposed plan to widen Highway 1 for the purpose of reducing traffic congestion. We are writing to you concerning Caltrans' proposed project, which is the subject of a document titled Draft Environmental Impact Report / Environmental Assessment for State Route 1 / Calera Parkway / Highway 1 Widening Project San Mateo County, California 04-SM- 1 / PM 41.7/43.0 / EA 04-254600.
It is well known by Pacifica residents that many parents drive their children to school in the morning and that this is a major contributor to traffic congestion. PH1A sent a letter dated May 4, 2013 to the Pacifica School District (PSD) explaining a number of things the District could do to reduce traffic congestion on Highway 1, and we are attaching a copy of that letter. (Letter from PH1A to the School District - May 4, 2013.pdf) The District responded to our letter with a letter dated May 8, 2013 (Letter from Pacifica School District to PH1A May 8, 2013.pdf) in which the District stated that they are working to implement the actions requested in our letter.
It is clear that the actions which the Pacifica School District plans to take have the potential to significantly reduce congestion on Highway 1. Accordingly, we urge Caltrans to delay any further work on the Calera Parkway project until after the PSD has completed its projects and their effects on traffic congestion have been fully evaluated.
We look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Hal Bohner
Copy: Marc Hershman, District Director, Office of Senator Jerry Hill
Attachments: Letter from PH1A to the School District - May 4, 2013.pdf, Letter from Pacifica School District to PH1A May 8, 2013.pdf
-------
Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives
c/o Hal Bohner, 1 1 5 A n g e l i t a A v e n u e • P a c i f i c a , C A 9 4 0 4 4, phone 650-359-4257, hbohner@earthlink.net
Sent by email May 4, 2013
Board of Trustees of the Pacifica School District
Richard Faust, President rfaust@pacificasd.org
Joan Weideman, Vice-President joanweideman@yahoo.com
Andrea Gould, Clerk agould@pacificasd.org
Matthew Levie, Vice Clerk mlevie@pacificasd.org
Eric Ruchames, Member eruchames@pacificasd.org
Wendy Tukloff, Superintendent wtukloff@pacificasd.org
Re: Highway 1 in Pacifica
Dear Trustees and Ms. Tukloff:
PH1A is an organization of Pacifica residents who are concerned about Caltrans' proposed plan to widen Highway 1. As you may know the Caltrans project would widen the Highway to over twice its present width and would significantly widen the intersections at Reina del Mar and Fassler Avenues. The construction would last for years. The negative impact on all Pacificans is apparent. Many parents drive their kids to school each morning and their commute would be made much longer throughout the construction period. The intersection at Reina del Mar Avenue and Highway 1 would be a mess which would be disruptive for all commuters in Pacifica and especially for parents who drive their kids to Vallemar School. After completion, the project would leave the Reina del Mar intersection significantly wider than it is now, which means a hazard for pedestrians, particularly children who cross there on their way to and from school.
We are writing to you to request that the Pacifica School District consider the opportunities it has to mitigate the traffic congestion and eliminate the need for Caltrans to engage in its massive construction project. Even more importantly the District could reduce traffic congestion in the near future as compared to the Caltrans project which might not even begin for years.
It is apparent that the District could take a number of actions to significantly reduce traffic congestion on Highway 1. In 2010 Caltrans held public meetings in Pacifica to discuss its proposed widening project and during those meetings Pacifica residents noted that traffic congestion on Highway 1 during the AM commute period is far worse when school is in session as compared to when school is not in session.
The District has hired traffic consultants, Alta Planning, as part of the Safe Routes to School program, and Alta Planning has produced a report dated June 2012 ( for your reference we have attached the report - Pacifica SR2S Summary Report 2012-06-08 smaller file size.pdf) We have studied the Alta Planning Report and find much in it which supports this conclusion, as we will explain below.
We are suggesting both District-wide changes and changes affecting only Vallemar School.
1. District-Wide Actions
Specifically, concerning District-wide actions, 1) the District could alter the starting times of some or all schools in the District so the starting times do not coincide with peak commute time; 2) The District could improve its Internet-based program which facilitates carpooling by parents; 3) the District could implement a school bus program.
1.1 Alter starting times
Data in the Alta Planning Report strongly suggests that altering the starting times of the schools would significantly reduce traffic congestion. The Report indicates Pacifica schools have open enrollment so that regardless of where a student lives he or she can enroll in a school anywhere in Pacifica. According to our calculations, based on information in the report there are over 3000 students in the district. Depending on the school between 55% and 78% are driven to school, and 34% are driven more than two miles each day. Per week children are driven to school at total of 1730 miles. Most of the schools in Pacifica begin between 8:19 and 8:30 AM which coincides with at the peak commute time. (See our Table 1, attached.)
1.2 Car pooling
We understand that the District has an Internet-based car pool program called SchoolPool matching.
https://www.schoolpool.511.org/?client=pacificasd This program would seem to have the potential to improve school-related traffic significantly. However, it does not appear to be effective since the Alta Planning Report indicates that for all Pacifica schools only a small percentage of children participate in carpools. For example, the Report indicates that for Vallemar School 59% of the students are driven to
school while only 6% participate in carpools. (pg 7-5, pg 81 of 192) In our experience the SchoolPool matching program is not encouraged or widely publicized and most parents are not aware of it.
1.3 School Buses
Providing school buses would reduce traffic congestion for the same reasons as would car pooling as explained above. Of course, none of the schools in Pacifica have buses, although in the past school buses were used in Pacifica.
2. Vallemar School only
The Alta Planning report notes that Vallemar School is located on Reina del Mar Avenue, two blocks
from the intersection of Reina del Mar Avenue with Highway 1. The Report states: A significant challenge for walking and bicycling to Vallemar Elementary Schoolis that it is not a neighborhood school and students enroll from all over Pacifica. Pacifica’s neighborhoods are isolated from one another by steep hills andOnly a small percentage of students live in the surrounding neighborhood, and Highway 1. (pg 7-1, pg 77 of 192)
The report goes on to note that in the AM 75% of students are driven to school. (pg 7-1, pg 77 of 192) Although not noted in the report it is well known that the beginning of school in the morning coincides with peak commuter traffic. Some of our members live near the school, and it is obvious that the traffic to and from the school is a major contributor to congestion at the intersection of Reina del Mar Avenue and Highway 1.
How can the District improve traffic on Highway 1? We will offer a number of suggestions; the first is simple - start the school either earlier or later, at a time which does not directly coincide with peak commuter traffic. The second suggestion is more complex and we call it a "walking school bus" solution. The third is to provide places parents can park near the school and then walk with their child to school.
2.1 Altered School Start Time
There are 560 students enrolled at the school, and school begins at 8:19 AM for grades 4-8. The Alta
Planning Report (pg 7-1, pg 77 of 192) indicates that 75% of the students are driven to school and most live a mile or more from school. Alta Planning Report (pg 7-2, pg 78 of 192 and pg 7-5, pg 81 of 192) All cars driving to the school must pass through the intersection of Reina del Mar and Highway 1.
2.2 Walking School Bus
The concept of a walking school bus is recommended on page 7-11 of the Alta Planning report (in the section titled "Cabrillo Highway Intersection"), which states, "There is a small parking lot that serves local businesses such as the Vallemar Bar and Grill and P-town coffee. Some parents discussed the possibility of using this area as an additional parking location. Adjacent to the bus stop, it might also provide a starting point for a walking school bus." (pg 7-9, pg 85 of 192) To clarify, by a "walking school bus" we understand the report to mean that a place is established where parents can park to drop off their kids and the kids can gather in a group ( a "bus") and then walk together to the school under adult supervision. (We are attaching a drawing marked up to show what we believe to be the intended parking lot.)
How would the walking school bus system improve traffic on Highway 1? We believe that during the AM commute many parents drive north toward San Francisco, and presently they need to turn right onto Reina del Mar Avenue, drive two blocks to drop off their kids and then return to the intersection and get back on Highway 1 and head north. These maneuvers require that the traffic signal give a green light to traffic traveling east and west on Reina del Mar which of course requires longer red lights for northbound traffic on Highway 1. However, the parking lot could be altered to provide entry from and exit to Highway 1 directly. Then parents could easily enter the lot from Highway 1, drop their kids off and return to Highway 1 - all without going right onto Reina del Mar Avenue and then having to get back onto Highway 1. (Unfortunately, if Caltrans widens the highway as proposed, the effect on the parking lot is not clear; however it appears that the parking lot would be significantly reduced in size or perhaps eliminated.)
A modification of this idea could be to locate the walking school bus drop off location at the Pacifica Police Station which is immediately north of the Reina del Mar intersection, and this might result in an even better traffic pattern at the Reina del Mar intersection. Moreover, there is presently a driveway adjacent the Police Station leading to Vallemar School where the "school bus" could travel. (See the attached drawing.) A similar walking school bus could be provided for parents who live north of Vallemar School. Those parents could drop their kids at the parking lot just to the west of the Renia del Mar intersection, also shown on the attached drawing. Or those parents could make a U-turn and then use the walking school bus lot at the police station.
These walking school bus locations would enable parents to avoid having to drive through the Reina del Mar signal and then drive along Reina del Mar, drop off their child and then return to the signal. Not only would this relieve congestion at the signal and allow more green time for north bound commuters it would also benefit the parents who could avoid the messy traffic situation at Vallemar School. Moreover, less traffic on Reina del Mar would make the area around the school safer for children who are walking there.
2.3 Park and Walk opportunities
The concept of park and walk locations is explained in the Alta Planning Report (pg 8-9, pg 99 of 192) as follows:
Park and Walk. Pacifica does not have neighborhood schools; students are dispersed throughout the city and may live a significant distance away from their schools. This and the city’s hilly topography create barriers to walking and bicycling. Park and Walk programs designate meeting points where parents can drop theirchildren off and either walk the last leg of the journey into school or link them with other parents who can complete the journey to school with their children. Such a program can disperse congestion through a larger area around the school site and demonstrate solidarity with their peers who walk and bike to school. Most schools in Pacifica have nearby sites that could serve as Park and Walk locations.
We have seen an example of the Park and Walk concept in action. Some of our members live in the Vallemar District of Pacifica and drive their children to Ocean Shore School. We have observed that traffic becomes congested in the school parking lot just before the morning starting time. However, to avoid the congestion many parents park in the neighborhood surrounding the school and then walk with their children to the school. This same opportunity exists at Vallemar School but parents do not seem to avail themselves of the walking options. Some possible park and walk locations for Vallemar School are the following (shown on our attached drawing) 1) the parking lot just to the west of the Reina del Mar signal; 2) the parking lot at the sewage treatment plant; 3) west Fairway Park neighborhood. Another opportunity could be provided at that parking lot of the Pacifica Police Station - this would require the City of Pacifica to participate by opening the lot to parents for a short time in the mornings.
We suggest that the District and Vallemar School encourage parents to use these park and walk
opportunities which would not only help relieve traffic congestion for all Pacifica commuters but also allow parents and children to experience the benefits of walking to school. Thank you for your consideration of our comments. Please let us have your response to our suggestions.
Sincerely,
Hal Bohner
Ron Maykel,
Members of Pacificans for Highway 1 Alternatives (PH1A)
Submitted by Jim Wagner
Posted by Kathy Meeh
