Published in the July 22 – Aug. 4, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
Bike lanes are a ‘brilliant idea;’ Monterey Road is not for commuters
By Stewart Witter
Stewart Witter
When I read Tami Koval’s Community Voices column in the July 8 issue of Morgan Hill Life, I said, “Wow! I do not experience any of those problems she wrote about.” I commute up the U.S. 101 corridor every day. I live just south of downtown Morgan Hill. I jog and bike around the library sometimes during the morning rush hour. I feel totally safe. The roads are fine. I by-pass driving through downtown and commute north and south on Hale (exit on and off Bailey Avenue) and, except for Friday evenings, I never have problems.
I think the downtown bike lanes were a brilliant move by the city. First, Monterey Road is not for commuters. It is for local traffic. Second, the slower and lighter traffic makes for a quieter and more enjoyable experience when dining and shopping in downtown. Third, emergency vehicles now have an unrestricted lane though downtown. First responders have faster access to emergencies.
When I learned the city was installing a bike lane, I sent them a word of caution saying I think they should complete the Hale/DeWitt extension before they decrease a lane though downtown Morgan Hill. Well, I was wrong. The city staff obviously did their homework.
Whenever there is a change in the infrastructure of a community, one can count on hearing complaints. It is always fashionable to criticize any level (local or federal) of government. In this case, the city of Morgan Hill got it right. I have always found the alternate routes, around the three traffic light corridor in downtown, to be the fastest path even before the single lane through downtown. The road changes though downtown will promote business and provide for a safer Morgan Hill. Those are changes we can all live with.
Stewart Witter is a resident of Morgan Hill. He wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
Downtown is now much safer thanks to the lane reduction
By Linda Gardner
I’m a longtime resident here in Morgan Hill, and I find the downtown lane closure to be something I would like to see permanently happen.
My husband and I walk our two dogs downtown almost every night. In the past, we continually experienced bicycle, scooter and skateboard riders on our sidewalks. There are ordinances against these practices, but they are not enforced. As such, we continually took our lives in our hands walking these sidewalks.
The traffic was dangerous for pedestrians as it was, without the added danger of bikes, scooters and skateboards on the sidewalks. It’s scary to have someone ride up behind you that you don’t hear, and then they pass you. In one instance, we experienced a man and his young child come around a corner as we reached it, almost running into us. I yelled at him that he should be in the bike lane, and he yelled back at me that he wouldn’t have his child riding in the dangerous street (this was before the lane closure).
What a perfect example to set for his young child. He should have been riding residential streets instead. The lane closure has helped somewhat. As time progresses, people are learning to use the bike lane instead.
People I talk to like the closure, so I guess it’s a matter of who you talk to. People should take Butterfield Boulevard, Condit Road or Depot Street instead. Nobody needs to speed. They are just driving the speeds they would on Monterey Street.
In addition, the population in Morgan Hill has increased tremendously due to all the housing that has been and is being added.
Look around; the restaurants are full almost all the time, there is more foot traffic downtown and there is more vehicle traffic as well. Park your car and walk down Monterey Road from Main to Dunne avenues and back. See for yourself what it’s truly like to be a pedestrian. But be careful at the intersections as people still drive without regard for them.
Additionally, we need to pursue extending Hale Avenue to De Witt Avenue as planned. This would help tremendously.
Linda Gardner is a Morgan Hill resident. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
Let’s not go back to having a highway through our downtown
By Brad Jones
Now that construction is bringing an early end to the Complete Streets Pilot program, I thought I would give my view as a downtown business owner of what we have learned during the test. As far as I can see, the only negative impact on the community is during high traffic time when commuters lose a minute or two because of the lane configuration. Anytime U.S. 101 is backed up then, Monterey Road gets backed up too as those who know about the alternative route exit the highway trying to get out of the mess there.
Outside of one newspaper opinion article, I haven’t heard of problems with increased traffic in the adjoining neighborhoods. The downtown residents I have talked to seem to be happy with the traffic calming and are glad the streets are safer to cross.
I know from personal experience it’s safer to pull out onto Monterey Road from a side street than before because I do it two or three times a day. Pulling into one lane of traffic is much easier than watching out for that speeder in the second lane. I also know the streets are quieter for dining and walking, and I’m not seeing as many semi-trucks going through downtown as we did before the test.
On weekends (especially around the Farmer’s Market time) I see families riding bikes and pulling wagons through the downtown, which I never used to see before and I see as a bonus. I am also very pleased with the response to the Pop-up Park on the corner of Third Street and Monterey Road. I am sure parents would be less likely to let their kids run around with two lanes of higher speed traffic nearby.
I am hopeful drivers who insist on decrying the Complete Streets Pilot program might try getting out of their cars and looking at the streets from the point of view of a pedestrian or diner. If they do, I am sure they will like what they see. Let’s not go back to the old days of having a highway through the middle of downtown.
Brad Jones is the co-owner BookSmart. He wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
