-PDBM/FXT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY Continued from page 1
between Castro (downtown) and Graham, and yet it’s like a speedway.” The stretch of four-lane road in front of Graham is on a list of streets that could lose lanes to make room for protected bike lanes, also known as a “road diet,” in a draft of the city’s Pedestrian Master Plan which may be approved by the City Council in December. Council members Laura Macias and Ronit Bryant expressed some support for protected bike lanes or road diets. Similarly, Mayor Mike Kasperzak said he hoped to see “lots of green paint in our future,” referring the brightly painted bike lanes that have sprung up in other cities. Macias presented pictures of separated bike lanes on a city street in Long Beach to show what might be possible. “We might want to do a separated bike lane just for that area to Graham from El Camino,” Macias said. Castro Street in front of Graham is “one of the streets where a road diet makes sense,” said Jarrett Mullen, a bike advocate behind the Rengstorff Great Streets Initiative, which is calling
MICHELLE LE
Graham Middle School students cross Castro Street at the intersection of Harpster Drive.
for road diets to reduce car speeds and make room for bike lanes. ‘Speed matters’ When a car hits a person at 40 miles per hour, “80 percent of pedestrians die,” Mullen said, “At 30 miles per hour, 40 percent die. Just by reducing speed from 40 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour, you’ve cut deaths in half. At 20 miles per hour, only 5 percent
die. That is why speed matters. It impacts stopping distance.” The reduction from four lanes to three on Arastradero Road in Palo Alto “reduced the number of cars going over 37 miles per hour by 50 percent,” said Menlo Park bike advocate Adina Levin, adding that it reduced chances of death and injury. The change is also cited as a factor behind the higher rates of students biking to
Gunn High School compared to Mountain View High School. Council member Margaret Abe-Koga, who said her daughter just started at Graham, raised the possibility of reducing speed limits in front of Graham and other schools in the city. All have 25 mile-per-hour limits. City staff members said it was possible to go as low as 15 miles per hour and would increase safety
if police could enforce it, said police Chief Scott Vermeer. But to those advocating for road diets, lower speed limits arenít enough. “If it feels comfortable to be doing 40 miles per hour then we need to change the street, that’s it,” Bryant said. “We need to decide how quickly we want people to drive here and design the street accordingly. I want to see pilot projects in place this coming year,” she said, referring to street narrowing. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll take it out and try something else.” Bryant said a road diet may costs as little as $100,000 per mile if San Franciscoís experience is any indication. “We’re gathering a committee to figure out what our next moves are,” Thompson said. “We know something needs to be done, whether it is lowering the speed, narrowing the road or flashy lights, we donít know. We donít want a knee-jerk reaction, but what is best for our kids and the community.” Increasing student population Thompson said the problem is “not going to go away,” as the number of students at Graham is projected to reach 900 kids soon
A Hopeful Future We love, challenge, and equip former foster youth
Only 1 to 5% of California’s foster youth will earn a college degree. These students have the drive. What they lack is support to overcome a myriad of complex emotional, developmental and economic issues, preventing them from reaching a goal that 85% of them express having. College students who have suffered traumatic childhoods are shown how to move forwards with confidence through monthly programming at local campuses. We help them grasp: “You have what it takes.” ~ Workshop to help overcome emotional, relational, academic and career hindrances ~ One-to-one coaching sessions ~ Long-term mentoring ~ Leadership Development ~ Ability to earn gift cards, clothing & other basic needs ~ Web-based coaching to re-enforce workshop topics It takes a community to rebuild shattered lives. Through your financial giving, YOU can be part of that community that helps students, who spent their childhoods in foster care, build their academic resilience, develop a network of support and gain emotional stability. Tax-deductible contributions may be made online at www.jeremiahpromise.org OR make check payable to Jeremiah’s Promise, Inc. and mail to P.O. Box 1393, Palo Alto, CA 94302. Our Tax ID is 75-30792265
6
■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■ November 30, 2012