Neighborhood Action Team Meeting Jan 26

On Wednesday ,  Jan 26^th the Neighborhood Meeting about  traffic control on Michael Lane was held the City Offices at 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd.  Ten people attended:

•           5 Michael Lane residents
•           3 Lucas Drive residents
•           1 Burton Drive resident
•           City Traffic Planner Leah Greenblat  LGreenblat@ci.lafayette.ca.us  and Tony Coe Traffic Engineer

Here is a summary of the questions and discussions:

Who is affected by changes on Michael?

The planning process requires the definition of two areas,  the Study Area and the Focus Area.  Any changes level two or above would have to be voted on by residents of the two areas.

• Focus Area -  31 properties:  21 on or adjacent to  Michael Lane and  10 on Augustine Lane which back up to Michael (across from the church).  There was agreement that Augustine Lane should not be in Focus Area.
• Study Area:  123 properties on Lucas Drive, Lucas Circle, Antonio Court, half of Huntleigh and half of Murray. 

Should Burton Drive be included in the Focus Area?

Arguments were presented for including Burton Drive because it may be affected by Level II and above changes on Michael.  The Lafayette Traffic Planners expressed concern over making the Focus Area too big.  

What are the problems on Michael?

Speed is the primary concern of Michael Lane residents, especially as drivers come down the hill near the Murray stop signs.  The residents feel that it is unsafe for their children to walk or bike to the new path on Murray. The Traffic Planners reported that a study showed:

                 85% go 32 mph or less on Michael between Lucas and Murray

                 85% go 36 mph or less on Michael between Murray and Glenside

There is no recent studies of traffic on Lucas or Burton.                                                        

What about the parked cars on Michael?

The lack of visibility due to parked cars was discussed.  Michael residents feel that they should be able to park in front of their houses and that the parked cars can actually make it safer for their children to use the street.  

  

What solutions are being considered?

There are three levels of traffic calming measures that can be considered:

Level 1 – Education through “Slow down” signs and stickers, distributing  pamphlets, cutting back bushes (esp. at the corner), forming neighborhood speed watches, sending warning notices to speeders and targeted police enforcement.

Level 2 – Speed signs, high visibility crosswalks, stripping, and stop signs.  These measures must be approved by the Neighborhood Committee and, in some cases, may go before the City Council.

Level 3 – Engineered solutions like speed bumps, curbing, etc.  This requires a vote by people within the Focus and Study areas, as well as Circulation Commission and City Council approval.

The Traffic Planners recommended the Neighborhood Action Team begin by distributing “slow down” pamphlets in the neighborhood and get additional feedback from neighbors.

Next Meeting:  Tuesday, Feb. 15, 6:30 p.m.  at the Lafayette City Offices, 3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd.  Please email LGreenblat@ci.lafayette.ca.us with questions or concerns. 

Restrictions on Michael Lane -- Who benefits? Who Loses?

The residents of Michael Lane have come together to request traffic restrictions which have the potential to impact the flow of traffic in and out of large parts of the Burton Valley neighborhood.  These traffic restrictions could include speed bumps, curbing designed to restrict traffic, and possibly making the street one-way.

A community meeting was held in December to discuss possible changes and recruit people from the neighborhood to be part of a Neighborhood Action Team.  So far there are seven volunteers, five of which are Michael Lane residents.

The first Neighborhood Action meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 26 at 6:30 at the Lafayette City Offices (3675 Mt. Diablo Blvd.) in Conference Room 240.  At the meeting, we will

·         review the City’s traffic calming process and answer questions

·         begin to identify and pinpoint traffic calming issues

·         begin adjust, if needed the boundaries of the study and focus areas (Burton Drive and parts of Lucas are not now included in the focus area) 

·         select appropriate Level 1 tools that can be implemented promptly.

If you are concerned about the impact of traffic restrictions on Michael Lane, here's what you can do:

• Keep informed by signing up to receive emails from KeepMichaelOpen.
• Send an email to Lee Greenblatt, Transportation Planner for the City of Lafayette, stating your concern
• Join the Neighborhood Action Committee -- If you have the time to participate, simply send an email to Lee Greenblatt telling her you'd like to join.

 Right now, the vast majority of those on the Committee that will make the decision are residents of Michael Lane, who would like to channel traffic off their street.  If you are concerned about these changes, now is the time to take action.

More information on Lafayette's Traffic Calming Process can be found on the city website.