Update on Michael Lane - 4 Things You Should Know

1. Plans to limit parking at the top of Michael Lane hill have been delayed to protests by those on Michael Lane. 

A meeting held just before the 4^th of July weekend (City Engineer Tony Coe refused to reschedule the meeting after the holiday so that Lucas Drive representatives could attend.)  The “consensus” at that meeting was that 15 mp speed limit signs were urgently needed but that the parking situation could wait until later. In his report to the Traffic Commission the following week, the City Engineer Tony Coe reported this “consensus” opinion.  His report did not include or mention the petition signed by over 50 Burton Valley residents, asking the City to address the parking situation. 

2. Traffic Commission is set to rule on the parking issue on Sept. 5 – the Tuesday after Labor Day. 

City Engineer Tony Coe will not issue a final recommendation on the parking situation until Sept. 1 or 2 – the Thursday or Friday before Labor Day -- giving residents only a holiday weekend to review the proposal.  Requests to move the meeting away from the Labor Day weekend and allow more time to review the Engineer’s proposal have so far been denied.  The City is asking that public comment on this matter be received before August 29 – three days before the report is issued. (Send comments to Tony Coe at TCoe@ci.lafayette.ca.us.  Specifically state that you want them included for review by the Commission)

3. The City has issued Michael Lane residents speed guns to monitor and report speeders.

According to the City's Traffic Calming Handbook (page 23) in certain circumstances, residents can be issued speed guns and collect liscense plate numbers to be forward to the City for action.    The problems with this plan are obvious:

-          Residents are not professionally trained to use speed guns, resulting in inaccurate readings by people who have a vested interest in the outcome; 

-          Because there is no oversight, citations can be used as retaliation or harassment

-          Overuse of speed monitoring tools on one street can unnecessarily divert traffic to other streets, like Burton Drive.

Results of the City’s own monitoring showed that the majority of Michael Lane drivers were within the speed limit and 85% were driving at 32MPH or less -- below the threshold where police will generally write a ticket.


4. Some Michael Lane residents are now demanding that a sidewalk be built at city expense at the top of the hill only, not connecting through to Lucas Drive.

Residents on the flat side of Michael Lane residents objected to sidewalks as they would increase foot traffic.  So the City Engineer proposed a plan to build the sidewalk in front of only three or four residences at the top of the hill and a raised crosswalk.   Usually such paths are funded in part by the homeowners, but Michael residents are demanding that the city fully fund the project.  We won’t know if this is included in the City Engineer’s final plan until September 1^st or 2^nd.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Send your comments to:

 City Engineer Tony Coe at TCoe@ci.lafayette.ca.us.

State specifically that you want your comments presented to the Traffic Commission  and send a copy:

 City Manager Steve Falk sfalk@lovelafayette.org and

 Mayor Carl Anduri canduri@lovelafayette.org

  

Attend the Sept. 6 Traffic Commission meeting at 7 p.m.

            The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center in the Arts and Discovery Room which is on the middle level.  Usually at least five or six Michael Lane residents show up, so it would be nice to have some representatives from the greater neighborhood there as well.