Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A modest proposal


From the Inbox:



Dear New Encinitas folks,
Below FYI is an idea I have submitted to the whole Encinitas City Council and the Encinitas Traffic Commission.  I want to send it along to you as a representative of many New Encinitas residents for your review.  Perhaps a plan like this one could be developed to present to the city to try to reduce the El Camino Real traffic gridlock and make a more community friendly space in the process.
Thanks,
Ed Wade


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Friday, November 15, 2013
I am writing this letter to express my thoughts on the traffic issues on the El Camino Real (ECR) corridor.
As each of you know the traffic along El Camino Real has grown to unmanageable proportions and has been a source of discontent in the discussions for a master growth plan for the city.
I think the traffic commission can see that a large part of the problem is from the commuters north of Encinitas using ECR as a by-pass of I-5.  These commuters can be redirected back to I-5, and local traffic could be better managed.
My suggestion is to follow what has been done in Denver, Colorado.  This may seem to be a radical change, but I do think it can be massaged into something that may be workable for Encinitas.
I suggest that the city make ECR between Leucadia Blvd and Encinitas Blvd a no car zone.
In Denver, one street (16th street) has been sealed off from all cars and has been developed to encourage pedestrian traffic.  They have CNG buses that follow the whole route with approximately 5 minute waiting between buses.  The buses are free and folk can jump on or off where ever they want.  The street has extended sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians and open air restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, etc.  There is one "traffic" lane open going each direction that is open only to the CNG buses.  The center median has been expanded and accommodates vendor carts, open air seating, chess boards, even playable pianos. (see attached photos)
How would I set this up in Encinitas?
  1. Completely close the north/south ECR corridor from Leucadia Blvd to Encinitas Blvd to all traffic except CNG busses.  Have a roundabout for the buses at each end of this zone.
  2. Convert the outermost lanes of ECR to wide sidewalks.
  3. Convert the middle lanes to be used by the CNG buses only.
  4. Convert the inner most lanes to a large median strip and bicycle lanes.
  5. CNG buses would be free of charge and pedestrians can ride any time, any distance.
  6. Keep the main east/west corridors open to redirect through traffic back to the freeway (Leucadia Blvd. and Encinitas Blvd. and all east/west tributaries open for local traffic (Mountain View, Garden View, etc).
How would this help?

  1. Commuters from Carlsbad, Oceanside, Vista, etc. headed south to Sorrento Valley, La Jolla, San Diego would be redirected to the freeway through La Costa and Leucadia Blvds.
  2. Having a safe way to get to shopping would encourage walking and bicycle traffic.
  3. The open environment in the no car zone would develop a more "community feel".
  4. If the ECR traffic can be managed, planning for a more dense housing population would be more attractive along the no car zone... multiple level structures with condo/apts above boutique shops, bakeries, coffee shops, etc.
Problems?  yes

  1. This possibly would increase the traffic along Leucadia and Encinitas Blvds.  This may not be very likely, since those who are headed for the freeway eventually must use these roads to get there, or follow ECR all the way via Manchester.
  2. I-5 will be impacted.  Not really, see #1.
  3. Locals will lose access to shopping along ECR.  If the tributary roads stay open, there should be easy access to the shopping strip malls and their parking lots.  This could impact the small roads that lead to the tributaries.  But with more access to walking and biking, this problem may be minimized.
  4. The existing business community will be negatively impacted.  With a few exceptions, most will still be accessible through the tributary roads.  Plus they would have more exposure to the public as the environment would be more relaxed and inviting for strollers looking for a nice shop, a cup of coffee and a danish.
The traffic problem along ECR is huge.  I do think Encinitas could think outside the box and find a solution that is different to the standard of adding more lanes for cars and continue the strip malls along the way.  I really can't see how this situation is good for business, good for the community or the health of the people.  My solution may not be a custom fit, but I implore the council to remain open to new and refreshing ideas











29 comments:

  1. No !!
    This idiot wants H101 in Leucadia to absorb this traffic. I avoid ECR at all costs so I don't contribute to this problem.
    But some jack ball wants my community to solve his problems... No FUCKIN' way.

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  2. The rejected MIG General Plan update on steroids.

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  3. Mr.Wade,
    If you don't like driving ECR....avoid it or better yet, move away. Very far away.

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  4. I like the part about the public piano if it wasn't for the buses drowning it out. But for the other points I had to play this music while I read it.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1p_BRlQySI

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  5. Let's bring back horses.

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  6. Horses with roundabouts. Opps, don't want to give EG any more ideas!

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    Replies
    1. Ha! That's called Barrel Racing!!!

      - The Sculpin

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    2. Good idea for Denver, and possibly other cities. There's just too much traffic in Encinitas, and I don't think you correlate the traffic in Encinitas with that of Denver, Although I don't know anything about the layout of Denver's downtown. There's no way La Costa and Leucadia can absorb all that traffic. I wish that could work here, but with the daily # of car trips on that road, I can't see it happening. No way the merchants would go for it. The bottom line with the 5 is, it's never faster to cut through on other streets, especially Hwy 101. You're better staying on the freeway...

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  7. A Not So Modest Proposal -

    Tomorrow the Council will vote on an ordinance that will change the serve term of all future city commissioners from two years to three years. As an example - instead of being stuck with a commissioner that would or could be replaced every two years, the commissioner will not be replaced for three years. Bad, bad idea to extend these terms from two to three years.

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    Replies
    1. 12:18-They will also have term limits on Commissioners. They can have 2-3years terms and then they have to leave.

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    2. The term limits include waiting out one year then reapplying for another 3 year term.

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  8. Wow! This is just a guess, but did Mr. Wade create this plan when he was being paid to build a website for Obamacare?

    Or perhaps the Indian sweat shop buildings that didn't have any sand and re-bar mixed in with the concrete support pillars?

    If you look at the data that most of the north coastal city's keep on average daily travel, you would recognize that these commuters you are trying to drive off are people who actually live and recreate here. Most are going to work or returning from work.

    The others visit our restaurants and shop at our stores helping the local economy.

    Where do you think 30,000 adults work 40 hours a week every day to support their families?

    They work outside of Encinitas. The largest employers are the school district and the City. Collectively they might total 500 people.

    This is the kind of plan someone who doesn't like people designs.

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  9. While I think his idea is misguided, the only idiots are those comments that attack this poor fellow for expressing it. But then I've come to expect that kind of "discourse" on this blog. It's really a shame. Attack the messenger instead of the message. This blog could serve a useful function but instead it's sunk to character assassinations. Sad, very sad.

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    Replies
    1. So what you are saying is you support this plan, correct ?? . Fascinatingly you referral to those that oppose this plan as idiots. Calling the kettle black are we??

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    2. After reading 12:43's post, only a true idiot could come to the conlcusion that 1:53 expressed.......yes, sad indeed.......

      - The Sculpin

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    3. Ok so the sculpin, a bottom feeding fish, supports dumping ECR traffic on H101. Now we know..

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    4. Reduce one travel lane in each direction from both ECR and Hwy101 and give it to the bikes.

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    5. Why not? After all, Kranz assures us that eliminating a lane will not slow traffic.

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    6. In reply to 1:53 PM, incorrect! I most certainly do not support this plan which won't work for any number of reasons, which is why I said it was misguided. How you inferred I supported it is beyond me. And saying "the only idiots are those comments that attack this poor fellow for expressing it" differentiates between comments on the plan itself and those against the person expressing it. There seems to be a reading comprehension problem here. To quote the Sculpin, sad indeed.

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  10. And here I was waiting for baby-eating; at least give credit where credit's due: http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html

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  11. Leave Leucadia (that runs on either side of Leucadia Blvd, in case you hadn't noticed) out of these plans to lighten the load on ECR. Either don't drive it or don't live along it, but either way, leave Leucadia out of it, please. We don't want any.

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  12. Shades of Shaffer and Barth: "Having a safe way to get to shopping would encourage walking and bicycle traffic."

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  13. I understand the Shaffer supports this concept.

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    Replies
    1. Really, where's the citation? I would think she knows this wouldn't be workable. No disrespect, but this wasn't worth posting. The guy clearly isn't familiar with Encinitas or our Traffic patterns.

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  14. make both ECR and Hwy101 carless. Oh yeah, you forgot to realize that Denver and NY City with pedestrian malls have a little higher densities than Encinitas. Encinitas is a sleep surf town. I don't think we want it developed like Denver or London now do we?

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    Replies
    1. Shaffer and Barth call high, dense living "sustainability." Barth's weekly newsletter never misses an opportunity to link to such stories. Not Denver or London, as we don't have the population, but to the extent that they can, Shaffer and Barth will push for an Encinitas version. The other three will just be glad for the windfall to developer friends.

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    2. MIG has had their hands in a lot of different projects all over the country. They apply for grants and get government money and then their press arm promotes their plans as what 'people' want.

      If this is what people really want, why did they have to use such unethical research standards to reach these conclusions in Encinitas and elsewhere.

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  15. People were so concentrated on $tock$ beligerence that they failed to notice Barth's inherent incompetency.

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