... Marlena Medford, former editor of Encinitas Patch.
She did a solid job at Patch, with good local news coverage. Since she left Patch (about a year ago?), it's gone to more generic, non-local fluff.
Congratulations to Marlena on the great new gig!
Has Marlena been reading the blog or watching the Council meetings on how people feel about the newly created job of communications spin doctor?
ReplyDeletelove to read her book after the assignment on the real happenings of Sad Sack.
ReplyDeleteLolololllloooollloll that's Marlena laughing at Enc taxpayers as she's gone from a blog that no one reads, no one advertises with to a $100K job working( if you call it that) for the COE.
ReplyDeleteListen carefully....lolololllloooolololol.
Yes, no disrespect toward her, but that's going from $20-25k a year to $100k. I wish her luck, though, there will be a lot on her plate.
DeleteNo, it's going from $25K/year to $135K/year, an increase of $110K.
Delete$135K a year??? Unfucking believable !!! Fuck me, and to think I went to college and got me an education.... I don't make $135K... And I'm much more educated than a "Patch" editor.
DeleteYes, and to add insult to injury: it's your tax dollars at work against you, the resident.
DeleteThe city did not put this layer between the council and city manager for nothing. She'll have her marching orders and we'll soon be buried in an even bigger pile of "workshops, surveys, and input opportunities" than we could have imagined...smoke and mirrors.
With respect to her, I don't care if it's Gore Vidal or Marcel Proust as Communications Director, it's too much money for that position, that we don't need in the first place. And I was guessing on her pay at Patch, but I think I'm in the ballpark.
DeleteFound the following online:
DeleteCommunications City of Encinitas Communications Officer $68,761 to $96,754 A completed application packet is required and must be received in HR by 7/10/13. Contact HR at or visit or apply at City Hall, 505 South Vulcan Avenue, Encinitas, CA 92024 EOE. This job has originated from a member site of TheJobNetwork - U-T San egory: Marketing, Advertising & Business Dev., Keywords: Full Time...
Or Look at June 13, 2013 post on this blog.
Delete$96K plus free office rent, phone and health care and a car and life insurance, etc etc etc. yeah that add up quick to $125K per year. Extreme pay for someone with NO experience.
DeleteShe's not getting the 96k, that's top of the range you COULD get. Figure 70k.
DeleteBTW, do you consider your desk free rent at your job? Let's just leave it at we don't need this position at our city. Yeesh...
DeleteFrom patch to tourniquet.
ReplyDeleteWord is Marlena got into hot water when she gave Mike Andreen blog space for his vitriol and thus violated AOL policy. Mike could then no longer have a blog on the Patch, although was allowed to post.
ReplyDeleteWill Mike still have influence with Marlena? He was present at the Prop A subcommittee meeting front and center, volunteering to write the ballot statements against the initiative. Will he have influence through Marlena with the City?
Let's hope so.
DeleteYes, take a hike back to Oceanside Mr. Andreen. We don't need that kind of bad mojo down here.
DeleteAnyone who knows anything about local politics knows that Andreen was on Stocks "side," and I absolutely was not. I wrote a letter to the editor nearly every week, for months, published in the Coast News, about the City of Encinitas, and the poor leadership of Stocks.
DeleteYes, there was great momentum against Stocks. A few who supported the new "incompetent council troika," didn't realize the Dump Stocks buzz would help to energize and inspire grassroots supporters to be able to pass Prop A.
Andreen and all of Council opposed Prop A. I was definitely in favor, and I'm grateful for the work we all did to pass it!
Failed leadership in Encinitas has energized so many now. No one presently serving will be reelected.
DeleteObservation,watching last nights council meeting and the PROP A wannabes,Bruce Sheila Susan you know who they are.they are on the same side as the Stocks wannabes.Funny ha ha our funny pathetic .
ReplyDeleteJust say'n
They aren't "wannabes." They got the job done. Prop A passed, and would have passed by a far higher margin but for all the false propaganda. The City has backed down on all its false ballot arguments by posting on the City's webpage a FAQ Sheet, re Prop A NOT raising lower set residential height limits and NOT bifurcating our city due to the Coastal Commission's NOT being required to review a Local Coastal Program (LCP) Amendment before the new ordinance created by the initiative was effective, Citywide, in July.
DeleteCity Attorney Glenn Sabine's so-called "impartial analysis" of Prop A published in the Sample Ballots was NOT fact-based and was full of lies.
Marlena did a great job at the Patch and I wish her well at the City!
ReplyDeleteHow much did she earn at thePatch??? $100K ?? Doubtful. No one reads any of the Patches in the USA. What makes her worth this enormous increase in salary??
DeleteIt's not an increase in salary since this is a different job with a different employer. The salary for the current position was set based on the skill level required, the responsibilities undertaken and the time committment required. The city has made the determination that she has the skills and the time, so then she deserves the pay. 'nuff said...
Delete- The Sculpin
Horseshit!!!
Deletescuplin, you are the voice of insanity. Fisrt the city of encinitas does not need a communications/ spin doctor. secondly the city can not afford it..........it is a fact the city unde vina and gaspar/barth are raising dfees on citizens, also a fact the city can't pay to fix roads and sewers. It is beside the point that medford was hired becuase she is a passive follower, the city does not need and can not afford this role, be it for 10K annually or for 100K. Scuplin you may think it's ok to stick taxpayers with another big pension because you are a big goverment loving social engineer, but don't make the rest of us pay for it.
Deletegreat job 2:41? no one reads it, come on.
Delete8:37 - truly, it is you who are insane - only an insane person would complain about the broken latch after the horse has long left the barn. The city has a communications director - get over it. The decision didn't go your way - move on. Regroup and get yourself ready for the next battle - whatever that may be.
Delete- The Sculpin
Smoking too much horseshit sculpin??
DeleteCome on 10:01 - everybody knows you don't smoke horseshit - you snort it!!
Delete- The Sculpin
Agree that the battle has been lost on the creation of the Comms Director position, someone would get the role once it was created. Disagree on the following "The salary for the current position was set based on the skill level required". Respectfully, I can't give someone under 30 with her skillset that kind of dough. I don't want to give anyone over $100k for a Comms Dir. position in our city, but if I have to, I want to see 10+ years experience in a comparable position, not as an editor of Patch and Advocate Magazine. She may prove me wrong, I hope she does, but I can't put the seal of approval on this move...
DeleteThe battle for the communications director is not over. New counsel can always talk to the city manager to eliminate positions.
DeleteI will vote for any candidate that runs on a platform to eliminate positions to free up money for new projects.
She's not under 30. Keep looking at the surface people. Make up numbers and post things that have no basis in reality. How do some of you even get dressed in the morning?
DeleteActually, I went to the Linkedin profile....
DeleteAnd determined she has the right friends...'nuff said.
ReplyDeleteMedford connected enough to Andreen to speak at his "New Encinitas Network" event: http://encinitas.patch.com/groups/mike-andreens-blog/p/bp--new-encinitas-network-luncheon-recap
ReplyDeleteThere a Cuban connection here. Gus Vina was born in Cuba. Isn't Marlena Chavira-Medford of Cuban descent also?
ReplyDeleteThe Mike Andreen connection doesn't bode well either.
Please.....
DeleteI would read The Patch but it is difficult to navigate, and their archives are impossible to find.
ReplyDeleteSeriously? A meeting that she went to 3 years ago to promote Patch doesn't mean she has any connection to Andreen whatsoever. Patch had bloggers from varied political ideologies. I like how someone sees an ethnic last name and brown skin and tries to make a Cuba connection. That's probably the dumbest and most racist thing I've read so far today. Everyone that is complaining about the 100k salary has no idea what they are talking about. This is an assumed number as is the amount of her previous salary. Journalists are known to be underpaid and overworked, so making the complaint that it is too big of a pay increase for her is ridiculous. Grow up people. I get that you're upset about the position and the pay, but remember she's just as human as you.
ReplyDeleteIn the last 6 months the city has hired 3 fire chiefs and 1 communications director to the tune of $700K per year... Yet somehow they don't have the money to fix the road in front of my house.
DeleteWe don't need new fire chiefs nor a comm director, we do need repaired roads and sidewalks.
Sorry to inform you that your road isn't as important as you think. While it may be a minor inconvenience to avoid a pothole, these positions are vital to running a city effectively. Where did you pull 700k from?
Delete10:44 AM
DeleteA spin doctor is vital to running a city effectively? That's out of the mouth of a spin doctor.
Who were the 3 chiefs and the Comms Director?
DeleteI agree. She deserves a chance to make her own mark. While at Patch, she met with all a lot of people on all sides of issues, including me. Patch was better and more informative when she was there. With all of its soft information, Encinitas Patch has fallen off to be no better than the bulletin board at Starbucks. I don't believe the city needs a communications manager, but now we have one. She shouldn't be branded for taking sides, yet.
ReplyDelete8:23,8:51
ReplyDeleteWell said!
9:36 AM
ReplyDeleteShades of Chamberlain's talk.
Seriously!?!?!? You're comparing the reaction to hiring a communications director to the ascent to power of one of the worlds most evil people? Now THAT is truly insane!!!!!!!!
Delete- The Sculpin
We'll see. Anyone the city hires unfortunately comes under suspicion; that's a function of how they operate. Marlena may work out great. She has been tied to Andreen outside of the luncheon in the link. Again, we'll see. Give HER a chance, yes. Trust that the city doesn't have an agenda with her hiring? No way.
ReplyDeletePlease show me where she has been tied to Andreen outside of her capacity as the editor of Patch. Yes, the city has an agenda by hiring her. It wouldn't make sense to hire anyone without an agenda. I can understand wanting a justification for the position, but what is with the rabble rousing? What is this "agenda" everyone is so scared of?
DeleteMarlena is good friends with Mike Andreen's daughter. The ":agenda" is how much influence this will create for him. It got him a personal blog on Patch when Marlena was editor.
DeleteAnyone could submit a request for a "blog" on Patch.
DeleteI tried long and hard to get Council to reconsider hiring a Communications Specialist, particularly as a full time employee (FTE). Gus Vina wanted one; the Mayor takes her direction from him, now.
Although Tony Kranz, Kristin Gaspar and Mark Muir had all spoken at CC Meetings to the possiblity of hiring a temporary contractor (to get us through the seeming everlasting Strategic Planning process), they all decided to defer to the Gus and Teresa show.
Since our City did hire Marlena, we can give her a chance. She was a good editor on Encinitas Patch. When she was working there, our local Patch was visited much more and had more "breaking news," in my opinion.
I hope she can help individual citizens to more effectively communicate to Council; that is, get the City Manager and Council to listen to us, as well as staff.
Many of us have felt disregarded. Also, if she does surveys or polls, I hope the data gathered can be verified as significantly significant.
Hiring Marlena legitimizes what Vina and the council did in creating the spin doctor position? No way.
ReplyDeleteThink of it as $139,000 of annual ass-coverage!
DeleteIf you recall Marlena kicked Andreen of the Patch Blog after his rants begin appearing,it didn't take long .Let's give her a chance people
ReplyDeleteNot of her own volition, she didn't. It took some pressure and the AOL rules to have her knock him off.
DeleteGive her a chance we can most of us agree on, but do not whitewash, either. Watch closely, then decide.
No matter who was hired, the city needing to put a buffer between them and us is not coming from a good place.
Marlena is just another applicant for a job that shouldn't have been created. This isn't a give her a chance issue. The discussion is centered on giving the created job a chance. Marlena is the distraction from the council's sneaky tactics.
Delete11:02 AM
ReplyDeleteTaking the side of the incompetent council troika doesn't legitimizes the fact of a running scared council afraid to talk frankly about the money and pension problems facing the city. The spin doctor new job should have never been approved.
Agrreed.
DeleteI don't think the position should have been created, either. I wrote Council many times, asking them to reconsider. I had years ago asked that the position of Art Director not be created. That position was created because Christy Guerin got so incensed by the Art Commission suggesting that they could be allowed to appoint a secondary "Art Jury" to make some calls on community art. No, Guerin wanted the power in Council and the Mayor's hands.
ReplyDeleteAt the time our Art Administrator was hired, he was to help determine how community grants would be "dispersed." The grants were less than $35,000 per year, back then. That amount has gone up, significantly, mainly because of a generous private family donor who matches all of the City's community grant funding, per grant. I believe approximately $74,000 was given out, through the City, in Community Grants this year, including the matching funds.
My point is, the grants distributed were far less than what the Arts Administrator makes per year. But Jim Gillium is also a nice guy, and is doing a good job.
I will be communicating to the Communications Specialist, that all city grants or subsidies to non-profits, including business association non-profits, should have to go through the community grant process. It is inviting corruption, through insider influence, for certain subsidiaries/sponsors to be paid through taxpayer/consumer dollars without their having to compete with many other service organizations, that are well-deserving, for city funding.
Sorry, I meant Jim Gilliam.
DeleteKLCC should have to compete for funding also..... Oh that's right it's a self funded organization dedicated to Keeping Leucadia Crappy. But Gilligan supports it so I guess " it's all good".
DeleteAnd the "poor" Neptune dwellers should compete for city-wide tax dollars to keep their over-built McMansions on top of the bluffs.
DeleteKeep Leucadia's Community Character!
DeleteI don't get subsidized by the City through direct or indirect funding so that I can go to Council Meetings and kiss Council's bottom, giving incessant, cloying advertisements, obsequious tributes to Council for what a great job they're doing! All so you'll keep on getting your direct subsidies and your funding from the Sunday Farmers' Markets.
Also, all the money from the Farmers' Markets at Paul Ecke Central should go to the SCHOOL CHILDREN, through the PTA. Vendors paying rents and consumers buying produce, etc., don't need to give more money to L101MA to support their constant unreported lobbying activities, including sockpuppet, anonymous name calling here and on other local blogs.
Many other cities have Chambers of Commerce and non-profit business associations that are supported by membership fees, and funding drives. Council should not be in bed with business associations, as it is clouding Councilmembers' objectivity, and ability to make decisions that benefit the ENTIRE community.
We absolutely support small businesses, and a thriving business community. It's not necessary nor productive for a few members of the Board of Directors of L101MA to try to pit the businesses against local residents.
B of D of L101 MA to try and pit businesses against local residents.... WTF??? Who, when, where. Names give us names?? What local business is against local residents??
DeleteReally, you are delusional. But as always the old adage rings true, give someone enough rope and they'll hang themselves. Give Lynn enough words and she'll have you scratching your head wondering where she gets her thoughts, ideas and koolaid.
OK, anon. You won't give your own name, but I have given names, including my own. I personally observed two Board of Director members putting all seven of their dots, each, in two neat rows, for roundabouts. at the initial Peltz & Associate workshop. One of them has publicly admitted doing so. I also saw Morgan Mallory drawing all over the maps laid out on conference tables, adding in numerous comments, at another workshop, at City Hall. We were encouraged to write in comments, but his seemed to crowd out the other comments made by those less "aggressive."
DeleteRepeatedly, I have seen Mallory and Marvin kowtowing to a "compliant" Council and staff, compliant to the newly rebranded 101 Mainstreet associations. Nothing wrong with public/private partnerships, except when the "public" part means city hall and not a consensus of citizens, including local residents and commuters.
And it is my understanding, through numerous sources, that Charles Marvin was the one who is passing around L101MA's reocurring MANTRA branding any who object to roundabouts as highway obstructions, using marketing ploys the denigrate the messengers as "obstructionists" and members of KLCC.
Well, we are fighting to Keep Leucadia's Community Character! We will work to resist Major Roadway obstructions, four one-lane, three way intersection roundabouts. Boo.
Hooray for Keeping Leucadia Funky! Save the Canopy!
You are wrong.
DeleteAre dead oleanders part of the canopy?? You really want to save that shit??? Too much koolaid lady.
DeletePlease, if that's all the evidence you have on this L101 Scandal, you need to let it go. Once again, you have your opinion, they have theirs...
DeleteLynn= keep leucadia crappy club.
ReplyDeleteBooooi!
KLCC = Keep Leucadia's Community Character!
DeleteLeucadia's character is crappy. Go walk the north end of H101. Oh yeah, you already know this and want to keep it crappy. That's your mantra.
DeleteKeep and Improve Leucadia's Quality of Life
DeleteKILQL! lol :)))
I will vote for any candidate that is running on a platform to reduce the size of staff!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately people will tell you what you want to hear when they are running for office. After they get in they often change their positions, as did Tony and Lisa on Prop. A.
ReplyDeleteLynn, what makes you think 2:58 and like minded anonymous comments must originate from the board of L-101? I've never seen any evidence for that. And all parties benefiting from the Farmers Market are happy with their portions. The Farmers Market is L-101's baby and they continue to have a lot invested in it. Not to mention it could have flopped but instead has become one of if not the county's best. Publicly thanking the city for their role in permitting the weekly event is giving credit where credit is due, not lobbying.
ReplyDeleteL-101 has no hidden agenda, but collectively wants the best for all residents, businesses and visitors. I'm happy the city has always taken us seriously - just as they did with Leucadia Merchants Association who facilitated landing $5 million dollars toward a better drainage system on 101. And if anyone thinks that wasn't for everyone's benefit, THEY can push stalled cars out of harms way in the fast lane middle of a foot deep puddle on 101 in the middle of the night. THEY can repeatedly rake the leaves out of an inferior storm drain to relieve flooding.
Our coastal business groups have always worked together to better each community. Pitting neighbors against businesses is certainly not on our radar and our board is a good mix of locals, both residents and business owners. You're obviously disturbed by it's existence and would like to call all the shots for it. To each his own. I just disagree with anyone who believes Leucadia does not deserve new sidewalks, streetlamps, better circulation, slower speeds, more safety, easier left turns onto 101, beautiful landscaping, bike lanes and adequate parking. Someone wants all those things shot down with a "stop streetscape" campaign as if that has eveyrone's best interest at heart. When all the recent improvements were made to Leucadia Blvd / 101 intersection at the park, I can guarantee you it was no one at L-101 who printed and put up the "Send This Junk to Disneyland" sign on the new wooden rail fence. Instead, It was some anonymous soul who doesn't want good change for our community.
I will vote for any candidate that says they will fire Sad Sac.
ReplyDeleteDid you vote for the candidate who said she'd fire Sabine?
DeleteWCV
Yes.
DeleteGood Job by Council to adopt a ban on Plastic Bags.
ReplyDeleteWell done. Everyone should watch the movie Bag It. Google it and watch it.. you can order the DVD from Netflix http://www.bagitmovie.com
Idiots. Nothing but feel good politics. When will your candidates face the real issues facing this city?? And it's not telling Von's or Stater Bros. I can't have a plastic bag. More social engineering by idiots.
DeleteShame on you for supporting these fools.
Fred, you are not who I'm talking about. I said a few directors, not all. Most of the Directors for L101MA campaigned and lobbied AGAINST Prop A, as a City subsidiary. You did not.
ReplyDeleteA certain director of L101MA has strong-armed local businesses when they were trying to exercise their freedom of speech liberties, threatening boycotts, ripping petitions off counters. I know it happened, even if you chose not to believe it. I have seen Charles Marvins tactics, ON CAMERA at City Council Meetings, including his constant lumping of those who don't buy into his agenda as being "crappy." Marvin STATED during public comments, that he and L101MA wants to "keep Leucadia funky, not junky, or CRAPPY, if I may be so bold" You can verify this on the wecast for the 9/11 City Council Meeting at 53 minutes, 51 seconds into the recording.
Contrary to Marvin's propaganda on 9/11, Alternative 4A is NOT a done deal. It has never gone through environmental review, or a true public assessment, which a public vote would allow. It's not up to the 1/13/10 votes of Stocks, Houlihan and Barth. Council only approved by one vote. There has been dissent, from the beginning.
Marvin talkes about Dan Burden, roundabout lobbyist who makes a living traveling across the country pushing them, as being the "mentor or grandfather" for roundabouts. He quotes hearsay information from Burden (a burden on our city budget) that personal injuries by motorists were decreased 90% for pedestrians, with roundabouts. We don't know what roundabouts and non roundabout intersections were compared, where, or how many were in the "sampling." This is more tweaking of information, with illogical conclusions about data that is not statistically significant.
I have provided numerous links that collisions involving bicyclists have increased NATIONWIDE, in intersections with roundabouts as opposed to those without roundabouts. Also, Marvin is talking about Burden's statistics which compare collisions in intersections with traffic signals, as opposed to intersections with roundabouts. In Leucadia, that would not be the case.
Here, you are comparing statistics for intersections WITHOUT stop signs or traffic signals, for those traveling northbound/southbound on Hwy 101. Also, narrow diameter, one-lane roundabouts have less safety features, according to the U.S. Dept. of transportation.
Again, I'm not reading nor arguing any longer against your self-interested advertisements. I have always wanted sidewalks on the west side of 101. Those Leucadians who didn't want sidewalks were and are generally further east, as far as I ever heard. Seaside Gardens, a subdivision adjacent to 101, established in 1928, does have and has had sidewalks. We are in concurrence about sidewalks, and hope they will continue to be improved.
We can have landscaping without gross obstructions on our Historic State Highway. We can have a bicycle railtrail corridor, all the way to La Costa. It should NOT stop at Leucadia Blvd, or E Street, in Old Encinitas. The speed limit has been reduced; you know that. We can have adequate parking without road obstructions. We can have more lights, but those businesses living near them would have to pay a higher fee to their lighting and landscaping district, as charged on the property owners' tax bills.
L101MA is not the arbiter of what constitutes good change. We can all agree that change is constant. However not all change is beneficial for residents and local commuters, including bicyclists.
I'll ask you again, please leave my name out of it. And in the future, I will for you, as well. By the way, I got one of those spambots through your account, too, Fred. Now my activity log on Facebook is locked up; don't know if that's related . . . Facebook is very buggy lately, and every time FB changes its operating "platform."
DeleteI stand by my words; L101MA and all the rebranded 101 Mainstreet Associations should not be automatically subsidized by the City, but should have to compete for community grant money with the rest of the very well deserving non-profits, including the Foundation formed through the Artist's Colony, to help with the rehabilitation of Pacific View for a true community art and learning center.
Leave your name out of it??? Lolololllllllllllololol. You reply to your own posting??? Jeez.
DeleteI wasn't "replying," I was concluding my comment in a separate text box.
DeleteIt's all about you, isn't it lady?? Always you and your support for roundabouts.
DeleteIt wasn't his spambot in Facebook, that's new functionality with autofill that FB added...and yes it's bugggy.
DeleteLynn,
ReplyDeleteYou are a case. Your thoughts and writings are soooo wacked and wrong. You are the opposite of facts. I think I can sum up your thoughts as rambling garbage. Just my opinion.
I know I am supposed to reply the message and not the messaged. But with you its a waste of time. You just keep repeating the same lies. Fred has way more patients than I. I think you are a waste of time and life.
"Calling someone fat doesn't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter." From the movie "Mean Girls"
DeleteAnd calling someone delusional doesn't make you any more sane.
Dr. Lorrie has way more patients than Fred.
DeleteJust since I was sued for malpractice.
DeleteFred- It was an unjust lawsuit. You were just trying to help. However, I think you are an excellent "shrink". You sold me on putting 25 cents into a machine that read my fortune. And everything came true:)
DeleteHe's got the sanest jukeboxes in town
Delete-Vic Trolla.....
Then why do you waste your time posting time after time? lolol.
ReplyDeleteYour opinions are not facts.
Too much koolaid lady??
DeleteMaybe u want to look into the fat thing .....
ReplyDeleteI didn't see it mentioned, but definitely applies.
Lynn try and clear ur head.
I thought it was feel your head.
Delete11:53-I think you meant "feed your head."
DeleteOne lady writes:
ReplyDelete"(Marvin) quotes hearsay information from Burden (a burden on our city budget) that personal injuries by motorists were decreased 90% for pedestrians, with roundabouts. We don't know what roundabouts and non roundabout intersections were compared, where, or how many were in the "sampling." This is more tweaking of information, with illogical conclusions about data that is not statistically significant."
Below are a few unaltered excerpts regarding the benefits of roundabouts from the U.S. Dept of Transportation's website and not a snake oil salesman.
• 48% reduction in all crashes
• 78% reduction in fatal/injury crashes
• 60% reduction in fatal/injury crashes in urban areas
Why a Roundabout?
• Improve safety
• Reduce congestion and pollution
• Save money
• Complement other common community values
Save Money
• No signal equipment to install, power, and maintain
• May require less right-of-way
• Less pavement may be needed
Complement Community Values
• Quieter
• Functional
• Aesthetically pleasing
Pedestrians and bicyclists have far less risk navigating roundabouts than the typical intersections primarily because of the lower speeds. A pedestrian has an 85% chance of being killed by a vehicle traveling at 45MPH. That drops to 15% when the vehicle is traveling at 20MPH. There are also less conflict points (as discussed in slide 21) the crossing distance is usually much shorter, and there is oftentimes a refuge spot in the splitter island.
• The public usually has an initial fear or negative opinion of roundabouts, but that opinion changes after they've experienced their benefits.
• Most new sites faced uncertain and intense controversies that received media coverage.
• The same media praised the success of the new design after experiencing its benefits and familiarity.
Thank you Fred, well said.
DeleteYou don't qualify your statistics as to whether the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is referring to two lane roundabouts? Nationwide averages aren't really applicable in our city of less than 60,000, especially on PCH. Why hasn't any other city installed roundabouts on PCH? Seems as though you are comparing apples and oranges again.
DeleteWhat is the link to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation where all these claims are made, anyway? On second thought, never mind. I don't want to catch the virus you caught.
As I said, before, we STILL don't know what roundabouts and non roundabout intersections are being compared, where, or how many were in the "sampling."
DeleteNo, you are not qualifying, quantifying or verifying your statistics. And this is more than enough said. Sorry I fell into the trap of discussing this again with those who have their minds made up, and closed.
At least with Norby's leaving, we got rid of one contracted position, paid for by Encinitas citizens, with our 101 Czar or "Coordinator's" contract renewed, almost by rote, year after year.
I hope Marlena will be more neutral on City issues, and that she won't have preformed conclusions and opinions to push, as Norby did.
12:41
DeleteLook it up yourself and stay cootie free.
1:01
It's the U.S. Dept of Transportation that promotes apples and oranges - those being one and two lane roundabouts. If anyone's mind is closed it's naysayers and the "nevermind" people who refuse to research the USDT site for themselves. Like it or not, those are all real quotes from their site, letter for letter.
Our enitre city was lucky to have Peder Norby while we did. Like it or not, he helped facilitate MANY great changes, enhancements and preservations and he never said a foul word about anyone. A hard act to follow. I honestly don't know the requirements of or needs for a Communications specialist. I imagine it would be somewhere between Peder's ex-role and an Ombudsman's. Whatever it is, I certainly don't hold it against anyone applying for the position (unless you're Ted Krines - long story) and I wish Marlena the best.
Again that lady makes sure we all know about her. Self appointed arbiter of right or wrong for Leucadia she can't even support a farmers market that helps school children w/o making the conversation about her. And no the farmers market never existed before the L101 got involved. That lady had decades to help raise funds for those children at PE school , did she do it?? Nope. But she's opposed to it now. Why ?? Let's ask her.... Q- Why do you oppose everything good for Leucadia ?? A- because I can . Because I deeply and maddingly hate the community, it's got to be about ME.
DeleteSo there you have it ladies and gentlemen.
The City staff gets more and more bloated with unnecessary appointments.
ReplyDeleteTrue, and Department Heads, now rebranded as the City Manager's Cabinet, get high salaries, which are in turn used to inflate how much Council feels it is justified in paying Gus Vina. Compensation escalation of "executive officers."
DeleteGood post Fred. But we know. Lynn will not understand a word
ReplyDeleteI don't get how you are claiming this will help safety, when I haven't seen that many accidents or collisions on Highway 101, especially since the speed limit was lowered to 35 MPH. The City showed, before, in staff reports, how collisions on the intersections where the roundabouts are proposed are less that the Statewide average for similar intersections. Because some locations, across the country could benefit from roundabouts, doesn't mean they are needed on 101.
DeleteAll your (unverified) statistics are for nationwide numbers. Highway 101 from A Street to La Costa, has the constraints of being a primary circulation element, an Historic Highway, with RR tracks to the east and beach access/egress, recreational/residential streets to the west.
"I don't get how you are claiming this will help safety, when I haven't seen that many accidents or collisions on Highway 101,"
Delete1. When you lower the speed limit, it increases safety.
2. When you desinate a bike lane, it increases safety.
3. When you add a sidewalk on 101, it increases safety.
4. When you put a roundabout in instead of intersection stops or signals, it increases safety. And lets face it, more dangerous intersections are the alternative.
5. When you put a roundabout in, you no longer have to navigate 3 lanes of 35 mph traffic to make a left turn from the west, but one lane of 15 mph traffic. That increases safety.
6. When the speed is lowered from 35 mph to 15 mph prior to each roundabout, that further increases safety.
7. When you reduce the distance of asphalt a pedestrian has to cross against traffic, that increases safety.
8. When you eliminate T-bone collisions, (Like the oblivious man running a stop sign who rammed my van at El Portal last year.) that increases safety.
9. If you don't live on the highway, you probably don't see that many accidents, collisions or deaths. I and many others have seen too many. I REALLY don't like them.
Looks like that lady is posting as anonymous now. 12:40?? Is that you lady???
Delete1. The speed limit has been lowered to 35 MPH, increasing safety.
ReplyDelete2. A bike lane should be designated in the railtrail corridor, SEPARATED from the highway. Bicycles have more collision in intersections with roundabouts, nationwide.
3. I think everyone agrees adding and improving sidewalks on 101 is great. That is irrelevant to obstructionist roundabouts.
4. The four one-lane roundabouts are not planned at intersections with stop signals or with stop signs on Highway 101, for northbound/southbound traffic.
5. The reason one would no longer have to navigate three lanes of traffic, is because the plan would NARROW our Major Roadway from a 4 Lane main arterial, to a two lane, Disney style "Autopia" bottlenecking traffic down to 15 MPH, and creating gridlock during peak periods, beginning at El Portal and Highway 101, with four one-lane, three way intersection roundabouts.
6. If there were NO MORE HIGHWAYS or four lane MAJOR ROADWAYS, that would also "increase safety." If EVERYONE walked or rode their bikes to work, that would also increase safety. Reducing speed limits to 15 MPH on every roadway, including freeways would also "increase safety." We have to balance "increasing safety by reducing the speed limits to 15 MPH" with common sense. Taking away everyone's cars (and guns) would also increase safety. But that's not going to happen.
7. Most pedestrians are not crossing Highway 101, because the businesses are on the west side. We should have more at grade RR crossings, imo.
8. There are going to be accidents at intersections. Sorry for your Tbone collision, Fred. I thought it was long before last year? We can't put roundabouts at every intersection in the City to avoid all collisions. The El Portal intersection has lower than the state average of collisions according to the 7/18 Agenda Report.
9. Anecdotal evidence is highly subjective. I'm sure you've seen many accidents over the years. That comes from living on the highway. We can't eliminate our highways, with lane elimination for motorists, because they are part of the infrastructure we rely upon to commute, and to get to our homes, and our local beaches. Like it or not, we all drive our cars almost every day.
This is the end of my participation in this discussion.
Thank god.
DeleteTotal nonsense.
Yes the speed limit has been lowered to 35 mph, after much much " lobbying" by L101MA. Not by you. YOU have done nothing to improve Leucadia, NOTHING. Nor did you do anything to help the children at PE school, you had decades to do something but you did nothing. L101MA teams up with Ron and creates a farmers market that help hundreds of children yearly. And yet you bitch and moan and cry that the children don't get enough, they get 33% of something vs your 100% of nothing.
DeleteYou lie,lie,lie. What kind of koolaid do you drink??
1. True, and I've always promoted that.
ReplyDelete2. True, bike should be separate from cars. But when that's not possible bike lanes should be well designated - as they were recently done here.
3. True. Most people prefer a smooth surface to walk from lagoon to lagoon along Coast Hwy as opposed to having to walk or roll through mud. But the obstruction to his comes with the package you promote saying no to Streetscape. It's a package and when you toss it you throw the baby out with the bathwater, encouraging every item of it to go to a public vote for micro managing costing much and taking forever.
4. Techically true. However, the Marcheta N/S stops are removed with the installation of the El Portal roundabout. And more intersections would be the alternative to our 4 roundabouts.
5. True, 4 lanes would become 2 lanes because roundabouts make more traffic circulation possible. On the USDT website, one arterial road through a city had 7 lanes of traffic reduced to 2. Birdrock had 5. 101 through Encinitas currently has 2, 3 and 4 in different areas. But the 101 "arterial" road has changed a lot since the 60's when the speed limit was 60 mph and there were ONLY two stops N/S from Carlsbad to La Jolla. Now there's more like 50 and several of those are recent and several more will crop up if roundabouts are not installed. Carlsbad is getting their first roundabout on 101 soon.
6. Except for Disneyland using the very streetlamp designs Leucadia had here in the 20's, the Disneyland comparison to Streetscape is just Goofy.
Reducing speeds in places to 15 mph does increase safety and will happen. No matter if hot pizza's cease being delivered to schools twice a week four our safety.
7. True, most pedestrians are walking N/S along 101. But there are 10 bus stops on the east side of 101 as well as hundreds of motorists who park thare and walk across to work or shop.
8. "There are going to be accidents at intersections." That's because they are inherently a BAD design and tradition dies hard. Check out the proliferation of emergency vehicle crashes at intersections online sometime. There's one of two firetrucks totalling each other. And those are just the ones that happened to be filmed.
9. El Portal St. is probably the widest i.e. unsafest of all streets adjacent to N 101.
10, You'll be back.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to keep personal attacks out of this blog? I'm sure it's not for some people, but can we try?
DeleteWhat a nice idea. However, I doubt if a few people can do it, although we could dare them and see what happens:) Let's see if they trash me first?
DeleteYou've been trash but you don't say 1/1000th the stupid shot Lynn says.
DeleteSpeed demons now are mostly limited to early morning commuters from Carlsbad using 101 as a fast track to all points south. But for the rest of the time the new speed limit has worked very well overall. Partly because of those who do not exceed the limit force everyone behind them to obey as well. If law enforcement cares to make extra money for the state (or whoever else is in on the take of expensive speeding tickets), they should be here between 7am and 9am M-F.
ReplyDelete5:31AM has to get up early in the morning to take pot-shots at Lynn. I guess they are threatened by her wealth of informed opinion and observation. If more citizens were as knowledgeable as she, we'd have the incompetents in
ReplyDeleteCity Hall more accountable.
I guess she's sharing her koolaid with you .....
DeleteGood one.... Did u just wake up? Doubt it. You never do.
DeleteAnother lead weight added to the city's out-of-control pension burden.
DeleteI always feel as though I have just stumbled into an elementary school playground while reading some of these posts: 5:48, 8:41.
ReplyDeleteYou are 'da kine' Lynn....keep up the good work!!
She hates Leucadia.
DeletePfffff
DeletePfff. Lynn is da- clueless.
Delete7:37
ReplyDeletethere is no god
Whatever. Then...
DeleteThank universal energy..
Whatever floats ur boat
Don't matter.
DeleteThen thank the universal energy.
10:31
ReplyDeleteThere is no Friedrich Nietzsche.
Fred; That's like saying there is no existential despair. Just not true:)
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O02yAAmU3Ww
Delete