James Becker asks Alex Stillman, Stacy Atkins-Salazar, Sarah Schaefer, Gregory Daggett, Genevieve Serna, Dana Quillman, Shea Freedomhowler…

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Motor Vehicle traffic south of 7th street on the L Street corridor

Would you approve a woonerf or road that would have motor vehicle traffic on the L Street Corridor in the section south of 7th Street to Samoa Boulevard?

— James Becker

Responses

Gregory Daggett

My position is no motor vehicles, and no new roads on the L street corridor in the section south of 7th street to Samoa Boulevard. Over 1,200 people signed a petition to preserve this open space and wetland. The City Council final vote on the Gateway Area Plan put the road back into the area that was to be open space, south of 7th to Samoa Boulevard.

Genevieve Serna

Thank you for this question.

After hearing the public’s input on this issue I believe the decision made by the acting council  to strike the one way conversion on L St should remain in place.

When I was on the Transportation Safety Committee reviewing this policy within the Circulation Element, I struggled to reconcile with the plan’s primary purpose of improving Level of Service (LOS) on K St as the Gateway area grows in the future despite the city’s explicit goals of moving away from this metric of circulation evaluation. Even as the plan evolved to focus more on the bike and pedestrian improvements to K St I felt the result of the couplet conversion would be the same, to increase the LOS for the area. 

I believe the public would be better served by the green space they are seeking. 

Alex Stillman

A woonerf has been discussed by neighbors in the L Street area. In my opinion, L Street needs to be the main bicycle route and in the future - residential units, parkway, walking path, theater, and businesses will all be enjoying this area. Its a good concept and with time as the Gateway comes alive in 10-20 years, it will be a place folks will want to be.

Stacy Atkins-Salazar

The small business I own and operate is on K Street, therefore I had to recuse myself from the previous discussions and voting regarding the L Street area. Should this topic make its way back to the council, I will once again not be able to vote on it. But there are lots of other streets in town I can work to make safer!

 

Sarah Schaefer

Pending future development on lots that face L street will impact this. I believe that our council decision to preserve that trail space and look forward to creating a more publicly usable greenway/woonerf space is essential. However, buildings will need to have sensible emergency access/fire lanes or delivery for commercial spaces. There should be no development of through traffic on the L street corridor south of 7th street. 

Dana Quillman

The citizens came out and spoke on this issue and it has been decided.  There does not need to have further discussion on this issue.  Time to move on.