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HomeMy Public PortalAboutPublic Comment - Laura LindgrenIntroduction I write to provide input on the Mobility Element of the Truckee 2040 Draft Plan (“Draft”), and in particular to request that Northwoods Blvd. be included in the plan. The goals of the Mobility Element include a “well-connected, accessible, equitable, mulit-modal transportation system” that prioritizes “non-automobile transportation” and a focus on “solutions and strategies that contemplate safety, convenience, attractiveness and accessibility to the end user.” The Draft notes that mobility can be “enhanced with safety improvements (sidewalks, roundabouts, and crosswalks” and by making “commuting by non-auto modes easier,” among other suggestions. As noted in the draft, Northwoods Blvd. provides loop access to the entire Tahoe Donner neighborhood (with over 6000 housing units and nearly 1/3 of total housing in our Town, and trails and ski operations open to the public) and is a major collector road with average daily traffic of over 18,000 vehicles. Reducing traffic flow by making bicycle and pedestrian usage safer and easier should be an important consideration in the Draft, yet it does not contain any such enhancements or improvements for Northwoods Blvd. Issues and Opportunities to Further the Goals of the Mobility Element Tahoe Donner is a part of Truckee where active transportation presents a huge opportunity for decreasing vehicular traffic and increasing the number of people who walk and bike for short trips. However, unless people feel safe walking or biking, they will continue to use their vehicles as the primary mode of transportation. Many of the side streets in this neighborhood are low-speed, low-volume and ideal for walking and biking (and indeed are often used for both). However, there is one major arterial connecting most streets in the neighborhood, Northwoods Boulevard, that stops many people from walking and biking to key amenities and trails, to other areas of Town or to the Trout Creek Trail that connects to downtown Truckee. There are a few things, most relatively low cost, that would significantly enhance the safety, walkability and bikeability, of the neighborhood, and enhance this area of Truckee:  Buffered bike lanes between the corners of Donner Pass Road and Northwoods and Northwoods and Lausanne Way  High Visibility Cross walks in heavily used areas, including the areas noted in the draft report as higher crash areas: o Northwoods at the entrance to the Trout Creek Trail o Northwoods and Lausanne Way o Northwoods and Access to the Nature Loop Trail adjacent to the Northwoods Clubhouse parking lot o Northwoods at Chamonix o Northwoods at Muhlebach o Northwoods at Hansel o Northwoods at Sierra Glen  Traffic Calming Islands: o Entrance to Tahoe Donner between Truckee Trails Trailhead parking lot and Lausanne Way o Northwoods and Bern Drive o Northwoods and access to Nature loop trial o Northwoods and Fjord These ideas are explained in more detail in the attached Addendum. Conclusion Thank you for your consideration of these important issues. We believe that including Northwoods Blvd in the Mobility Element planning will greatly improve the lives of Truckee residents and significantly further the goals of Truckee’s Mobility planning. Regards, Laura Lindgren ADDENDUM WITH FURTHER DETAIL ON PROPOSALS ABOVE Buffered Lane on Northwoods With the increased use of e-bikes, more and more people are bicycling up Northwoods from Donner Pass Road. People also use this as a walking route. The street is used to commute, to go to stores and restaurants, to schools and to Donner Lake by biking and walking. However, this is also the section of Northwoods where drivers are most likely to speed. Using a radar gun, we have recorded a high percentage of drivers speeding at 45 to 50 miles per hour when driving up the hill into Tahoe Donner. This portion of Northwoods is wide enough for buffered bike lanes on both sides of the street. Buffered bike lanes and narrowed travel lanes would make bicyclists and pedestrians feel safer, and calm traffic through visual narrowing. Traffic Calming Islands Residents in Tahoe Donner frequently express concern about the speed of traffic on Northwoods Blvd in Tahoe Donner. These comments are reflected in community surveys as well as social media. Strategically placed traffic islands would calm traffic in key locations, making both pedestrians and bicyclists feel safer and more likely to walk and bike: Northwoods entrance to Tahoe Donner/Truckee Trails Trailhead (Trout Creek multi-use trail) parking lot. One of the most important locations to slow traffic is at the Northwoods entrance to Tahoe Donner. As noted above, using a radar gun to measure traffic speeds, we have identified this as the area with the highest speed traffic in Tahoe Donner, where speeds up to 50 mph are not uncommon. Placing landscaped traffic islands near the entrance to the Tahoe Donner Neighborhood would tell drivers “you are entering a residential area…drive with caution.” An ideal spot would be adjacent to the Trout Creek Trail parking lot. Pedestrians and bicyclists frequently cross here to access trails on the opposite side of Northwoods; and yet traffic is up to or over 50 mph. A Traffic Island would calm traffic, provide pedestrian and bicyclist refuge as well as beautify the entrance to the Tahoe Donner neighborhood. Other useful and needed locations for traffic calming islands include:  Northwoods and Bern Way. This location is near the entrance to Tahoe Donner where it would reinforce to drivers “you are entering a residential area…drive with caution.”  Northwoods and entrance to Nature Loop trail (immediately adjacent to Northwoods Clubhouse Parking lot). This is a mid-block crossing that provides access to the newly renovated Nature Trail that parallels the SW side of Northwoods Blvd. The crossing is at the base of the hill below Hansel Avenue. Downhill traffic speeds tend to be higher, and because this is a mid-block crossing drivers are less likely to be looking for pedestrians in this location. A traffic Island with a Flashing Beacon like those on Donner Pass Road would make this a much safer location for families to cross Northwoods Blvd.  Northwoods at Fjord. This 3-way intersection is a high traffic volume intersection feeding traffic off of Alder Creek road and the well-used Adventure Center onto Northwoods Blvd.  Northwoods at Snowpeak. This intersection feeds the downhill area and is an intersection where people frequently cross as pedestrians and bicyclists. High Visibility Cross Walks There are several locations (see list above) on Northwoods that would benefit from High Visibility Cross Walks. This would include many of the intersections on Northwoods between the Northwoods Clubhouse and Sierra Glen. Key is that these crosswalks would connect the local streets, where people walk and bike, and enable them to safely access shops, restaurants, trails and other facilities, and thereby avoid the need to drive. These high visibility crosswalks would promote access to local trails as well as to the Northwoods Clubhouse and its associated amenities (restaurants, pool, tennis courts, bacchii ball and offices), Trout Creek Recreation Center, the Lodge (dining), the Golf Course and Z-Market. And they would enhance access to Tahoe Donner’s planned Class One multi-use trail in this area. Such low-cost crosswalks would do a great deal to encourage people walk and bike instead of using their vehicle to access these well used amenities. They will also address the areas noted as higher crash areas.