Trails in hazardous locations

The bike trail from Holly to Wipple on the east side of 101 is hazardous to our health. The non stop traffic augmented by trucks create an unhealthy dose of toxins that must be equivalent of smoking a pack of cigarettes when walking that short stretch of one mile.

These trails need to be put at least 500 feet away from the freeway. Planners lack a perspective on how pedestrians move. The slower pace of walkers leave them in the hazard zone for much longer periods of time than is safe. People who worry about parking never even notice the smell and noise and toxicity of the freeway over the wall.

The analysis by the California Air Resources Board, shows that the greatest health dangers arises from diesel trucks on the major roads.

While accessing the trail from Holly we are exposed to diesel emission from the unregulated vehicles that are used at San Carlos Airport. These vehicles don’t have the traps that were installed as part of the Carl Moyer Program on city fleets.

Finally getting over Holly at 101 to get to the Airport Way turnoff and then Skyway to get to the trail is another adventure. San Carlos seems to forget that there are recreation opportunities east of El Camino- the Bay.

If CCAG and San Carlos included a healthy element in their general plan and airport landuse documents this type of deplorable situation would not occur. And now that we are stuck with this pack of cigarettes, a health element in the General Plan would ensure measures to reduce the risk. For example Planning for Healthy Places', Healthy General Plan toolkit,
Goal 5 says: Pursue a comprehensive strategy to ensure that residents breathe clean air and drink clean water. And then lists objectives to accomplish this goal:
Objective 5.1: Reduce residents’ reliance on cars.
Rationale: Motor vehicles are often the principle contributors of particulate matter,
nitrogen oxides, and ozone, which contribute to asthma and bronchitis. Roads and
parking lots comprise most of the impervious surface in a metropolitan area, leading
to water-contaminating run-off, with auto leaks and emissions contributing the most
non-point-source pollution in this run-off.
Policies
Adopt mixed-use residential, commercial, and office zoning
• where appropriate to encourage walkability
• Build and maintain safe, pleasant streets for walking and bicycling (see
Objective 3.3)
• Work with regional authorities to improve transit service linking residents
with destinations (such as jobs and retail), especially in underserved neighborhoods
• Prioritize new infill development near transit nodes
• Utilize parking restrictions to deter car use (e.g., parking requirement
maximum rather than minimum, congestion pricing)
Objective 5.2: Protect homes, schools, workplaces, and stores from major sources of outdoor air pollution.
Rationale: Populations in close proximity to noxious land uses are more vulnerable
to respiratory diseases and cancers.
Policies
• Locate stationary emitters (e.g., incinerators, factories, refineries) segregated
and downwind from homes and schools
• Locate sensitive uses, such as schools and family housing, at least 500 feet
from highways (and we should add trails and playgrounds in here.)

Ralston 101 mulitmodal issues

The issues with Ralston numbered historically are

1- Bike lanes or a wide through lane.
The on off ramp needs to be reconfigured with paint from the Oracle
side to provide access on the through lane westbound. A bike lane or
sixteen foot lane would work here. This would fix today's shortfall
providing access over the interchange until the bridge is built.

2- Routine accommodation.
This problem would not have arrisen if CCAG had adopted MTC Resolution
3765. We could have had routine accommodation for the cost of paint.

3- Safety.
Safety funds were used by CCAG in construction of the interchange.
www.mtc.ca.gov/funding/delivery/Annual_Listing_FY06.pdf
We ask that the situation with respect to cyclist auto collisions be
reviewed since the Oracle project was finished in 2004 and fixes
outlined.

4- Fund the Ralston Bike Ped Bridge.
Many users are uncomfortable riding on large roads with crossing
traffic like the reconfigured Ralston 101 interchange. CCAG took this
into account fifteen years ago when this project was proposed in the
CCAG BPAC CBP. At this juncture CCAG should fund this bridge as a top
priority because of diminished access since the Oracle project.

5- Urban Trail System
Users who tend to use separate structures like the proposed Ralston
bike ped bridge include children. These bridges are large and
expensive and in some places provide access to recreation like the Bay
Trail. In others like Hillsdale the access egress is compromised. CCAG
BPAC should propose a connected urban trail system across the county
linked to the land uses of children to take advantage of these
expensive structures. An UTS would use bicycle boulevard, choker and
diverter restricted auto access streets like Bryant in Palo Alto, to
connect across urban built out areas.

Since June of 2004 when the Ralston 101 interchange came on line we have talked to-
Julian Carrol, bicycle coordinator at Caltrans, who first reviewed our
complaints on Ralston in 2004 and put us in contact with Peter
Voramasante in Redwood City. Peter asked us to contact Dwight
Campbell.
Dwight Campbell, the safety engineer at Caltrans, said that the design
team took into account the availability of the bike bridge and he's
sorry that hasn't been built yet.
John Lynch, the head engineer at RWC, last week told us he doesn't
know anything because Caltrans tells them what gets built.
Ray Davis the Public Works Manager at Belmont which co managed the
project with RWC says that Belmont hasn't bought off on the project
and will ask Caltrans about the wider through lane coming from the
east. This item is before the Belmont Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Sue Lempert, MTC commissioner, said that she understands our complaint
and that "Bicyclists shouldn't be penalized today for promises tomorrow."
Belmont police chief Don Mattei said that the south bound on ramp for
101 from Ralston, since 2004, is where the most collisions occur
between bike and cars in Belmont. We think because the access from the
east is so dangerous looking, with the right turning lanes for
northbound on ramp, that riders are using the sidewalk on the south
side of the interchange and running into cars that don't expect them.
Scot Mace saw the design in '98 and warned in a newspaper article that
it would be dangerous.
Belmont BPAC has discussed with City Manger Jack Crist the hold ups in
bridge funding. We've also talked this over with Richard Napier, ED for
CCAG, and the misdirected usage of the Comprehensive Bicycle Plan as a
document for road planning. Napier has offered to bring all the parties
together to discuss the issues.