Monte Sereno not satisfied with study on traffic near Daves Avenue

More information is needed to make a recommendation

New report is due Feb. 5

By Gloria I. Wang

For the third time, a consultant has brought his analysis of the Winchester Boulevard and Daves Avenue intersection before the Monte Sereno City Council, but council members say more information is needed before they can bring a recommendation to Los Gatos.

A traffic engineer studied the possibility of putting in two mid-block crosswalks, with pedestrian-activated lights, north and south of the intersection. According to the engineer's report, the idea was plausible but complicated and would not best increase pedestrian safety.

"It's feasible to do. It's not the best possible situation," Monte Sereno City Manager Brian Loventhal said.

Concerns for the safety of children walking to Daves Avenue School led to a joint study of the area in 2001, financed by Los Gatos and Monte Sereno. Police surveys indicated that the average speed in the 25-mph zone was 34 mph, with a few drivers zooming by at more than 60 mph. As a result, Monte Sereno agreed to pay for half of the traffic study but to defer to Los Gatos for the final decision, since much of Winchester is under the jurisdiction of Los Gatos .

In September, representatives from CCS Engineering, hired by Monte Sereno and Los Gatos, presented the position that a full traffic light, at Farley Road West and Daves Avenue on Winchester, was the best alternative for pedestrian safety. Although the Los Gatos Town Council voted to proceed with the light, Monte Sereno council members rejected the suggestion based on strenuous objections from citizens.

And in October, the city council commissioned a consultant to look into constructing a roundabout at the intersection; the consultant pointed out that there was inadequate road width to accommodate a roundabout and that the city would have to purchase some of the adjacent private property to make room.

The latest consultant agreed with CCS that a stoplight was the safest option, but added a twist. Instead of making the intersection more than 200 feet wide, with the southernmost crosswalk at Farley and the northernmost one at Daves, the intersection would be limited to Winchester and Daves. The crosswalks would start on either side of Daves and cross Winchester. That way, Loventhal said, there would be less of an urban look and a more small-town feel to the traffic light.

According to Loventhal, CCS representatives had looked at the idea and agreed that it would work. There were two options for the smaller intersection. The first would be to make the light that faces cars on Daves Avenue flashing red. The lights on Winchester would stay green most of the time and only turn yellow and red when pedestrians push the button to cross the street. For traffic reasons, left turns in and out of Farley would have to be prohibited, and the left-turn lane into Daves from Winchester would be extended.

The second option was to make all three lights fully activated; the Daves light would not only be triggered by pedestrians, but also by vehicles, and have green, yellow and red capabilities. Cars would then still be able to make a left turn in and out of Farley.

"I think, without a doubt, a standard signal is the safest," Loventhal said.

Loventhal said the engineer had found mid-block intersections to be insufficient because there were problems with each spot. The northernmost crosswalk would have to be just south of Blanchard Drive, because if it were any farther south would conflict with the cars turning into Daves. Near Blanchard wouldn't work, though, because the elevation of the road increases by 5 to 10 percent, limiting visibility for cars on Winchester.

Also, the southernmost crosswalk--anywhere from Daves to Shelburne Way--would either interfere with the cars turning into Daves or require that several bus stops and turnouts be moved. North of Blanchard and south of Shelburne would be too far away from Daves and probably would not increase the safety of Daves Avenue School students, which was the main goal of the initial traffic study.

The audience and council members, however, were of the opinion that the city should find another engineer to do a better analysis and that the report was barely coherent.

"I would really like to see a report done by a qualified engineer that has dealt with mid-block signals," said Via Sereno resident Bryan Mekechuk. Mekechuk said, in his reading of the report, he saw several "yellow flags" when the engineer stated conflicting points.

"A lot of work has been done. A lot of great work," Oak Rim Way resident Doug McNeil said. Still, there was "extensive support from the community" for mid-block intersections, and McNeil urged council members to examine the intersection despite the consultant's advice.

Paul Lackovic, from Daves Avenue, added that nobody from the public had ever supported a stoplight at any of the meetings. "Every time there's new alternatives. And they seem to be feasible alternatives," Lackovic said.

Councilwoman Barbara Nesbet said the report had not answered any of the city council's questions and suggested that the council hire a certain consultant who had done mid-block intersections in San Mateo for about $2,000.

In response, Loventhal said the engineer who had done this report had designed several mid-block crosswalks and was hired because of his experience. The engineer had also worked on some 30 school traffic programs. In addition, Loventhal pointed out, the city council had wanted a preliminary report that could be completed in January. The report could not be faulted for its lack of detail because the council had not asked for a long, comprehensive analysis.

Despite Loventhal's explanation, city council members decided to proceed and spend $2,000 on another mid-block intersection consultant. The consultant would have two weeks to gather all the information and make a report to the council at the Feb. 5 meeting. The council would then bring its recommendation to the Los Gatos Town Council, which has the final say in the matter because the street is in the town's jurisdiction.

"Los Gatos is not going to approve anything that any engineer says is not the safest," Mayor Jack Lucas said. According to Lucas, some representatives from Los Gatos had indicated a willingness to look at alternatives if they improved pedestrian safety.

Councilman Erin Garner said he was unsure of which direction to take. "I think we keep asking the question because we want to keep asking the question until we hear the answer that we want," Garner said. While he personally did not want to see a stoplight, he said, "I'm compelled to say, 'Let's go to Los Gatos. Let's put the light in. Let's expedite the contract. Let's make it safe for the kids.'" At the same time, Garner was willing to wait until the next council meeting in order to hire the consultant that Nesbet had brought up.

McNeil, in his presentation to council members, also mentioned that many times there was no traffic for the students walking across Winchester to get to school.

Loventhal said that while the crossing guard was a contractual matter between the school district and the crossing guard company, he could speak to the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department about increasing pedestrian safety in the area. Council members directed Loventhal to ask about having a community service officer pass by the intersection as part of his daily route, and then stop and assume the crossing guard duties if no one was out there.

Los Gatos Union School District Superintendent Mary Ann Park told council members that even though a light would not be the most beautiful addition to the street, it would make the intersection safer.

"I ask you and implore you to finalize this so we can get going and make this safer for our kids," Park said.

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