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Photograph by George Sakkestad
Monte Sereno resident, Mark Brodsky, points to a map as he makes his case for the elimination of a lane on Winchester Boulevard.
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Council vote sends a signal to residents
With stoplight approval, council takes steps to improve pedestrian safety
By Gloria I. Wang
This time, it's for sure: Los Gatos and Monte Sereno are going to get a new traffic signal at the intersection of Winchester Boulevard and Daves Avenue.
And there's not going to be a stoplight at Farley Road West or a lane-narrowing of northbound Winchester, as previous proposals have suggested.
The Los Gatos Town Council voted on May 6 to proceed with the design for the installation of the signals and make Farley right-turn in/right-turn out only. A consultant's recommendation to eliminate one of the two lanes on Winchester going north was tabled; in February 2003, the council will do a budget review and consider funding a study of the arterial streets through town, including Winchester.
Eight months ago, the council approved a stoplight at an intersection that included both Daves and Farley. However, the Monte Sereno City Council--which is funding half the project--wanted to exhaust its other options first. The stoplight idea was put on hold as the council commissioned study after study of the alternatives, which included roundabouts and mid-block crosswalks.
Monte Sereno was finally satisfied with consultant Richard Hopper's suggestion to put in a "small" intersection, get rid of one lane and construct a 22-foot-wide raised median.
But what the Los Gatos engineering staff came back with was a conceptual design that did not include the latter two improvements. As a result, Monte Sereno council members passed two resolutions on April 16: one approving the proposed design, the other recommending a second phase of the project, consisting of a lane elimination and widened median.
At the Los Gatos Town Council meeting, Los Gatos Director of Parks and Public Works John Curtis presented the conceptual plan. Curtis showed council members the inclusion of a center median, which would act as a pedestrian refuge and have a button for pedestrians to push and activate the stoplight. Curtis also pointed out the curb at the corner of Winchester and Daves, which would be extended as a bulbout to slow traffic and become more pedestrian-friendly.
Curtis mentioned an alternate plan, which was for an intersection stretching from Daves to Farley. That plan, Curtis said, would have a higher chance of causing congestion and was more expensive.
"I'm delighted to see that we've taken a major step, and I think that the major step is absolutely necessary," said Vice Mayor Sandy Decker. Decker suggested looking into using stoplights that count down to red, which some other municipalities have already.
While Monte Sereno resident Doug McNeil said the plan resolved "dangerous and complex" lane issues and makes it safe for pedestrians to cross Winchester, McNeil said he felt it did not address the problem of speeding drivers.
McNeil told council members to consider moving the bike lane closer to the driving lane to create the illusion of lane narrowing. All that would require, McNeil said, is restriping--not "hardscape."
Monte Sereno Councilwoman Barbara Nesbet, on the other hand, said the proposal did decrease speed, and she thanked Los Gatos council members for their open-mindedness.
"The intersection is larger than just the area where the traffic light, or the traffic signal, stays," Nesbet said.
Likewise, Monte Sereno Mayor Jack Lucas said his city and Los Gatos have a good working relationship and he does not want to jeopardize it in the future. Lucas said, however, that the city has a "wish list" in the phase 2 suggestion. "We don't want to see an hourglass there," Lucas said, "but we hope that ... you will look at additional steps in calming the traffic there, beautifying the intersection and going beyond the signalization."
Lucas confirmed that Monte Sereno will participate financially in any future improvements.
Mark Brodsky, from Monte Sereno, strongly advocated the elimination of one lane. Brodsky pointed out that the road immediately south of the proposed intersection is already one lane.
"We're talking about extending that one lane that much more. That's all we're talking about," Brodsky said.
Brodsky also said the town should proceed with the designs and construction, but not do any work that would conflict with potential phase 2 plans. "Authorize the town engineers just to meet with the locals and create what they call a phase 2 plan," said Brodsky.
Los Gatan Martin Dermer, who owns two buildings at the intersection, said more notice of the debate should've been given to the property owners in the area. At the same time, Dermer said, he is supportive of the stoplight. "I think everyone ought to be in favor of anything that slows down or stops traffic so that children can cross," Dermer said.
With the exception of Mayor Randy Attaway and Councilman Steve Blanton, the Los Gatos Town Council was amenable to the idea of a second phase and McNeil's suggestion of restriping northbound Winchester. Attaway said that McNeil's plan was most likely not possible from an engineering perspective, and Blanton said closing a lane would imply that the town should close one of the two lanes in each direction in front of Blossom Hill Elementary School.
Decker said, however, that "necking down" the intersection of Winchester and Daves was a necessity.
Similarly, Councilman Joe Pirzynski said he was interested in McNeil's idea, since it merely involved restriping. The arterials in town deserve a closer look, Pirzynski said, especially since in recent weeks there have been three major accidents on Los Gatos arterials.
On the other hand, all the council members were in agreement that safety--and installing the stoplight--is the top priority and should be done as soon as possible.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
