Los Gatos Weekly-Times

Encouraging bikes on the boulevard is good

By Gladwyn d'Souza

With automobiles frequently moving fast on Los Gatos Boulevard, the town has responded by occasionally putting speed-display monitors by Van Meter Elementary School and near Blossom Hill Road. The speed problem is a result of the relatively light traffic most of the time except for rush hour, when Van Meter and Fisher schools on Roberts are in session.

I assume from reading the article by Clarence Cromwell in the Oct. 8 issue of the Los Gatos Weekly-Times that auto dealers on the boulevard want to increase the drivers' speed while simultaneously decreasing their awareness. Cromwell's article builds on past articles that indicate the opposition of the auto dealers to the Boulevard Plan, which is intended to make Los Gatos Boulevard more friendly to people.

No one will deny that the boulevard presently seems to be driving in the aesthetic direction of El Camino Real, thus robbing the area of its small-town charm. And no one will deny that bike lanes add a measure of aesthetic charm to any street from Monte Sereno to Los Altos. Bike lanes allow for the intimacy of parents and children out enjoying their neighborhood.

According to the article, Swanson Ford partner Bob Swanson believes automobile shoppers will be so uncomfortable driving in narrow lanes that they will go elsewhere.

The dealers' vision is diametrically opposed to a safer boulevard. There are many issues here: Do we want irresponsible shoppers (79 percent from out of town, according to the dealers) driving fast without paying attention to the lane they are in? Should drivers be careful exiting driveways? Do designated spaces for cycles and cars make for safer streets? What are the needs of kids who go to the two schools on the road? What is the meaning of an arterial route? How is Los Gatos linked to Campbell and the great city of San Jose? Are bikes useful as vehicles?

The boulevard, in addition to the school kids cycling or walking, has fast-food places frequented by kids and teens, grocery and drug stores, mini-malls, pedestrian and bus stops and other service sectors of a small-town economy, including a bike shop. The road is frequented by riders who visit the downtown area to ride the creekside route to Lexington Reservoir or up Highway 9, or just relax at the coffeeshops downtown.

San Jose and the city of Campbell are going to add five miles of bike lanes on Bascom Avenue, which San Jose is proposing to extend another two miles to Los Gatos next year. The Los Gatos side of Bascom is about two miles long and, for the most part, has a right lane about 25 feet wide. Eleven feet is the legal Caltrans minimum distance from the last auto lane to the curb, 23 feet with bike lane and parking.

Caltrans has designated Bascom Avenue and Los Gatos Boulevard as "arterial routes." This means that the road should allow for the movement of traffic and not necessarily for parking. If the town is to follow the Caltrans guidelines, it should be removing parking spots where necessary.

Los Gatos residents asked for safer and friendlier streets when the original plan was agreed to. If the council agrees to side with the auto dealers, they will be making streets unsafe for kids, commuters, residents and weekend travelers in Los Gatos so that out-of-town buyers can test-drive the latest huge gas-guzzler.

Beyond Los Gatos Boulevard, let's look at the advantages of bicycles as vehicles: Bike don't kill and maim people the way cars do; they do not pollute; they are quiet; they force residents to shop locally and get their exercise, they allow parents and kids to bond while making a public statement about the friendliness of the town they live in, and it looks like everybody in Los Gatos has one. Bike parking costs about $10-$50 per space versus about $20,000 for car spaces--more if you build a lot around the downtown area.

And residents should look at the economics of air pollution. Some 90 percent of the emissions occur in the first mile. That's because motor vehicles combust their fuel much less efficiently when the engine is cold. The average car trip of 2.5 miles (many car trips are under a mile) puts about four pounds of pollutants into the air. Shifting many of these short "cold-start" trips to cycling or walking costs little but saves a lot. Hopefully, you have a steep hill like I do for the final huff up the driveway with the groceries.

Gladwyn d'Souza lives in downtown Los Gatos and cycle-commutes to north San Jose past the airport. D'Souza is a member of the San Jose Bicycle Advisory Committee and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.

[ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ]