Letters
Traffic project almost complete, but with little to show for it
The Saratoga News article in the July 26 issue relating to the Prides Crossing traffic study does not realistically represent the status of the project. The CCS report to the Public Safety Commission, dated July 13, recommended installation of the traffic calming elements in their draft plan. This gives the impression that meaningful progress has been achieved. This is not the case. There are a number of reasons the CCS proposal can't and should not be implemented.
At the April 12 neighborhood meeting, I cited five street address locations requiring corrective actions. Four of these have been ignored and the solution for the fifth was not acceptable to the homeowner.
In another instance, a homeowner requested that the "traffic problem" at Ascension be corrected, but this has not been addressed. Most importantly, the speeding and the cut-through traffic volume will not be corrected with CCS's proposal.
In my July 12 letter addressed to CCS and other city officials, I cited sources where the same proposed calming elements did not correct these conditions. In summary, CCS's proposal for Miller is not acceptable.
Furthermore, CCS has not collected the reliable traffic data that they promised to collect. How can they determine the optimum calming devices without having this information? More importantly, how can Saratoga measure how many traffic improvements, if any, were achieved if we don't have a reliable database or its contract obligations without this database?
If CCS has not been able to propose a viable plan for Miller, how can we expect them to provide a "tool kit" that other Saratoga neighborhoods can use without depending on an outside consultant? With the project half completed with little to show for it, the council needs to review this project to determine if our tax dollars are being wisely spent.
If the council does not initiate a review of this project, then I, with the support and urging of the Miller homeowners, will formally request they take appropriate action.
Elmer Szanto
Miller Avenue
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Saratoga, California Since 1955
