The Willow Glen Resident

Point of View

Deborah Taylor-Hollis

Follow your nose to park on Lincoln

'Rollin', rollin', rollin'/keep those big wheels rollin'/keep them tourists movin'/just driiive..."

You can sing that to the tune of "Rawhide." Yep, that's just how it is on Lincoln Avenue these days.

Parking has become the thing to have, and there's nothing better than blocking traffic in the right-hand lanes during rush hour while waiting for that cute elderly couple to load themselves into their Subaru, readjust their rearview mirrors, make sure their seat belts are secured, store her purse, find the keys, double-check the mirrors, turn on the engine, wait for it to warm up and then check to see how traffic is behind them.

That's when they see you, waiting patiently as behind you rush-hour traffic has come to a massive stop, with thousands of commuters desperate to floor it the moment 25 inches of asphalt clear in front of their cars.

The back lots have become more crowded lately, too--mostly with strangers blocking the single-lane entrances and exits, idling right behind the back doors of shops while they run in to the post office and empty their boxes. Better to go order a large pizza at Round Table than to count on the gridlock to clear anytime before midnight.

We have had this problem for years, and now that we have national chains advertising for more commerce on the Avenue, we have to take a good look at the parking problem and finally do what should have been done long ago. Lincoln has to become a one-lane street both ways, with nose-in parking against the curbs.

It wouldn't be hard to restripe Lincoln so its right lanes at Willow Street and Minnesota Avenue are right-turn-only lanes. The second outer lane at Minnesota is currently already blocked by every delivery driver in America anyway, and this change could more than double current street parking.

Elderly ladies love nose-in parking. They can see where they're going and can usually get the car back out in just one try. Young housewives and bicyclists love nose-in parking. No more car doors opening directly into the sidewalk traffic or into the bicycle path. People could actually get out of their cars without fearing the superfast trucks will smash them into road litter.

And the speeding would stop. With only one lane, traffic would move at the pace of the slowest common denominator--and I guarantee you there are still lots of slow drivers to be found here. But after they slow down to 20, they are legally required to move to Arizona and park their cars permanently.

We will never have a pedestrian death on "The Mall," such as has already happened down at Malone Road and at Curtner Avenue. With only one lane of moving traffic, pedestrians will never have to worry about the "inner-lane drivers": the folks driving fast who can't see people coming off the curb and don't slow down when the outer lane does. We won't have any "walking wounded" with a single lane each way, and there will be no more fear and loathing on Lincoln.

One lane each way also adds to our neighborhood atmosphere with a slower, smaller artery to navigate through. Shoppers will come--they can finally find parking. Commuters will find another route, just as they did when Bird Avenue was temporarily shut down and when Route 87 opened.

Sending traffic that doesn't want to stop and shop down either Meridian or Bird avenues will alleviate about 30 things that have been problems for the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association, as well as the three main gripes of noise, pollution and parking that annoy neighborhood residents.

Since I've thought this out thoroughly, and I am sure this is one great solution to a host of dangers, I can only assume that City Hall will hate it and put its foot down.

There is no big money for the Redevelopment Agency to give to some developer who doesn't need it to destroy some major architectural heritage point. There's no Caltrans money to come in to be given over to some big developer; there's no state funding required to be handed over to...well, you get the picture.

Luckily we have a great tool at our disposal--rumor has it our City Councilmember, Frank Fiscalini, has aspirations to become mayor at some point. If you like this idea and want to see it happen and not get lost in multimillion-dollar studies, environmental impact reports or City Hall "lists that you're at the bottom of," then just let Fiscalini know that we want the paperwork done and the restripers out faster than you can say "Ballot, please."

It's a really easy fix and a pleasant quality-of-life enhancement--more space, less traffic. You can think about it while you're waiting for that parking space to open up in front of Le Boulanger.

[ Back to Contents Page | Willow Glen Resident Home Page | Archives ]