June 19, 2002
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
News
Pedestrian Safety: Councilman Ken Yeager kneels before a recently installed pedestrian crossing light in Almaden Valley. The same lights are coming to Willow Glen. By I-chun Che The San Jose City Council has allocated about $350,000 to improve Willow Glen's pedestrian safety, park facilities and features in a historical neighborhood. The funds are part of the city of San Jose's roughly $3.5 billion budget, approved by the council June 11 for the 2002Ü03 fiscal year. About $180,000 will be used to install warning "uplights"on Lincoln Avenue, $150,000 to build gateway signs on Lincoln Avenue and $20,000 to add landscaping features to Roy Avenue Park, at the intersection of Roy Avenue and Almaden Boulevard. A total of $10,000 will be spent on restoring the seven historical pillars surrounding the Palm Haven neighborhood, which is located in Willow Glen. Four more will be built to serve as gateways to the community. District 6 San Jose City Councilman Ken Yeager said the city's budget reflects the priorities of Willow Glen residents. "I'm pleased that my requests for important projects in Willow Glen will be funded even in tough budget times, building on the initiatives that were funded last year,"Yeager said. Pedestrian safety on Lincoln Avenue has long been a major issue. For the past 40 years, there have been only four streetlights on the major thoroughfare. Residents are concerned about motorists driving too fast at night on the street, where the speed limit is 25 mph. "If all people travel at 25 mph, there won't be a problem,"said Chris Carris, owner of Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company. "But when people drive 35 or 40 mph, sometimes people cannot see pedestrians." The San Jose Department of Transportation (DOT) will install round amber lights that will be imbedded in the pavement on Lincoln Avenue. The lights flash when pedestrians are on the crosswalk. Yeager says they are called "uplights"because the lights go up. DOT engineers built the same flashing-light system as an experiment at the intersection of Golden Oak Way and McAbee Road in Almaden Valley. They found that motorists responded to the uplights better than to standard overhead yellow flashing lights. Yeager says he and transportation officials will have a meeting with members of the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association (WGBPA) and that if only two devices are approved, one would probably be installed near the corner of Minnesota Avenue and the other near the corner of Willow Street. "That's where most of the pedestrian traffic is,"Yeager said. "But we want to make sure we have input before we make the final decision." He added that if solar uplights, instead of electrical uplights, are chosen, six devices will be available. "We need to talk to the business association to consider the pros and cons. With electrical lights, one negative is that you have an electric box that you have to put there." With solar lights, Yeager said, the only concern is that they may not work when it's overcast or cloudy. Yeager said the uplights will greatly improve pedestrian safety on Lincoln Avenue. "These lights are some of the newest devices that are out there,"Yeager said. "It's great because motorists will see the lights flashing, even if they don't see the person in the crosswalk, and we'll have to educate people to let them know that when the lights are flashing, someone is in the crosswalk. They should be effective." Willow Glen Neighborhood Association President John Gibbs said that although he is not sure whether putting in uplights is the best solution, he believes that any efforts to improve pedestrian safety should be recognized and supported. Gateways will be built on Lincoln Avenue to welcome visitors into Willow Glen. Lincoln Avenue is the retail focal point for the neighborhood. There are about 390 businesses on the 0.7-mile-long street. Many people use it as a shortcut from Almaden Expressway to get to any place in the city. DOT officials estimate that approximately 2,400 cars drive down Lincoln Avenue every day. "Lincoln Avenue is the heart of the retailers in Willow Glen,"Yeager said. "This project is one of the efforts to preserve and revitalize Lincoln Avenue." Yeager said that building the gateways on Lincoln Avenue will enhance the identity of Willow Glen and serve as a source of pride for the businesses, residents and community as a whole. The possible locations of the gateways will be the intersections of Coe and Lincoln avenues, Minnesota and Lincoln avenues, and Willow Street and Lincoln Avenue. Yeager will hold more meetings with community leaders to work on the design and implementation of the gateways. The funding also allows San Jose's Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services to add landscaping features and one more light fixture to Roy Avenue Park. There are two light poles in the park now. The new light pole will be installed at the rear of the park, which some residents have complained is too dark at night. The funding will also help build four new pillars and refurbish the seven existing ones that surround the Palm Haven neighborhood. The seven existing historical pillars were erected along the edges of the Palm Haven neighborhood when it was developed in 1913. Palm Haven residents have organized a committee to repaint and upgrade the pillars. A skatepark will be built at Tamien Station on Alma Street in District 3 at a cost of $630,000. Although the park is not located in Willow Glen, Yeager said, he hopes the development of the park will allow Willow Glen residents to use the facilities and provide an efficient link with future Guadalupe River Trail development. "We really appreciate Ken representing us,"said Cara Finn, WGBPA president and owner of The Grapevine, a wine store on Lincoln Avenue. "The next step is for the community to work together with the city to make sure everything is done, and done right." |
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