Help Make the Mission Street Corridor Bicycling Conditions Safer

Mission Street serves both as a state highway and a business and residential main street of the west side of the City of Santa Cruz. While it is best for cyclists to avoid riding on Mission Street as much as possible, it isn't entirely feasible since there are many destinations on Mission Street that cyclists need to access. These destinations include three bike shops, several grocery stores, restaurants, ATM machines, video stores, and much more. Four schools are within five blocks of Mission Street and crossing Mission is unavoidable for many school children. Cyclists living on Mission Street or working at business there have the right to ride to their homes or places of employment.

Working with CalTrans, the City should prioritize safety for bicyclists and pedestrians on Mission Street by enacting these improvements on Mission Street:

• Install no fewer than six yellow signs (such as the one near Mission and Bay) that say "BIKES MAY USE FULL LANE". Bicycles are currently permitted, by law, to take the full lane on Mission Street.
• Place corresponding "sharrow" street markings in the right-hand lane on Mission.
• Erect large, bold signs at either end of Mission Street establishing a safety zone. Signs would alert motorists with a message such as "ENTERING SAFETY ZONE—WATCH FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS".
• Place rumble strips on either end of Mission Street and on both sides of all crosswalks alerting motorists to slow down.
• Post more speed limit signs (currently 25 mph) along Mission Street.
• Set stop light timing so cyclists have enough time to cross Mission Street.

The following recommendations encourage cyclists and pedestrians to use parallel routes to Mission. These recommendations create safer, calmer and quieter neighborhoods.

• Improve King Street for cyclists, thus encouraging use of King Street instead of Mission when possible. Current conditions on King Street force cyclists to either ride down the middle of the lane or ride close to the parked cars and risk being hit by an opening car door. Unless it is amended, King Street will continue to get worse for cyclists as more development occurs at UCSC and on the Westside. One of two things need to be done on King Street:
  1. Install bike lanes by removing parking on one side of the street, OR
  2. Make King Street into a bicycle boulevard by restricting automobile through traffic. This plan would include amending nearby streets to insure that their share of traffic is not increased. Many cities have bike boulevards including Palo Alto, Davis, and Berkeley. (See Bike Boulevard article.)
• Build the Coastal Rail Trail. The rail corridor parallels Mission Street from Bay Street to Schaffer Road at the far Westside of town. This would provide a car-free route for school children and commuters. Street intersections would be designed for safe bike and pedestrian crossings.
• Create bike route signs directing cyclists to safer roads. Signage alerting bicyclists to the recommended routes along streets such as King, Seaside, and Escalona would encourage and educate cyclists to the existence of these alternatives. Alleys and access points to businesses on Mission Street should also be signed. (For example, the public alleyway that leads to Trescony Park off of King Street to Mission Street.)
• Extend route signage throughout the city and county. Promote use of safer cycling routes to major destinations such as downtown and UCSC. Examples include: the Arroyo Seco Canyon trail and Spring Street to reach UCSC and the bicycle bridge behind Nob Hill in Capitola to reach Cabrillo College. The City and County of Santa Barbara have bike route signs directing cyclists to downtown, across town, and to the beach.

What You Can Do

On Tuesday, September 25, 2007, we expect the City Council will have their first discussion of this proposal. Please call the People Power office at 425-0665 to confirm the time and date, if you plan to attend. We will post definite information on the People Power web site when it becomes available.