I am writing in response to the City Engineer's proposed removal of two (among several) Culver City pedestrian crosswalks to be voted on by the City Council this Monday Jan 24 at 7pm all as more fully detailed in the attached flyer.
I am a resident and owner of a condo at Tara Hill, the 430 unit condominium complex located at Indian Wood Road, just a few hundred yards away from two of the referenced crosswalks. I am also a founding member of the Tara Hill Going Green Group, a community group organized to establish "green" practices at our complex.
Removal of the crosswalks at Duquesne Avenue and Jordan Way-Summertime Ln would impede pedestrians at Duquesne wishing to cross Jefferson in order to enjoy the Baldwin Hills Overlook, the baseball fields and hiking trails and the skate park across the street.
It would also affect the thousands of individuals that live in the three condominium complexes along this stretch of Jefferson Boulevard. As someone who has lived in this neighborhood for 10 years and who rides the buses and walks and bikes regularly, I can tell you the problem is not the pedestrians but the speeding motorists.
I am deeply distressed that the City Engineer is seeking to remove the crossings in the name of "improving" pedestrian safety. What the City should be doing is increasing pedestrian and bicyclist options, not reducing them.
If you increase pedestrian options by making it more convenient and safer for people to walk and ride their bikes in our neighborhoods, it will naturally solve the speeding car problem. The more people are encouraged to get out and walk, the more the motorists will see them, expect them, and will adjust their driving accordingly.
There are much better AND SAFER alternatives than removing pedestrian options, including installing speed bumps on Jordan Way and installing traffic calming circles on Jefferson Boulevard.
Now that we have a beautiful State Park just a half a mile down the way, installing traffic calming devices on Jefferson would transform this strip from a four- lane commuter highway to a beautiful parkway that would make this area accessible to thousands of residents. It would also greatly improve our property values.
As it stands now, it is extremely unpleasant and noisy for an individual to walk just the short way on Jefferson from our houses to the parks. Here's your chance to make a real difference in people's lives. Please make the right decision for our community and our environment. Encourage people to slow down and to get out of their cars!
Thank you,
Diana Hrabowecki
Culver City
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