- To make Grand Ave safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and residents.
- To seek enforcement of posted speed limits through police patrols and effective signage.
- To unify the voices of concerned citizens on and around Grand Ave and the West Side of Saratoga.
We are asking Saratoga City Council for their support in putting safety measures (including sidewalks, shoulders, and bike paths) along Grand Avenue from West Avenue to Rowland.
Sidewalks
Sidewalks separated from the roadway are the preferred accommodation for pedestrians. Sidewalks provide many benefits including safety, mobility, and healthier communities. In addition to reducing walking along roadway crashes, sidewalks reduce other pedestrian crashes. Roadways without sidewalks are more than twice as likely to have pedestrian crashes as sites with sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Providing walkways for pedestrians dramatically increases how well pedestrians perceive their needs are being met along roadways. The wider the separation between the pedestrian and the roadway is, the more comfortable the pedestrian facility.
By providing facilities that are more comfortable, we can increase the number of trips made by walking, particularly in areas with mixed land uses. Providing sidewalks, widened paved shoulders, or stabilized shoulders — particularly when providing access to public transit — can increase the transportation options for individuals who may not be able to drive a car. Additionally, by moving pedestrians off the travel lanes, motorist operations are improved and capacity increased.
Research indicates that people will walk for recreational purposes if a facility is provided. Recreational walking is one of the easiest ways for people to get the recommended allotment of physical exercise each day. Moderate exercise, such as walking, contributes to both physical and mental well being.
[source]Shoulders
Paved shoulders provide numerous safety benefits for motorists and pedestrians. Installing or widening paved shoulders has
the following benefits:
- Provides a stable surface off of the roadway for pedestrians to use when sidewalks cannot be provided.
- Reduces numerous crash types including the following:
- Head on crashes (15%-75% reported reduction)8
- Sideswipe crashes (15%-41%)8
- Fixed object crashes (29%-49%)8
- Pedestrian (walking along roadway) crashes (71%)8
- Improves roadway drainage
- Increases effective turning radii at intersections
- Reduces shoulder maintenance requirements
- Provides emergency stopping space for broken down vehicles
- Provides space for maintenance operations and snow storage
- Provides space for variable message signs
- Provides an increased level of comfort for bicyclists
Bikes Lanes
A Bike Lane is defined as a portion of the roadway that has been designated by striping, signage, and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists. Bike lanes enable bicyclists to ride at their preferred speed without interference from prevailing traffic conditions and facilitate predictable behavior and movements between bicyclists and motorists. A bike lane is distinguished from a cycle track in that it has no physical barrier (bollards, medians, raised curbs, etc.) that restricts the encroachment of motorized traffic.
Conventional bike lanes run curbside when no parking is present, adjacent to parked cars on the right-hand side of the street or on the left-hand side of the street in specific situations. Bike lanes typically run in the same direction of traffic, though they may be configured in the contra-flow direction on low-traffic corridors necessary for the connectivity of a particular bicycle route.
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