Response to Caltrans' LCAD Proposal

My sincere condolences go to the Fitzpatrick family over their terrible loss. Despite concern expressed by many individuals writing about roadway-safety we witnessed another preventable pedestrian fatality April 3.  Let's correct the misuse of our roadways before another pedestrian (two per month)  is sacrificed to motorist traffic.

In "Slow Down, Mindful of Life's Preciousness" Mark Garry wrote this accident was avoidable but inevitable:
"The pathetic truth of this matter is quite simple; the loss of life at this location was an expected outcome."

When is the last time you drove through a school-zone posted 45mph, or through a cross-walk placed across a freeway? Laguna Beach is home to both at LCAD. I blame LB policy makers and their roadway tool Caltrans for misuse of a roadway.

In November 2011 Pamila Burrus organized Safer Passages  to bring attention to dangerous crosswalks. In September 2011 Laguna Streets warned the danger of flashing-strips on PCH in "Put Lipstick on a Pig it's Still a Pig" .

“We are here to serve” says Caltran’s David Richardson. Instead of a traffic calming device Caltrans has served us a yellow chicken-strip activated by a panic button. Mr. Richardson claims the statutory posted speedlimit represents 85% of motorists and not easily changed. That measure and attitude is misplaced at LCAD. Lets measure the speed of walking students and set motorists speed-limits accordingly.

Caltrans' mission is to move vehicles in the most convenient manner possible (FAST), and completely misplaced in a small tourist town like Laguna Beach.  Urban design consultant Andre' Duany warned us: "This kind of place is very fragile and very, very subject to destruction by the 20th and 21st century. Everything that happens out of here .......... to make it sort of work better.  But it won’t do that, you will lose it."

Caltrans proposes to place a traffic-light at LCAD.  Now peer into the future of Laguna Canyon Road, a patch-work of traffic lights from LCAD to Lake Forest confounding LCR like Harbor Boulevard: brief spurts of traffic frenzy between dead-stops at traffic lights.
 
Caltrans fails again to exercise their own federal directive by favoring conventional car-centric planning at the peril of pedestrians. Caltrans will try to improve our place at the expense of loosing it. There is a better way. Comply with federal directive (Deputy Directive 64), a mandate by the Federal DOT and implement COMPLETE STREET POLICY on Laguna Canyon Road.

Les Miklosy
Laguna Streets