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PrintShocked by one-way Riverside Dr.
Valley forum
In response to the Index-Tribune article of Sept. 6 (“Changing Riverside Drive”), we are a group of neighbors from the streets surrounding Riverside Drive who were shocked to learn via the newspaper that there was a plan to make Riverside Drive one-way, and that it had reached the stage where it would be considered at the Sonoma County Citizens Advisory Commission this Wednesday, Oct. 24.
The Riverside Drive group has been meeting for almost a year in isolation from the surrounding neighborhoods. Your article stated that this change to Riverside Drive will happen before the end of the year. We fail to understand how this decision could have been made in the absence of traffic impact studies, community meetings and trials of alternative strategies.
This change in the traffic pattern will divert the northbound traffic from Riverside, traffic from the Riverside residents themselves, as well as re-routed neighborhood traffic through our narrow, pothole-ridden streets.
The surrounding neighborhoods now are aware of this issue, and are calling for the commission to defer decision on this proposal until comprehensive impact studies are completed.
We agree with the residents of Riverside Drive that it is a priority to make our streets safer. But increasing traffic to smaller streets only adds to the problem in other neighborhoods. We look forward to joining forces to work together as a community to increase the safety on all of our streets.
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Excellent. We have lived here on Cherry for 11 years. My son and his wife live on Lucas and have for an equal length of time. The IT article was the first I heard of the one-way project. One of the planners glibly stated that Railroad Ave was the better alternative, no mention of the impact on Comstock, Lucas, Barret etc. Including these writers, I have asked nearly 30 local people from those streets who knew nothing of the plans until the article. Take a look at Lucas between Riverside and Cherry, whihc would be the obvious route taken by those wishing to access Boyes Blvd and head to Hwy 12. It is narrow, vehicles parked on both sides, the road is in terrible condition and has a jog at Cherry needing a short detour on Cherry. Same conditions for Barrett. I'm also curious as to how long the ladies have lived in this neighbourhood since they seem to be oblivious to the problems that they wish to foist on the neighbouring streets.