More than 100 Santa Rosa residents showed up to support the continuation of the Humboldt Street Bicycle Boulevard Project or its restoration to a normal street at the Santa Rosa City Council Meeting on Sept. 28.

After more than 50 speakers explained their positions, the council directed the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board to study all four of the options they presented, the fourth of which was reverting Humboldt to its previous condition. Nancy Adams, Santa Rosa’s transportation planner, was directed to study turning more of the streetlights back on, the impacts of no commercial traffic and extra speed tables (mellow speed bumps) on the Humboldt Bicycle Boulevard.

The Humboldt Bicycle Boulevard pilot project was approved in April of 2009 to reduce speeding, cut through traffic and increase bicycle and pedestrian safety, according to the city council agenda. The project designated a 1.5-mile stretch of Humboldt Street, from Lewis Road to College Avenue, as a Bicycle Boulevard. The stretch has four traffic circles and five painted bicycle markings on the road. In anticipation of the project the city reduced the speed to 25 mph in 2006.

The meeting kicked off with a speaker vehemently opposed to the boulevard who continued talking after his two minutes were up. A few from each side had strong words and wanted more time to speak, but for the most part speakers were respectful and stopped when their time was up. The crowd quickly adopted the council’s request of waving hands instead of clapping.

Approximately 10 percent more people were for the project than against it, but both sides of the aisle commonly raised questions about the safety of the four traffic circles placed on Humboldt Street. Citizens said there was no way to see approaching cars, which creates a dangerous situation for bicyclists.

The option with the most changes has three traffic circles, three stamped crosswalks, two changes to the sidewalk, one four-way stop, a speed table on the north end and a diverter at Pacific Avenue and Humboldt Street. The diverter would block through traffic, making vehicles turn right onto Pacific Avenue. The second option was the same but without the diverter, and the third had six speed tables and only one traffic circle.

Patricia Foster, a member of the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition, was concerned the diverter would back up traffic and slow down emergency vehicle response time. If everyone has to turn right onto Pacific from Humboldt, then during busy times SRJC and Santa Rosa High School students will be backed up for all of Pacific Avenue and on Humboldt Street.

“None of the city staff have addressed how this is reasonable,” she said. In addition, when someone from the neighborhood needs to go somewhere he or she will be stuck in gridlock. Emergency vehicles then won’t be able to get through the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Santa Rosa’s Fire Chief Bruce Varner said the plan was reviewed and is acceptable. Anytime traffic-calming measures are implemented they slow the response time of emergency vehicles. “[They] do not create a situation that is unsafe,” he said.

The overall trends, presented by Adams, showed an increase in bicycle use since the projects inception. Vehicle speeds reduced since the establishment by 1-2 mph on average. The city traffic engineer pointed out that from an engineer’s perspective, it is a significant number.

Santa Rosa Police Sergeant Doug Schlief presented the 12 accidents reported to the police department since April 14, 2009. Nine of the accidents were near but not on Humboldt Street, and the three remaining accidents involved vehicles and not bicycles, he said.

Kylie Mendonca, the president of SRJC’s bicycle club “Bikes of Beelzebub,” said Mendocino Avenue is a very dangerous street for cyclists. It is a good example of a street that was not designed for bikes, but has a bike lane. There are many businesses on it, which makes it busy and causes cars to turn right, through the bike lane. Mendocino is also a major bus route, so buses stop often in the bike lane. SRJC and Santa Rosa High School contributes to more traffic as well and if a bike wants to turn left, it must cross four lanes of traffic.

Bikes of Beelzebub took a vote at their Sept. 25 meeting and they unanimously supported the project. Mendonca represented the bike club at the city council meeting.

In general, cities are not designed for bikes and it is dangerous, Mendonca said, so Humboldt Street is a great alternative route.

When Mendocino Avenue is busy with busses and high school traffic, “It is nice to have Humboldt [Street] where I can hear nature,” said Lacie Moore who is the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition. She likes that she can stop and talk to other cyclists at the lights and she supports the diverter. “[They] will reduce traffic and encourage people to get out of their cars.”

Elizabeth Hegarty said the slight inconvenience of having to find another route is well worth it to create a safe place to ride a bicycle. “It is great to have one street in the city where the inexperienced, kids and pedestrians can be safe.”

Rosa Koire, a member of the Santa Rosa Neighborhood Coalition, doesn’t think the boulevard is safe. “If the argument is really about safety, then the Bicycle Boulevard has failed.” It was safer when the stop signs were in place. Koire said the street should be made safe for everyone by putting them back, reducing the seed limit, policing the street and putting in radar speedometers.

Council Member Ernesto Olivares also wants the stop signs reinstated and is frustrated with the whole issue. He wanted to vote on putting everything back but has to wait until the study is competed in November at the earliest.