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Eva Inbar: Foes of Curb Extensions Can’t See the Safety for the Cars
Two local men who appear to be on a crusade against curb extensions should think again. Curb extension are being used routinely and successfully all over the country, but in Santa Barbara, some people have developed a bizarre obsession opposing them. Granted, there are plenty of serious problems in the world today, but for some folks it’s all about curb extensions. Yet, consider: What is there not to like about them?
Curb extensions are one of the best tools in the box to increase the safety and comfort of pedestrians. They accomplish this in several ways:
» They reduce the distance a pedestrian has to travel across the street, thus reducing the chances of being hit by a car.
» They improve visibility for both pedestrians and motorists: Pedestrians who can be seen better are safer.
» They reduce the speed of turning vehicles, calming traffic and reducing chances of collisions.
» They look pretty with flowers and landscaping, and this should count for something in Santa Barbara.
» They do not extend into the traffic lanes and do not affect traffic flow.
» They do not take away parking, as only the area near the corner is included that is painted red anyway.
» They do not impede bicyclists, as they do not extend into the travel or bike lane.
The two gentlemen on a crusade forget that Milpas Street is heavily traveled not only by cars, but also by people on foot. This is a dangerous mix: Milpas Street has a high rate of accidents. Most pedestrian collisions happen when people try to cross a street, not when they are in the sidewalk. On Milpas, people have been killed and injured when crossing the street. A simple thing like a curb extension is the least we can do to help keep safe those who are most vulnerable: people on foot.
The two largest schools in the city, Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High are on one side of Milpas; a large residential neighborhood, the Lower Eastside, is on the other. All kids walking from the Eastside to those schools must cross Milpas. At noon, hundreds of high school students crowd the intersection of Milpas and De la Guerra streets, walking to popular lunch spots. We have a collective responsibility to do our best to keep them safe. For anyone looking for a crusade, I suggest that this is the better cause.
— Eva Inbar represents Santa Barbara Walks, a project of the Coalition for Sustainable Transportation.
Comments
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» on 03.16.10 @ 11:37 PM
Word, Eva. Nice article.
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» on 03.17.10 @ 09:16 AM
Yes very nice Iva, in YOUR opinion. Now try to placate the rising backlash with some facts dear. Actually you two right. They do shorten the distance a person has to walk, curb to curb. And they slow turning vehicles way down (because they are now stuck in the through traffic lane). Everything else you said was a fib darling.
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» on 03.17.10 @ 10:18 AM
AN50
Show us the fibs.
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» on 03.17.10 @ 03:39 PM
Well, AN50, on the subject of fibs, you said UN Resolution 1441 authorized US invasion of Iraq; 1441 did not, and at the time 1441 passed, member states of the UN Security Council with veto power said 1441 did not authorize US invasion and announced they would veto any subsequent resolution giving the US invasion authority.
Bulbouts do achieve better visibility, and they do look pretty if properly attended to. Those are not fibs.
I think she got the bike issue wrong. Bulbouts require cyclists to merge with car traffic. I believe there is evidence that this is safer for bikes at intersections, because it reduces the chance that a car will inadvertently hit a cyclist as the car makes a right turn inconsiderately. There is a cost for the car: they can’t slip into the parking lane and make a quick right turn. So car traffic is slowed down.
But for pedestrians bulbouts are pure good.
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» on 03.18.10 @ 03:51 PM
Jeeze Publius you better get yer reading glasses on! I said R1441 “authorized any means necessary”, and I don’t give a rats claw what those cowardly idiots in France or those lying cheats in Russia said after the fact (they did not want us to find their connection to illegal arms deals with Saddam). Get over it will ya?
Any way I also agreed with Eva on the slower traffic and shorter distances did I not? What I called a fib was bulbout’s affect on traffic including bicycles. You did not read that? Ok, so we can both agree she was being less than honest or if you prefer clueless?
Don’t mind you throwing a few stones my way, but watch out for that glass.
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» on 03.22.10 @ 08:29 AM
1441 absolutely did not authorize `any means necessary’, it said `serious consequences’. One fib after another from you, AN50.
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