FREE Community Pedestrian Safety Workshop 3/26

The purpose of the Community Pedestrian Safety Workshop is to improve safety and create a more pleasant walking experience in Watsonville. It will be conducted in Spanish and English, with free lunch and childcare.

This workshop is for parents, teachers, community members, seniors, people with disabilities, and pedestrian safety advocates that want to develop strategies to promote a safer walking environment. Representatives of the Departments of Public Works and Utilities, and Police will also be invited to attend.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a basic understanding of how to work with a group of community residents to set pedestrian safety priorities and build toward a "next steps" education awareness plan to promote safe walking in South County.

Don't Drive Drunk - Get a Free Ride Home.

FROM THE AAA WEBSITE:

As part of our dedication to making the roads as safe as possible for all motorists, AAA is proud to offer its Tipsy Tow program. On ten different holiday and special events in 2011, we offer a free ten-mile tow home for drinking drivers and their vehicles.

The Tipsy Tow program is open to everyone. You do not need to be an AAA Member to take advantage of this service to the community.

AAA typically offers the service to drinking drivers from 6 p.m. on the holiday to 6 a.m. the following day in Northern California, Nevada and Utah. For specific dates and times, see the list below.

During the period Tipsy Tow is available, drivers, potential passengers, party hosts, bartenders, and restaurant managers can call 800-222-4357 (AAA-HELP) for a free tow home of up to ten miles. Just tell the AAA operator, "I need a Tipsy Tow," and a truck will be on its way.

The service will provide a one-way ride for the driver and vehicle to the driver's home. If there are additional passengers who need a ride, they will be taken to the driver's home as long is there is sufficient room for them to be transported safely in the tow truck. You cannot make a reservation.

AAA provides its Tipsy Tow service for the following holidays in 2011:

• Super Bowl: 6:00 p.m. Sunday, February 6th – 6:00 a.m. Monday, February 7th
• St. Patrick's Day: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, March 17th – 6:00 a.m. Friday, March 18th
• Cinco de Mayo: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 5th – 6:00 a.m. Friday, May 6th
• Memorial Day: 6:00 p.m. Monday, May 30th – 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, May 31st
• Independence Day: 6:00 p.m. Monday, July 4th – 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, July 5th
• Labor Day: 6:00 p.m. Monday, September 5th – 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 6th
• Halloween: 6:00 p.m. Monday, October 31st – 6:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 1st 
• Thanksgiving: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, November 24th – 6:00 a.m. Friday, November 25th
• Christmas Eve: 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th – 6:00 a.m. Sunday, December 25th
• New Year’s Eve: 6:00 p.m. Saturday, December 31st – 6:00 a.m. Sunday, January 1st

According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, 20 percent of all motorists in the past year have driven a motor vehicle within two hours of drinking alcohol. About 13% of the total population has done so in the past 30 days. It takes only one or two drinks to impair vision, steering, braking, judgment and reaction time.

AAA estimates that a first time DUI conviction can cost up to $12,000 in fines, penalties, restitution, legal fees, and added insurance expenses. You can't put a price tag on a crash that causes an injury or death.
If you've been celebrating by drinking alcohol, don't get behind the wheel. Give AAA a call and we'll make sure you get home safely.

Public Comment Opportunity

The California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices is being updated. The Manual dictates allowable types and usage standards, as well as guidance, for traffic control devices.

California MUTCD 2011 Draft Version – Open for Public Comment

The draft revision to California MUTCD which incorporates FHWA’s MUTCD 2009 Edition dated December 16, 2009 and the current California MUTCD dated January 21, 2010 is being developed. It also incorporates all policies on traffic control devices issued by the California Department of Transportation (such as TOPDs and memos) that have been issued since January 21, 2010 and other editorial, errata and format changes that were necessary to update the previous documents.  In addition, any California Traffic Control Device Committee’s (CTCDC) pending items (if any) for Caltrans actions are also being included in this draft revision update to the manual.

The individual parts, as they become ready are being posted on the California MUTCD website per weblink below:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/signtech/mutcdsupp/ca_mutcd2011_draftrevisions.htm

The draft of the California MUTCD document, per available parts as they become available, is now open to the public for review and comment. Please note that comments over the phone will not be accepted. Comments may be submitted either electronically or mailed.

Deadline for Comments is January 24, 2011.

Manabe-Ow plan approved (including bike lanes!)

Bob Montague gave an impassioned speech at the 10/26/10 City Council meeting to encourage the Council to require bike lanes in the Manabe-Ow development. Other speakers, including Jovenes SANOS youth, piggy-backed on his message, swaying the Council to include bike lanes. Way to go Bob and Jovenes SANOS!

Manabe-Ow plan approved
Posted: Thursday, Oct 28th, 2010
BY: JON CHOWN

Because Couch Distributing Co. owner George Couch was being sued as a result of the plan, many had assumed he would rather not see the Manabe-Ow Business Park come to fruition. Instead, after long hours of debate, Couch swayed the City Council into a 6-0 vote Tuesday night to certify the park’s Specific Plan and final Environmental Impact Report.

“All the issues on Lee Road are, for now, off the record,” Couch said. “I would encourage you to pass this. Nobody wants jobs in this town more than me.”

The Manabe-Ow Business Park is a 95-acre site located just east of Highway 1 near Ohlone Drive. With about 1 million square feet of tenant space for light industrial business, plus another 30,000 square feet of retail space and 7.2 acres of work-force housing, the development is supposed to create up to 2,100 jobs. Twenty-five acres of wetlands will also be restored.

Couch’s business on the end of Lee Road bumps up against the park and a strip of land owned by the Manabe family that runs through the middle of Couch’s business was originally planned as a third access route to the property. Though all mention of that route has been removed from the plan, Couch, who has an easement on the strip, is being sued by the Manabe family over access. Couch has expressed both safety and security issues regarding public traffic so close to his employees, trucks, equipment and merchandise.

For the complete article see the 10-28-2010 issue.

Draft guidelines released for comment

Draft guidelines for implementing the Complete Streets Act have been released for public comment by the Governor's Office of Planning & Research. Comments are due by Nov. 19. The act became law in 2008 and takes effect next Jan. 1.
Under the act, a city or county that makes substantial changes to the portion of its general plan dealing with transportation and traffic must ensure that the plan provides for accommodation of all road users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, seniors and the disabled, as well as motorists. The draft guidelines are meant to help public agencies adopt plans that meet this requirement.
CBC sponsored the legislation that enacted the law and has remained closely involved in the drafting of guidelines to see that the Complete Streets Act is implemented fully and completely.

Keep quality of life

Letter to the Editor, Santa Cruz Sentinel
October 14, 2010
Bob Montague

Job creation is a major goal for the city of Watsonville. It is too bad the city has decided that that supersedes the requirement to develop the quality of life in our town. The Manabe-Ow Business Park hopes to bring in jobs, but rather than follow responsible planning, the city is conceding to the property owners like a teenager desperate for a prom date. Run the access through a neighborhood rather than build the original bridge, eliminate bike lanes, hope to use an access from Lee Road over the objection of the property owner. There is more, but 150 words are too few. Ohlone Parkway to Loma Vista is now a mostly sleepy neighborhood route. Trips will go from around 350 per day on Loma Vista to around 3,500 per day with the development. The original design for access to the park was appropriate. The current design saves the developer money at the cost of the quality of life in this part of Watsonville. Shameful.