I keep forgettin’

So, I’ve just realize the downside of the whole Council Referral process.   It will be abused during campaign years to attempt to show potential voters how “proactive” a candidate is.

Case in point.   On Tuesday night’s agenda, Councilmember Frank Matarrese has placed for Council Referral:

This referral requests the following City Council consideration , discussion and action related to calming traffic on residential streets that have become overburdened, used as cut-throughs” or experiencing other traffic problems.

The goals he would like to see are:

(1) Address the example problem streets as a pilot
(2) Establish a toolbox of solutions for managing traffic on residential streets
(3) Set City Policy providing residents a process for bring these issues light

And you might be saying, why Lauren, that’s a fabulous idea, what’s your beef?   While I agree that traffic calming is a fabulous idea.   I love the idea.   I think it is fanfingtastic.

The only problem is that this has already been done.

Already.  Been.  Done.

There is this whole document on the Department of Public Works page called…wait for it….wait for it.

Traffic Calming Toolbox. (Introduction here, document here)

It’s filled with various tools of solutions to fill the toolbox to manage traffic on residential streets (and other streets as well).

Here the most frustrating thing about this Council Referral.   This has been around since 2003.   And, get this.   Councilmember Frank Matarrese voted for it!

So to address the “goals” of this referral:

(1) Address the example problem streets as a pilot

Technically a “pilot” would be, you know, the first stab at something.   Sort of a test run.  But the program has been around since 2003, back in 2003, $125K was allocated to the program and most recently Gibbons Avenue (more on Gibbons here) has been in the spotlight due to conflicts around whether or not to implement traffic calming measures on that street.   Traffic calming measures taken from the Traffic Calming Toolbox.

(2) Establish a toolbox of solutions for managing traffic on residential streets

See linked to Traffic Calming Toolbox above.

(3) Set City Policy providing residents a process for bring these issues light

According to the staff report this is the City Policy in the case that residents would like some sort of Traffic Calming measure in their neighborhood:

Traffic calming measures will be considered at the request of the neighborhood.  On minor streets, a petition signed by 30% of the residents within the directly impacted adjacent  area must be submitted to the City before the City will proceed with evaluation of the site.  On a major street, a petition signed by 30% of all residents and 30% of all businesses within the directly impacted adjacent  area must be submitted or 67% of all residents or businesses.  The City shall consider other requests generated by the school board or City department.

Just a note, the classifications for streets has changed from just “major” or “minor.”   That was addressed here.

So while yes, the issues of cut throughs on Burbank and Portola and Sherman should be addressed, there already is a mechanism to consider traffic calming measures and the residents should have been directed to this solution as opposed to ignoring the work that has already been done to address traffic calming city wide.

And in more Frank Matarrese news, he apparently is the lucky target of a push poll that started making the rounds on Friday evening.   Lots of folks started posting about the push poll, emails were sent flying, and JKW broke the news here at In Alameda.   I don’t know much about it, I haven’t heard it.   I never get political phone calls.   My husband does and always hangs up on the person.

Someone emailed in to say that her phone call came from the number 510-456-7777.  A quick call back indicated that the line was disconnected.   I did some searching on the internets which uncovered that the phone number belongs to Telepacific Corp. which is a largish telecommunications company.   And on this callwiki site, someone fairly recently reported that this number was being used by someone asking about their mortgage.   So essentially, not a lot of information.

I have to say, I hate push polls.   I think they are pretty smarmy.     There is a lot to be critical of Frank Mattarese (see post above before push poll digression) about without resorting to anonymous push polling.    Definitely in bad form.