CITIZENS FOR A SAFER RECREATION TRAIL

Dear Mayor Della Sala and members of the   Monterey City Council;

We, the undersigned use the Monterey Recreation Trail for walking and/or cycling and we are concerned about safety issues related to its use. We have each either witnessed collisions between cyclists and pedestrians on the Recreation Trail, or we have seen numerous near-misses. We are asking that something be done to improve the safety of walkers and cyclists alike. Furthermore, we believe: Mixing fast moving bicyclists with unknowing tourists, small children, and elderly walkers on this intensely utilized path creates a hazardous condition. It is not a matter of IF a life-altering collision between a pedestrian and a cyclist will occur; it is a matter of WHEN! No one deserves to be rendered a paraplegic, or worse, because of an unsafe situation which could be corrected, was ignored. The City of Pacific Grove separates cyclists and pedestrians on the entire length of its portion of the Recreation Trail. The opportunity to do the same between Fisherman’s Wharf and David Avenue is readily available now. By moving a few young trees, cutting the lower branches from others, shifting one section of steel guard railing, installing a few sections of guard rails elsewhere, and installing retaining walls along a few sections of the Trail, existing soil covered land along the bay-side of the Trail can easily be transformed into a safe pedestrian walkway, with beautiful views of Monterey Bay and Cannery Row. A sidewalk-width decomposed granite pathway, beside the existing trail, separated wherever feasible, will not only create a safer path for walkers-joggers, it will offer a more forgiving surface suitable for walking and running. Turning over exclusive use of the existing paved portion to wheeled cycles will encourage greater use of bicycles as commute transportation for people living in all Peninsula cities, easing congestion on the city’s streets. It will also encourage greater use of the Trail by pedestrians traveling from downtown to Cannery Row easing parking needs. Perhaps a beautification project to upgrade the esthetic beauty of the Trail can be simultaneously carried out on land adjacent the Trail, enhancing two of Monterey’s greatest assets: the waterfront harbor and Cannery Row. In the interest of, and safety for all who use the Monterey Recreation Trail, we are asking that this safety-oriented conversion be implemented at the earliest possible opportunity. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns.

CITIZENS FOR A SAFER RECREATION TRAIL