Thursday, December 26, 2013

• Bike Lanes in Wildomar

 I just got done reading an article about bike lanes coming to Wildomar. 
Go over and read it.
Here are some of the salient facts in the article.
PHASE I
WHAT: Installation of bike lanes on Clinton Keith Road from George Street to Grand Avenue and on Grand Avenue from Clinton Keith to David A. Brown Middle School
WHEN: Construction, February-May 2015
COST: $949,500, (Grant funding - $613,800)

Leaving the city with a bill of $335,700

PHASE II
WHAT: Installation of bike lanes on Grand Avenue from David A. Brown Middle School to Corydon Street.
WHEN: Construction, February-May 2016
COST: $1,019,100 (Grant funding - $746,640)

Leaving the city with a bill of $272,460



For a combined total of  $608,160  for the city to pay. 

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Good News... since I first posted this blog, I've learned that the city will be using Measure "A" funds to pay for this. See update below.

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We've long since needed bike paths, along with curb, gutter and sidewalks throughout our city. All the places I'd lived in the past had curb, gutter and sidewalks, but that would be bank-a-roni  to bring here... and by the looks of the costs for these two projects [with no mention of curb, gutter or sidewalk in the article, but it did mention 'sidewalks' in the headline] it makes me blanch to think of how much it must cost to provide such things throughout The W

There is no doubt that we need bike lanes. When I moved here in 2001, I had my kids ride their bikes to school. That was to David A. Brown and Elsinore High School from The 'Song (Windsong Valley for the uninitiated). Had I known how truly dangerous those routes were, and continue to be, I wouldn't have had them bike to school. 




Still, money is a real factor, and the streets mentioned here are a nice start, but are barely a fraction of the streets without bike lanes. My question to the city is: 
Is there actually room in our budget for this?

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UPDATE TO THIS BLOG ENTRY

I can see that I jumped the gun when I posted this (I was ready to turn the computer off for the day). I didn't wait for some questions I had out there to be answered first.
 [Note to self: Hold your horses next time... Check ]

After posting this blog, Council Member Bridgette Moore apprised me of the following info: 

The City is "matching" with Measure A funds. The full staff report can be read here, starting on page 1,438.

It's a long report, so remember to enter the page number when you get there.

So, there is room in the budget for this, and I'm happy to post the update. It's always good to have our concerns dealt with in a timely manner.




3 comments:

  1. At a cost of almost $500,000 per mile to add a bike lane to 2 of the busiest roads in the city is so typical of the forward thinking minds at city hall. There is hiking path along a major portion of the Murrieta Creek that could be upgraded to a class 1 trail at less cost per mile and take bicycles off the roadway at the same time.

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  2. Yes we can afford it and we must do it. We've lost too many lives already.

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    Replies
    1. Harv,
      I was glad to learn where the funds were going to come from. It sure would have been nice if the Press Enterprise reporter would have added the details, that the rest of the money would be coming from Measure A funds.

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