• Grand Avenue Multipurpose Trails Update

If you've been driving on Grand Avenue anytime in the last couple of months you've been noticing some work being done on the west side of the road. 

It's the emergence of the long touted multi-purpose trail that the city has been working on for years now. 

Heading south on Grand, not far from Corydon.

This was first mentioned in Wildomar Rap back in December of 2013 when I shared a Press Enterprise article about it (link to blog). Back then it was mostly about the bike lanes, and not a multi-purpose trail.

Heading south on Grand, not far from Corydon... from about 20 feet in the air.

This blog is chiefly of the photos I took on January 29th, as the construction was about half finished. Interwoven are thoughts on the progress of the project by Assistant City Manager Dan York.

Looking northeasterly towards the strip mall at the corner of Corydon and Grand.

There are about two dozen photos, and some may appear a bit repetitive. Don't worry, there won't be a test later, so you can just buzz through the ones that don't interest you. ☺

Across from Bryant Street.

"The project is really going well.  The contractor started the heavy work on the Phase II Section coming down from Corydon.  We should see him shortly string the rope for the lodge pine fence and install the bridge crossing."

Across from Bryant Street.

"The city secured multiple funding sources to deliver this project."

Just south of Sheila Lane.

"Each fund source has different criteria for reporting and for approval to proceed with each step of the process."

South of Sheila Lane, standing in the southbound lane looking north.

"So even though it seems certain steps took a while, that was only because we had to coordinate the different fund sources with the different entities."

Workers ready the DG path at the corner of Grand and Owen.

Across from Celeste Way looking south.

Just north of Wilson Street.

South of Sheila Lane looking south.

Just north of Victory Circle.

North of Gruwell Street.

Just north of Gruwell Street.

Just north of Gruwell Street looking south.

Near Gruwell Street.

Just north of David A. Brown Middle School.

Just north of David A. Brown Middle School. Same location as above, just from a different vantage point.

"He (the contractor) has started the initial grading on Phase I.  There were more private property and utility relocation impacts in this section."

Just south of David A. Brown Middle School.

"So for the coming weeks on this section will be grading, and relocation of private amenities and utilities."

Just south of David A. Brown Middle School from about 35 feet in the air.

"The paving portion for the bike lanes is lagging a bit for a few reasons. Primarily because we have multiple contractors in the area we like staggering them a bit."

North of Rudolph Lane looking south.

"You should see the shoulder grading work for the bike lane paving in the coming weeks."

North of Rudolph Lane.

"Because there were so many private encroachments into the public right of way, including service laterals, a significant amount of effort was required to work with each property owner."

South of Rudolph Lane looking south.

There aren't any firm dates for completion yet, but Dan expects it to be in the late March/early April time frame. Once it's complete, expect the city to have a ribbon cutting and mini celebration to commemorate it. 

While putting these images together I was consulting Google Maps to get an idea where some of the locations were. Even without the project completed, it's amazing how much nicer Grand Avenue is beginning to look. 

If you're doubtful, click this link to get a street view look for yourself.

Once this project is all nailed down, and the ribbon cutting ceremony is in the books, I'll post pictures of the completed multi-purpose trail. Next time I'll try to keep it to less than a baker's dozen. ☺

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It's sort of like eating a bag of chips. You know it's never going to make you full and at the end you're sick, but you want to go back for more.
– Mac from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia aka, Rob McElhenney.

Wildomar Rap is even worse than eating a bag of chips. You know you're not going to agree with most of it, and at the end you're sick, but there you are, reading it again and again.

• Trails Subcommittee Meeting July 2016

I don't make a lot of the subcommittee meetings and this was the first Trails Subcommittee meeting I've attended. 

It started at 3:00pm and I was sure it was going to be opened and closed within half an hour, but life is always full of surprises.

I'd checked the agenda and it had 4 basic items on it. 

Hint, all were dealing with trails.

The only one that was newsworthy was item 4, which was an update on the Grand Avenue Project.

Click link to get more project details and pictures
  

Artist rendering of Grand Avenue after the project is complete.

This project is still on schedule and after the meeting I asked Public Works Director/City Engineer Dan York about it.

They hope to encumber the monies by the end of December and work should be starting in the first quarter of 2017. 

A traffic signal at the middle school is still part of the project, funding not coming from the city, and the roundabout at Sheila and Grand is still part of the project.

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So what made a ho hum Trails Subcommittee last 90+ minutes? 

Public Comments of course.

Now don't get me wrong, public comments are the backbone of our democracy. What isn't the backbone of our democracy is the same people speaking on every topic. 

Some with borrowed time - upping their filibusters to 6 minutes.

You know, most of the city council is adept with email, and you can very easily get your views to them ahead of time... but I'm guessing that would take half the fun out of it.

The only thing missing from this matinee of horror was Wildomar's renowned warbler, Miss Miller. Had she attended, the meeting could have eclipsed two hours and with nary a difference for the trouble.

As it was, the constant cat calls from the audience more than made up for her absence. They must think they are smarter than the elected officials and the educated professionals too. 

The funny thing is that none of them, well almost none of them, ever think to actually represent the city from the other side of the dais. 

Is it because they'd have NO CHANCE at ever winning, or being appointed? Or is it that they love the power of wagging their finger in other people's faces? Who knows, who cares.

Though subcommittee meetings are less formal than regularly scheduled city council, and planning commission meetings, is it too much to ask for at least a modicum of decorum from the peanut gallery in the future?

My favorite part of the meeting was when a public speaker would go up to speak, and demonstrate that they weren't listening in the first place. 

One instance had a former trail czar think that bike lanes had been proposed on the Justin Hunt Memorial Trail.

Which had Dan York remind those in attendance, "No one ever mentioned, or intimated, that the Justin Hunt Memorial Trail was going to be anything more than a multipurpose trail; the bikes will stay on grand avenue."

The Justin Hunt Memorial Trail is behind the development known as Windstone Ranch.

The same guy then lamented that if the trails aren't wide enough in spots that the city would probably get sued in the future. 

Which led to this response from Subcommittee Chairman Tim Walker, "If it comes down to people sueing I'll tell you one thing right now, this city council —or at least I will vote— to close some of the trails that [have] pinch points. If I'm afraid that people are going to sue [us] on a pinch point because they went from ten feet down to seven, because that's all we had, and it was a trail and it was designated a trail, I will vote to close the thing, and it'll be that simple."

Another example of this was when a person went up to the podium to ask who was going to pay to maintain a future set of parks that are due to come in with some anticipated developments off of McVicar. 

4.6 and 6.6 acre future parks that will also work as trailheads.

Had that person been listening to Dan York's presentation, they would have heard him say that it was going to be taken care of by CFDs (Community Facilities Districts) with each development paying the city to maintain them. 

Although I don't think the staff would agree with me, I found it to be very entertaining... and the air conditioning was set lower than I have at home so it was a win-win no matter how silly it got.

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Fate is the friend of the good, the guide of the wise, the tyrant of the foolish, the enemy of the bad.



—William R. Alger, 1822-1905

Wildomar Rap enjoys the process of spending monies more than encumbering them.

• Grand Avenue Bike and Multi-purpose Trail Improvements

At last week's city council meeting, agenda item 3.1, Grand Avenue Bike and Multi-purpose Trail Improvements, seemed like it deserved it's own blog. 

Almost a year ago, about a dozen or so citizens, and city staffers, rode from city hall to Grand and Corydon to see first hand the existing conditions for peds and cyclists. 

I can tell you after that ride that the current road is not bicycle friendly to old guys over 50.

Here's a link to the blog discussing it.

The first mention this project got in Wildomar Rap dates back to 2013.

This project has been in the works for a couple of years now, and would not have had a chance to see the light of day if not for the diligent work of Assistant City Manager Dan York.

An overview of Grand adjacent to David A. Brown middle school, looking north.

The project will be installing bike lanes on both sides of the street and a multipurpose trail on the lower southwesterly portion of Grand.

Below is a look at the different funding sources for the project.

Currently the city has about $3.66M at the ready, and the overall project that Dan York has in mind runs about $6M. He's still working on the additional funding for it. 

There are still a few hurdles to deal with regarding encroachments in the public right of way. In the past, when adding sidewalks in town, no one had to move their fences to make room, but in this case a few residents will have to move their fences.

In the project is a proposed roundabout/traffic circle at Grand and Sheila. I for one look forward to this improvement since that stop sign is about the biggest waste of time of its kind. 

In the ten years that it's been there, I think I've seen cross traffic less than half a dozen times, and I used to use that road five times a week.

Gotta love that artist's rendering... but I'm thinking that in real life, those trees on the right will be an issue.

Below is a look at what the finished project is going to look like.

One thing that is missing, according to Dan York, is a consistent black pavement that a new project should have. 

His idea is to fix all the pavement repairs throughout that section, put a nice slurry seal coat over it, then paint the lines.

Like he said, "That's a goal. I can't promise you we're going to get there [but we're going to give it our all]."

Last for this project, though there wasn't a slide for it, were improvements to the entrance of the middle school. At a recent meeting with the LEUSD, the district agreed to realign the entrance with a nearby cross street. (Willow Bay if my notes are accurate).

What was missing was installing a traffic signal. The school district was hoping that the city would shoulder that responsibility, but the city reminded them that student safety was the school district's responsibility.

The hope is to have the traffic signal in by December, but it's only a goal at this point. Without funding, nothing gets done. If this issue concerns you, perhaps you can contact the school district and make your feelings known.

Though there is a hope that construction could start as early as August, realistically it may be closer to October. Again, a lot hinges on the funding sources. 

One way or another, Dan York anticipates construction beginning before the end of the year.

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Well, maybe my children like running wild in the street. Did that ever occur to you?

— Caracticus Potts (Dick Van Dyke, C.C.B.B.)

If Wildomar Rap was a TV show, it would be a Netflix Original and not available on HULU. 

• Wildomar Multi-Purpose Trail Bike Ride

Today there was a bike ride lead by KOA Corporation who is doing the bike lanes on Grand along with a multi-purpose trail.

It started out at city hall, headed west on Clinton Keith, then north on Grand and ended at Corydon... the proposed length of the project. There were about seven stops in between where some ideas about the project were tossed around.

We started with about 15 riders, including Public Works Director/City Engineer Dan York, several representatives from KOA and at least half a dozen residents including Planning Commissioner Chairman Veronica Langworthy.

Dan York is seen pointing as we regrouped after crossing Clinton Keith where the USA gas station is.

The first test was crossing over the freeway. I stayed on the sidewalk as often as I could, but the others maintained a single file in the street. It was a bit dicey crossing Hidden Springs Road due to the large Right Turn Only lane.

Crossing the freeway on the Clinton Keith overpass.

We made two quick stops before stopping at the corner of Clinton Keith and Grand, then headed towards David A Brown Middle School. That part of Grand is NOT bike friendly and I was on the edge as much as I could be. Still, cars were going by rather fast, though most seemed to be straddling the double yellow line.

The car bringing up the rear was being driven by Gary Andre as he was insuring the safety of the riders.

We stopped again just north of McVicker. What a beautiful site there was today, even with the unusual cloud cover. It was pointed out that this was near the original location of The Brown House.

This field is already in the development stages (that's why The Brown House was moved in the first place), though I haven't seen anything hit a Planning Commission meeting on it yet. Something tells me that Miss Miller may want to weigh in on the wild mustard losing its home... but that'll be for another day.

A view of the hills on the east side of Wildomar.

The timing was perfect for gauging the foot and bike traffic from the school. We Stopped there just as the day was over and the wave of kids crossing the street was something to behold. They had two crossing guards. One at the crosswalk, the other about 50 yards north allowing cars to get out of the parking lot. I'd heard how congested, and how crazy it can get there.

Before we got to Corydon, we'd lost at least half a dozen riders. Most that left decided to go straight home once they got to their area, but Kenny Mayes broke his chain. I was glad to make it to the end of the ride, but was also happy to hitch a ride in Kenny's truck back home.

I asked Dan York for a quote about the project:

I'm confident that we hired the most qualified team for this project. These guys have already demonstrated a lot [ideas for some] of the unique features [along this route], this is more than just painting a stripe on the street. They're paying attention to details like grates, bumps and widths of parking areas. I'm very impressed, I think it's been a good meeting and I'm glad that the public was able to participate. Both of these projects are funded through CMAQ which requires us to get state and federal approval before we can spend on the next steps.

You see a lot of things when not traveling by car. When we stopped near a flood canal area there were some RivCo workers doing some clean up and I happened to see a Sheridan for Congress sign. I tried to tell his camp it was a waste of time for him to run since California is gerrymandered to death, and nearly every seat is a safe seat... but did they listen?

Poor guy probably actually thought he had a chance too.

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Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race. —H. G. Wells

Wildomar Rap would rather tape up a pant leg and risk looking like a dork, than have it get caught in an oily chain and have to explain how another pair of school pants were ruined.

• Bike Lanes in Wildomar

 I just got done reading an article about bike lanes coming to Wildomar. 

Go over and read it.

Link to Article in Press Enterprise

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. 

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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.

Click to read Staff Report

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.