What is going on with the road diet in Petaluma?

 Our Public Works department is currently tearing up Petaluma Blvd South to turn four narrow lanes into three. And add a bike lane. And make it safer for people walking around. We already have a previously installed section of road diet on Petaluma Blvd North. Now our town is assessing the value of a road diet design upgrade for Rainier Avenue as a potential complete street option. Check it out!

Less cars and driving slower

My vision for Petaluma is a future of less cars and for driving slower. We spent the past 70 years building for more cars driving faster. But times are changing. Towns, cities and even Caltrans are building Complete Streets and preparing for a variety of transportation modes, not just one anymore.

Note that over the past 70 years we have planned and built for more cars and the result has been even more cars. You can’t build for more cars and reduce traffic. We’ll be hearing more, this election year, about how wonderful the Rainier Connector will be, for example. Then it will go away only to be dusted off yet again for the next election.

The population of Petaluma will continue to grow. Hasn’t stopped growing in over 200 years. More housing will continue to be built.

Meanwhile, let’s rebuild complete streets, encourage bicycle riding, support public transit and figure out what we have to do to make it easy to not have every trip in and out from the house be in a car. Its been done elsewhere. Take a look around. We can do it here. We are doing it here.

What can we do to make Petaluma even more walkable?

What makes a town walkable? What is a good walk? What are some relatively simple improvements we can implement to make Petaluma even more walkable? Often times a good walk can also be a good bicycle ride. Public transit absolutely relies on walking to connect people to and from their destinations.

Quite a lot of dirt has been removed at Water Street and Oak Street

 A significant quantity of dirt has left the site in the last few weeks at the North River Apartments at Petaluma Blvd North and Oak Street and Water Street.

My letter to the editor explaining current City Council approach to the Hines Downtown Station proposal

 

Big downtown train station housing project gets looked at by a new City Council majority - January 4th

Wishing for you the chance for some quiet to reflect on the micro adjustments you want to make this year to make life better for yourself, your family and the community. Monday is just around the corner! I am blessed to be part of Petaluma. So many challenges, so many things changing and also so many green shoots of new life here in Petaluma. Thanks for being my community and my home.