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Community Corner

Residents & WCI Students at Risk - Spvr. Mitchoff opens thru traffic - Treat to Cherry to Walnut Blvd

Attending the recent Contra Costa Centre Metropolitan Advisory Council (MAC) meeting, I heard Karen Mitchoff, Supervisor of Contra Costa County District IV, announce her intention to remove the left-turn restriction from westbound Treat Boulevard to southbound Cherry Lane. She is removing this restriction at the behest of the John Muir Medical Center, which is opening a new facility at that intersection. 

Supervisor Mitchoff made this decision arbitrarily without notifying the over 7,000 residents in the area, the Walden District Improvement Association, which serves these residents, the residents along Cherry Lane and Walnut Boulevard, or the parents of children attending Walnut Creek Intermediate School.  Nor did she consult the Contra Costa Centre Metropolitan Advisory Council (MAC), members appointed by the County Supervisors to advise them on land use issues in the unincorporated area around the Contra Costa Centre – Pleasant Hill BART station. In addition, this decision was made without formally notifying the City of Walnut Creek, which will have to deal with the resulting influx of commuting and cut-through traffic southbound on Walnut Blvd at Ygnacio Valley Road.

The current restriction on westbound Treat was put in place by the County and the City of Walnut Creek over twenty years ago at the urging of residents deluged with commuter traffic utilizing Cherry Lane to avoid the congestion along Treat Blvd.  Recent construction of “infill” residences to the north of Treat Blvd has alarmed residents and parents of school children along Cherry Lane and Walnut Boulevard because of a major increase in traffic volumes and at times, speeding commuters on their way to their destination.

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During the MAC Meeting, the Supervisor was hard-pressed to provide any basis for her decision when questioned about the traffic and other environmental and safety impacts on the residents of the area, instead citing vague “safety problems” along Treat presented by left hand and U-turns at Jones Road.  However, the backing up of that same traffic along Treat waiting to turn left at Cherry will present a greater safety hazard as it will occur immediately following a sharp curve on Treat.  To address the problem of speeding traffic along a short, straighter section of Cherry, the Supervisor indicated that traffic calming bumps might be employed, a strategy already vetoed by the Fire District. 

In short, Supervisor Mitchoff’s action has demonstrated little, if any, regard for the safety of either the affected residents, recreational users of the Iron Horse Canal Trail, the children attending Walnut Creek Intermediate School or, for that matter, the commuters themselves.

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This topic is on the agenda of the next MAC meeting, where a CC County Traffic Planner will present this planned change.  Many residents will be attending to urge Supervisor Michoff to consider alternative solutions.  To directly voice their safety concerns, concerned parents of WCI students may want to attend this meeting :

Contra Costa County - MAC

Municipal Advisory Council Meeting-

5:00 PM Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Contra Costa Transit Authority Bldg.
2999 Oak Road #110, Walnut Creek
(Across from Pleasant Hill BART)
Park at BART – no charge at night

DISCUSSION ABOUT PLANNED REMOVAL OF
NO LEFT TURN AT CHERRY LANE / TREAT BLVD
THRU TRAFFIC WILL BE OPENED FROM TREAT TO CHERRY TO WALNUT BLVD TO YGNACIO

Emails and letters of concern should also be written to:  

Supervisor Karen Mitchoff
2151 Salvio Street, Suite R
Concord, CA 94520
supervisormitchoff@bos.cccounty.us
Phone: (925) 521-7100

Walnut Creek Mayor, Cindy Silva
1666  North Main Street
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
mayor@walnut-creek.org
Phone: (925) 256-3504


Calvin Knight,
President and CEO
John Muir Health Corporate Offices
1400 Treat Blvd. 2nd FL
Walnut Creek, CA, 94597
cal.knight@johnmuirhealth.com
Phone: 925-947-4449

Ben Drew, Marketing Communications
John Muir Health Corporate Offices
1400 Treat Blvd. 2nd FL
Walnut Creek, CA, 94597
ben.drew@johnmuirhealth.com
Phone: 925-947-4449

Updates about this matter will be posted on our Walden District Improvement Association website at:

http://www.waldenwalnutcreek.org

 

Thanks for your consideration-

Patty Purvis-Thielman
Walden Board Member
ppt@waldenwalnutcreek.org
http://www.waldenwalnutcreek.org

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