The Moraga Planning Department has conducted multiple public workshops over the last few months in order to develop a plan for Moraga Road between Campolindo and Saint Mary's Road, dubbed the Livable Moraga Road project. The gathering of public input led to the definition of a preferred scenario that staff presented to the Town Council on May 14 so council members could offer feedback before a final series of outreach meetings begin.
Shawna Brekke-Read, the town's planning director, summarized the elements incorporated in the preferred scenario: a multi-use path accessible to pedestrians and children on bikes; a continuous sidewalk; bike lanes for serious cyclists; and safe and fluid transit lanes for all car users, including commuters going to schools and beyond. (Read related articles about the Livable Moraga Road project in our archive at www.lamorindaweekly.com.)
One aspect that caught council members' attention was a reduction in the number of lanes between Corliss and Donald drives from four to two, with an added turning lane, to create enough space for the pedestrian and bike lanes. The Town Council was divided. Mayor Ken Chew praised staff for the quality of the outreach effort and the creativity of the new configuration, while Councilmember Dave Trotter forcefully opposed the idea of only two travel lanes on that stretch of road, arguing that commuters had not been sufficiently involved in the outreach activities and would not favor the change. He also asked staff to check the width of the town's right of way along Moraga Road to see if it could accommodate the scenario's continuous sidewalk and multi-user path.
Jill Keimach, town manager, suggested that the town simulate the proposed configuration with barriers or plants to test the scenario in real life and raise commuters' awareness. "Our consultant did such a simulation in another city recently," said Brekke-Read, "it's a great idea." Keimach noted that a simulation should be done over several weeks to bring significant results; and with school soon out for the summer, it might be better to wait until September when traffic returns to its normal level.
Shawna Brekke-Read, the town's planning director, summarized the elements incorporated in the preferred scenario: a multi-use path accessible to pedestrians and children on bikes; a continuous sidewalk; bike lanes for serious cyclists; and safe and fluid transit lanes for all car users, including commuters going to schools and beyond. (Read related articles about the Livable Moraga Road project in our archive at www.lamorindaweekly.com.)
One aspect that caught council members' attention was a reduction in the number of lanes between Corliss and Donald drives from four to two, with an added turning lane, to create enough space for the pedestrian and bike lanes. The Town Council was divided. Mayor Ken Chew praised staff for the quality of the outreach effort and the creativity of the new configuration, while Councilmember Dave Trotter forcefully opposed the idea of only two travel lanes on that stretch of road, arguing that commuters had not been sufficiently involved in the outreach activities and would not favor the change. He also asked staff to check the width of the town's right of way along Moraga Road to see if it could accommodate the scenario's continuous sidewalk and multi-user path.
Jill Keimach, town manager, suggested that the town simulate the proposed configuration with barriers or plants to test the scenario in real life and raise commuters' awareness. "Our consultant did such a simulation in another city recently," said Brekke-Read, "it's a great idea." Keimach noted that a simulation should be done over several weeks to bring significant results; and with school soon out for the summer, it might be better to wait until September when traffic returns to its normal level.
Reach the reporter at:
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA