A sad state of affairs
I’d like to tell you a story. It’s not a story that I set out to write. In fact, after completing yesterday’s blog post, I reflected back on the prior two and realized they created a sort of “3-part series” - (1) NIMBY, (2) Make No Little Plans, and (3) The Wrong side of the Tracks. But after an encounter I had this morning, now I know it’s actually a “4-part series.”
Part of me feels like it’s not even me telling this story. A weird thing to write, I know. Doubtless accusations will fly from my friends Sam Bahu & Carlos Hernandez, the later of whom suggested that I had fabricated an account of my kids being harassed by a motorist. I think more than a couple people also have tossed out the idea (a pretty hilarious one, to me) that NRG is just a puppet of Greenway.
In order to dispel any potential confusion, allow me to clarify NRG’s neutral position on the rail corridor by offering my earnest opinion (only worth ~2¢):
Anything on our rail corridor is better than nothing on our rail corridor
Ok, so before I get to today’s story, I’d like to share a brief account of last weekend’s happenings. Allow me this, as the proud papa I am as of late! Last weekend my 4 year old son learned to ride a pedal bike!
🚲🙌🥳
His first time successfully pedaling was at Wilder Ranch State Park, blissfully car free & spectacularly beautiful. His second time successfully pedaling was at The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, although to be fair it actually wasn’t inside the park or really have anything to do with the park. We just so happen to live on Aptos Creek Road, a stone’s throw from the park’s entrance station. We are by absolutely no means the only people walking or biking on this road. In fact, Aptos Creek Road is intensely utilized by cyclists, hikers, walkers, runners, strollers - you know, all the fun ways to get around without a motor! Of course, Aptos Creek Road is also intensely congested by automobiles, some of which are residents & park staff but most of which are park visitors…
So, admittedly, Aptos Creek Road is a pretty dangerous road to unleash a newly pedaling 4 year old. Well, to be fair, this was the day after we went to Wilder and the bikes were still in the back of our car, so my wife & I did all we could to encourage our kids to ride their bikes on another off-road trail. But, as they often tend to be, the kids were adamant about what they wanted. We don’t, of course, give them everything want. Duh. But in this case, I love (and share!) their enthusiasm for going “into town,” which means walking or biking the 0.3 miles section of Aptos Creek Road between our house and Aptos Village.
…flooding into the park only to find sometimes that the parking lots up the road are full and they have to turn right back around.
Unfortunately, it’s quite a treacherous 0.3 miles.
Traveling this short but dangerous stretch of road entails going up a steep and terrifying section of road along Mangels Gulch. Don’t believe me that it’s terrifying? Trust me, it is.
While my kids were walking their bikes up the hill (the same exact hill where the car flipped this past summer), I was naturally as protective as any parent would be.
While two downhill cars entered the roadway, two other exiting uphill cars were behind us. Having seen the way motorists behave on this road, and seeing my son having trouble with his pedal tripping him up, I decided to ensure that the motorist behind me shared the road rather than cut around us. Besides, it wasn’t just for our safety. At the top of the hill is a blind curve where one day there’s sure to be a head-on collision.
Anyway, we got past the 2-up 2-down car jam on this narrow 1-lane road, and shortly after that the uphill car immediately behind us then decided they had enough to room to pass - selfishly for sure, safely less for sure. By this time my daughter was at the top of the hill, directly at the blind turn. Despite my efforts to block the lane to prevent the car from passing us, they did it anyway. Apparently upset about all this, the driver rolled down their window and shouted something at me while speeding past. I was completely helpless and could only watch them barrel quickly and angrily towards my daughter, oblivious to the head-on collision that might have occurred on a more tragic day.
I shared this story first on NRG’s Forum because, well, that’s what the forum is for! Despite this incident having nothing to do with the rail corridor, a number of train-supporters seemed to think I was somehow advocating against their interests. At least one of them (my friend Carlos, remember?) thought it appropriate behavior within our community to personally attack me with insult & slander.
Indeed, a sad state of affairs.
Ok well I guess that ended up being not such a brief account. But hey, this is my blog - no one here to interrupt and no one here is forced to stay. Anyway, last weekend’s events bear a good deal of similarity to an interesting series of events this morning.
I left my home on Aptos Creek Road with my son to return something at Home Depot. Not long after reaching the top of Mangels Gulch, I slowed down for a pair of runners going at a good pace and running abreast. They made no effort to move for me but they were positioned pretty appropriately and were running reasonably fast, so I just drove slowly behind them. There were no cars coming in the reverse direction, but the road really isn’t wide enough to have safely passed them given how they were positioned. Besides, I didn’t want to be like the jerk from the weekend prior. Also - it’s a really short strip of road (0.3mi, remember?) so it wasn’t really a big deal to just drive ultra slowly down it. When we got to Epicenter they still didn’t make room and in fact split apart towards separate sides of the road. At this point it dawned on me that they might not have even heard me in the electric car behind them. Anyway, they called out valedictions to each other as they each seemingly arrived at their parked vehicles. I had already started rolling down my window and (feeling a bit awkward for having had to creep along behind them for so long) I said to the one, “Hey! You guys were so fast I didn’t even mind waiting behind you! Nice work!”
Then, after this brief delay, my son & I were cruising on Highway 1 to the Home Depot in Soquel. On our way back we decided to take Soquel Dr in order to swing by Heart of Soquel Park. I had recently attended the community meetings for the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project, so some of the exciting project details where in my mind along the drive back. Please don’t misunderstand my constructive feedback as dissatisfied criticism (I am extremely supportive of and excited for this project!), but there’s room for improvement..
I hope this isn’t cheating, but I actually attended both District 1 & District 2 community meetings for the project. Both times I asked if there would be any consideration for designating the outer lane for transit only (e.g. public: METRO, ParaCruz, Lift Line, etc. & private: shuttles, rideshare services, Class 3 e-Bikes, etc.), as has been done in other communities.
The answer was, quite simply, “No.”
I understand that this isn’t a trivial ask, despite an extremely low implementation cost (after all, we’re only talking signs & striping here). I understand that Santa Cruz METRO #71 bus route will receive Adaptive Traffic Signals (ATS) and Traffic Signal Priority (TSP). But, frankly, although this vision for Soquel Drive is unquestionably in the right direction, it is arguably still an Incomplete Street.
What the heck is an Incomplete Street? I know, it sounds confusing. I just mean that Soquel Drive will be almost but not quite yet a Complete Street. Sure, the project will definitely help to “meet the needs of all users, including non-drivers of all ages and abilities". It just won’t quite, you know, balance the scales of sustainability & equity - two vitally important things for a community that have certainly received the short end of the stick in prior decades.
To be fair, when I asked the question the next time, the answer was, “Not at this time.”
This implies that the idea for a dedicated transit lane may be considered earnestly in the future. For now, it is apparently asking too much for single-occupany vehicles (SOV) to travel in a single lane on Soquel Drive. After all, how will aggressive drivers cut off the bus to dart around slowpokes if they’re restricted to only a single lane?
The answer, of course, is that they wouldn’t. They would be forced to travel behind slowpokes, possibly driving as slow as the speed limit (gasp!) for the entire mile of roadway that they chose to drive instead of walk or bike. Besides, it’s called Soquel Drive not Soquel Boulevard, right? 🤔
In Chicago, I watched this sort of 4-lane main thoroughfare be re-envisioned for a safer, more aesthetically pleasing, and more environmentally friendly redevelopment project. Safety was the primary motivation for reducing a 4-lane thoroughfare down to 2-lane (1 in each direction). The planners had in mind the safety of motorists (by eliminating accidents caused by lane changes) as well as the safety of cyclists (by implementing very wide “bike boulevards” and buffered bike lanes) and the safety of pedestrians (by reducing effective crossing time). An unexpected side benefit of the studies done for this project were that average travel times were actually reduced.
Although not immediately obvious, it actually makes sense why 1 is better than 2 when it comes to streets like Soquel Boulevard, ahem, Soquel Drive. See, 2 lanes might be great for the aggressive driver looking to cut past the slowpokes, but that individual act of selfishness produces small ripple effects that consequently increase many other peoples’ travel times. Remember, you are not alone on the road; your actions affect everyone else on the road around you.
It’s almost as if we need a highway through Santa Cruz County…
Oh wait. We have one. It’s called Highway 1. It gets pretty backed up. But it’s being widened. Oh, and buses will be able to use the shoulder. Although the “highway widening” seems to be almost (well, maybe not quite…) as controversial as the “rail trail,” none of our upcoming local transportation project strike me as “all bad.” I feel that it is less productive to combat efforts to reduce vehicle congestion than it is to promote efforts to improve active transportation & public transportation. Also, I’d like to be clear, I am strongly supportive of SCCRTC & County Public Works, and NRG has been involved in some very productive & collaborative discussions with these agencies. My criticism is not of them but is instead directed at the destructive societal norms their constituents expect them to uphold.
Alright, I’ll leave my fantasizing about Soquel Boulevard at that and get back to my story about driving with my son along Soquel Drive.
We had just passed Robertson Rd heading towards Soquel Village, along a section of road that will soon include sidewalks & Class IV / Buffered Class II bike lanes. Well, riding along there I saw another road user whom I may have seen previously. Not sure it was him, but nevertheless this time I decided to safely slow down, snap a photo, then roll down my window and have a quick chat. Afterall…
…connection within a healthy community is not about getting from Point A to Point B, it is about the connections made between Point A and Point B.
So, without my loving wife in the car to point out the insanity of safely slowing my pace to match the unprotected powered-wheelchair user now riding beside me, I said to him something to the effect of, “Hey, I like your bravery! Way to go! Wish it wasn’t so dangerous for you, but some improvements should be coming to Soquel Drive soon!” He exchanged some words too and we conversed, without either of us stopping or slowing any further, for possibly up to 15s, definitely no more than 30s.
As we shared parting words and I began to roll up my window, the car that had been behind me, apparently extremely annoyed by my actions, sped around me, laid on his horn, and flipped me the bird. I then looked back over at John Fraser and we both just kind of shook our heads.
Of course, at that time I didn’t know the man’s name. It was, after all, a very brief encounter. My son and I then parked for our stop off at Heart of Soquel Park. We had pretty much just gotten out of the car when suddenly I was surprised to see John Fraser again! Of course, at this point I still didn’t know his name, but we ended up chatting for a while and he seems like a really great person. He was on his way to the farmers’ market at Cabrillo College, and I think he said he takes this trip regularly. I asked if he was just making a stop along his way at Heart of Soquel, and he said “No, I just cut through here because it’s better than the road.”
I didn’t ask John why he rides his electric wheelchair instead of driving a car or taking public transit. In fact, to be honest, it didn’t even occur to me to ask him this. Why? Well, to me it seemed very natural. The ability to move and travel freely & independently within a community was a fundamental part of my upbringing in a cookie-cutter neighborhood on the outskirts of a small & quaint historic town. I lived a safe walking distance to town even in elementary school, and it was a formative part of my childhood. My dad was also a primary motivation behind the lifestyle, mindset, and perspective on community I’ve come to develop & appreciate.
To this day my dad frequently walks & bikes around his neighborhood & town. Well maybe not quite to this exact day. Sadly, tragically, he has some recovery to do first. Last month he was hit by a truck while in a crosswalk (if there had been a crosswalk) just after stepping off the sidewalk (if there had been a sidewalk) and was then transported to the hospital by ambulance. Thank God he survived, but he won’t be able to walk around his community freely & independently for some time now. To make matters worse, he was on foot that day still processing the realization that his age & health have now made it unsafe for him to bike around town. So, perhaps my dad and John Fraser are like two peas in a pod, I dunno.
Anyway, let’s get back to my chat with John in Soquel. We talked a bit about how great Heart of Soquel Park is, and how it was recently renovated and includes a restored habitat and a new pathway accessible to those with mobility impairments. I mentioned that Heart of Soquel Park is essentially a template for some project I have in mind in Aptos, as part of the nonprofit I founded, Nisene Rio Gateway.
I tried my best to not jump to the podium and lecture about our Vision…
…by this point my son’s patience was beginning to wane. So I simply recited the abbreviated Mission of NRG, “to promote & improve the parks & pathways in Aptos.”
Somewhat surprising, but not entirely surprising, was his immediate response.
“Ohh. Well, what do you think about that rail trail?”
I made some brief but genuine comment about my neutrality, but again - I was resisting the soapbox here. I diverted by asking what he thought about it, and I managed to cut myself off before making any assumptions about his preferences or perspectives simply due to his impaired mobility.
His response reinforced that this debate is about people like him - not private agendas, government regulations, budgetary constraints, or local private-sector businesses. It is about people like us. All of us.
Anyway, I exchanged numbers with John, parted ways, and offered my son a treat when we got home, for being so patient and (relatively) well behaved. John was also patient with us when my son slightly lost him temper for being interrupted and then decided he didn’t want to go to the park anymore but just wanted to go home haha - kids! Hopefully John got himself a treat at the farmer's’ market! Anyway, he continued on his way there while I strapped my son in the car seat and maneuvered out of the tight parking lot.
Then, as I approached After Effects Antiques, which I think had some “Discount Sale” sign in front or something, I laughed a sad laugh and shook my head as I saw not one but two cars parked in the bike lane out front. Presumably these drivers were so taken by the prospect of a sale that they disregarded the bike lane and the people that depend on it for travel & safety. These drivers apparently couldn’t be bothered to find a nearby parking space and walk to the sale. I heard no horns honking. I saw no birds being flipped. Seemingly no one was annoyed. Apparently slowing down safely in the travel lane is an annoying offense but parking in a bike lane is expected to be tolerated.
Anyway, after continuing along, I then saw John again on his route. I swear - I wasn’t hunting the man down or stalking him! We were just two community members that happened to briefly share a path along our separate ways to separate Point A’s and separate Point B’s. This time I definitely wasn’t going to slow down to talk to John again. I mean, c’mon I’m not trying to be an asshole to drivers or anything - I was in a car for Pete’s sake! But as it turned out, he & I approached a red light together at Capitola Ave. So I rolled down my window and we both kind of “tsk tsk’ed” about the cars parked in the bike lane and commented on the absurdity of runaway consumerism (sale zombies, etc.). I asked how he got around the cars safely and he pointed to his side-view mirror and stressed the importance of it.
You gotta watch out for yourself out there on the road…
…sure would be nice if our government was watching out for us too.
Anyway, to make a long story slightly longer, my son & I got back home and he enjoyed the very last piece of his Halloween candy that had been saved until now. Given the community togetherness inherent in the celebration of Halloween, that struck me as a pretty appropriate treat.