Background:
These are my comments on the Draft EIR/EA that I emailed today.
Mail: VTA Environmental Planning Department
3331 N. First Street, Building B-2
San Jose, CA 95134
Attn: Christina Jaworski
Email: ecrbrt@vta.org
Dear Christina Jaworski,
I will keep my comments short and to the point.
I am AGAINST any loss of lanes on El Camino to dedicated bike or bus traffic between Palo Alto and Sunnyvale. To avoid horrible traffic, I bought a home very close to where I shop. I also work from home. There is no reason I'd take a bus as the drive to most of the stores I shop at are closer than the current 522 line bus stops.
35 years ago I tried commuting along El Camino on my bicycle to work at HP on Page Mill Road from Mountain View, but I found it far too dangerous. With distracted drivers texting, this is much worse today.
We have far too many people in the Santa Clara transit district and we should not be making it easier to cram more into already gridlocked space.
I am a third generation San Franciscan who moved to Santa Clara to work at HP in 1979. I can't name a single benefit I've seen in 35 years living in Santa Clara County that came from this excessive growth.
To me, if feels like we are CONSTANTLY asked to accept a much lower quality of life so builders can pack more people into this once beautiful place. We don't have enough water, clean air, open space and open roads to drive. To get more taxes to pay huge salaries and pensions, politicians continue to allow new multi story buildings along El Camino that now block the once beautiful views of the mountains I enjoyed daily.
If you must put in more bus lines, then I would work to synchronize the lights along El Camino and buy land for buses to turn into for loading and unloading passengers without blocking traffic. I'd much rather see bus stations rather than more apartments and condos on the land along El Camino.
Thanks for this opportunity to have my say. Sadly, I doubt it matters as preserving our quality of life doesn't give politicians more tax dollars to payoff workers to vote for larger government.... and round it goes.
Best Regards
Kirk Lindstrom
Los Altos, CA 94022
http://kirklindstrom.com/