Updates: $1,500,000 Bike Turnout Project#2019-05
- September 21, 2021 - (2nd Request) Flawed Safety Criteria for Prioritization of $1.5MM Bike Turnout Project Locations, Email to Eddie Guaracha, Diablo Range District Superintendent
- September 14, 2021 - Northern Service Center - Email From Eddie Guaracha
- September 12, 2021 - Flawed Safety Criteria for Prioritization of $1.5MM Bike Turnout Project Locations - Letter to Eddie Guaracha
September 21, 2021 - (2nd Request) Flawed Safety Criteria for Prioritization of $1.5MM Bike Turnout Project Locations, Email to Eddie Guaracha, Diablo Range District Superintendent
Good Morning Eddie,
Towns and Cities throughout the Bay Area annually review and analyze Traffic Collision Reports (TCR) as a critical part of their decision-making process. This allows them to make informed decisions when allocating funding and prioritizing safety improvements.
We strongly urge California State Parks to include ALL Traffic Collision Reports from 2010 to Present in their Screening Criteria in order to appropriately allocate the $1.5MM Bike Turnout Project# 2019-05 on Mount Diablo State Park.
(1.) When are you available to review and analyze All Traffic Collision Reports from 2010 to the present? California State Parks has All of the TCRs.......
(2.) When are you available to create a map(s) showing all of the Traffic Collision Locations on the roads of Mount Diablo State Park? Using the same maps in MDSP Bike Turnout Project#2019-05......
(3.) Please reply to the attached letter sent to you on September 13, 2021.
September 14, 2021 - Eddie Guaracha, Superintendent Diablo Ranger District, Email
I will contact the Northern Service Center (NSC) Project Manager Phil Tabor and let him know you are requesting a project timeline. I will make sure to include where Scope of Work Description, Drawings, Bid Package, Public Advertisement, and Award fall within the project timeline. I don’t think he will be able to provide you with any specifics of each phase at this time, except for the anticipated timelines of each phase.
The Northern Service Center will be able to provide specifics once they reach each targeted phase, but the approved Project Evaluation Form for the Bike Turnout Project #2019-05 does not contain enough information to go straight into a contract. This contract will require additional workload to create detailed scope of work. Northern Service Center understands this is a priority project
September 12, 2021
To: Eddie Guaracha, Superintendent Diablo Range District, Ryen Goering, Chief Ranger Diablo Range District
Subject: Flawed Safety Criteria for Prioritization of $1.5MM Bike Turnout Project# 2019-05 Locations
Dear Eddie and Ryen,
In order to appropriately allocate the $1.5MM for Bike Turnout Project# 2019-05 on Mount Diablo State Park we urge California State Parks to utilize ALL available “Safety Data” in their Screening Criteria. As part of the decision-making process to prioritize Bike Turnouts. To understand the importance of “Safety Data,” please watch this video: Please Raise Your Hand if You have ever been Passed by a Vehicle on a Blind Curve
Allow us to clarify our previous emails, safety concerns and your emails dated August 10th and September 9, 2021:
In January 2021, Ryen and Alan met to review and reprioritize only 15 Bike Turnouts. It was an excellent meeting. Ryen listened to the safety data and together. Alan requested to continue this excellent collaboration for the remaining Bike Turnouts - Ref: Bike Turnout Project# 2019-05. Unfortunately, Eddie has repeatedly said "NO" to any further collaboration to prioritize the remaining Bike Turnouts. As a result, the existing Bike Turnout Prioritize “Draft” for the remaining Bike Turnouts was created without our input and critical Safety Data.
In addition, over the last several months in both in-person and Zoom meetings, we have repeatedly asked that the safety data be included in the "flawed screening criteria"(below). We have repeatedly stated since 2010, that it's essential to review ALL Safety Data (2010 to present). Unfortunately, Eddie has repeatedly said NO to our repeated reasonable requests.
For Example: the following "Safety Data" for South Gate Road, Entrance 2.5 miles to Kiosk was NOT included (map below) in the Screening Criteria for the decision-making process to Prioritize Bike Turnout Locations; Traffic Collision Reports (TCR), Public Safety Reports, State Wide Integrated Traffic Reporting System (SWITRS), San Ramon Valley Fire Department records, Public Records Act Requests, vehicle and bike surveys, vehicles passing cyclists on blind curves, filmed near-miss bike vs vehicle collisions and actual collision stories.
For Example, Map Below 2008 to Present: Red Tabs represent Bike vs Vehicle Collisions/Locations. Orange Tabs represent Near-Miss Bike vs Vehicle Collisions/Locations & Vehicles Passing Cyclists on Blind Curves/Locations.
As part of the decision-making process to prioritize Bike Turnouts, we strongly urge California State Parks to utilize all available Safety Data in their Screening Criteria in order to appropriately allocate the $1.5MM for Bike Turnout Project# 2019-05 on Mount Diablo State Park.
Sincerely
Alan Kalin, COL, USA (Ret.) President Mount Diablo Cyclists
Linda Kwong, Vice President Mount Diablo Cyclists
CC: State Senator Glazer, Assemblywoman Bauer-Kahan, Dan Weintraub, George Escutia, Shawn Kumagai
*All Hyperlinks should be viewed using a computer