Open letter on traffic/ Public Safety commission

To:Encintas City Council
Re: Application to Traffic/Public Safety Commission

This is posted prior to my appearance at the council meeting on February 19th,2014 to amplify the oral presentation for your consideration of my appointment. The application provides three lines for "qualifications and what you would like to accomplish if appointed" which this letter will be an expansion beyond the limited space provided on the form and the brief oral presentation. I had applied for the Traffic commission several years ago, and upon further investigation decided that the scope of activity was too limited for the effort that I was prepared to bring to the position. With the current expansion which now includes broad provisions to enhance "Public Safety," if appointed, there is the potential to make such efforts worthwhile.

My practice on every public policy issue that I engage in is to first research the legal constraints of any solution, and then the public perception--and integrate these into my own personal goals and broader values. Since this will be the first incarnation of this new commission, how it addresses the expanded mandate, its relationship with citizens with grievances and the comprehensiveness of its presentations to the council will provide a precedent for future embodiments. For this reason I will briefly describe some of my interests and approach for your evaluation. First, I'll go into the traffic aspect and next the expanded Public Safety mandate. Both of these areas require discretion, understanding differing parties perspectives, along with the will to take a clear position after such consideration, and proceed to make the case to decision makers.

"Traffic" is a benign word that defines the rules and the reality of that confluence of widely diverse entities, from Trains, Trucks, Cars, Bicycles, Pedestrians and wandering lost pets. All can be on a common right of way, either as a coordinated dance that can seem effortless, or with one single error, the occasion for tragedy. To prevent this we have rules, some are defined by law, others by custom, that ultimately rely on every actor having a deep understanding of the system to fill in its imperfections, sometimes described as "defensive driving" or a child learning never to step off a curb without looking.

There is a sub-division of academic psychology that focuses on traffic that studies the many human and external variables to keep traffic being a coordinated dance rather than organized confusion that too often becomes fatal. There is a wide variation in vulnerability of our traffic users, from the eighteen wheeler that can mow down cars, to the automobile that this entire region was built around-- thus urban sprawl with limited mass transit. Then there is human powered vehicles, mostly bicycles, that are gaining in use beyond recreation, as they are the ultimate in combining healthful exercise and protecting the environment. All areas are promoting walkable communities, which raises issues of pedestrian integration into the traffic system, whether to enforce the wait for that green light or allow a dash across an empty street. These are serious issues from mega-cities like New York to small communities such as Encinitas - with no easy solutions.

Each of the above groups promotes its own interests in their prime modality, as right now the struggle between cars and bikes is prominent. Personally, I used a bike regularly when I lived in Manhattan on some pretty busy streets and was always aware of my vulnerability, especially after being hit by a few opening doors and knocked for a loop. Now, I mostly drive, and value the convenience of being able to avail myself of the regional offerings that are only accessible by car. I'm also among the older generation, for whom rationally designed roads with intuitive signage becomes more vital with every passing year. For this reason I have done research on four way stop signs; contacted traffic engineers in several adjacent cities and investigated alternative signage on the U.S Department of Transportation website with discussions that I have participated in. Emotions run high in traffic issues, as one person's convenience is another's risk of grievous injury.

 While avoiding injury is paramount, efficient rational streets that facilitate and shorten car trips have safety benefits that are less obvious, as the non-accidents of less fatigued drivers do not make the news. Such aggregate safety effects are only shown by long term research such as one on multi-way stop signs that I have cited to this council and and in an article in The Coast News. In this same vein, traffic enforcement that is disproportionately aggressive can also become counter productive when it results in diversion of attention of the driver from actual emergent conditions of the road to scanning for law enforcers. Such excesses of enforcement have another potential pathology, as it can devolve into a culture of abuse by law enforcement officers. This is something to be vigilant against, ideally as in our city, before it even begins.


 This letter, although long, only touches on my interests that relate to the challenges of this Commission. If appointed I will conscientiously work with the other commissioners and this council to achieve the defined goals.
--------------------------

Addendum:
The open nature of this commission is indicated in the words, "includes, but is not limited to......" and lists a wide array of serious areas such as criminal activity. Since informational and educational meetings are both mentioned, the informational must refer to the the acquisition of such facts by the process of interviews and investigations. The following is from the legislation forming this commission:

 2.40.040 Duties of the Traffic and Public Safety Commission.

 A. It is the duty of this commission to serve as a liaison between the public and the City Council, and to conduct analyses and provide recommendations to the Council on matters related to the circulation of motorized vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles, and on matters related to public safety.

 The scope of the commission’s role with respect to public safety includes but is not limited to traffic safety, emergency response for fire, medical and other crises, as well as the City’s efforts to control and reduce criminal activities of all types. The commission may conduct informational and educational meetings, prepare reports and analyses, and work with fire, marine safety,ambulance, and sheriff personnel