Last August the Council selected a road cross section option for State Road 4 in White Rock that involves two driving lanes and if implemented would reduce the number of driving lanes from four to two between Pajarito and Rover with one driving lane in each direction. I voted against that road cross section option, not because I don't want to have money spent for capital improvements in White Rock and have new economic development take place there. I did vote for a new visitor's center and RV park near Sherwood Boulevard as well as other improvements and I would like to vote for road improvements as well, but I have serious reservations about the proposed road cross section for State Road 4. The Council did have the option of implementing four driving lanes together with new bicycle lanes, improved sidewalks and new medians with landscaping. We didn't choose that option and still I feel it is a superior option for several reasons. I look at the traffic analysis that has been done and I am skeptical of the conclusion that the proposed road cross section will be able to sustain the required traffic flow rate under certain situations. The traffic analysis that was performed did not consider any added traffic flow through White Rock along State Road 4 that would arise if the Laboratory closes Pajarito Road for the construction of the CMRR. Furthermore no consideration was given to how the proposed road cross section with just two driving lanes would impact our ability to evacuate White Rock should the need arise. Traffic counts are going to be higher in emergency situations and having four driving lanes together with bicycle lanes and sidewalks would be beneficial in these circumstances.
The proposed road cross section from Pajarito to Rover has 8 foot wide sidewalks, a 10 foot wide multi-use path, 8 foot wide landscaped buffer zones and landscaped medians that are 18 feet wide. I do not oppose putting landscaping along the road but in my view both 18 foot wide medians and 8 foot wide buffer zones are excessive. I don't see a compelling reason why 8 foot wide sidewalks are needed either, given that on Diamond Drive we installed 5 foot wide sidewalks. We could use some of this space in a more functional way by having four driving lanes which would help alleviate traffic congestion during peak travel times. Recent experience during the Diamond Drive road improvement project has demonstrated convincingly that restricting traffic flow to two driving lanes with a single lane in each direction can create significant delays for citizens commuting to work. It seems likely to me that putting in place similar traffic flow restrictions on State Road 4 in White Rock between Rover and Pajarito will create traffic congestion, with one key difference: the Diamond Drive restrictions were temporary whereas the traffic restriction along State Road 4 will be permanent. For these reasons I do not support the proposed changes for State Road 4 in White Rock and I will vote against this project. I know that it isn't Council's intention, but I hope that by implementing the new road cross section we don't inadvertently create a traffic jam in the morning for our citizens who live in White Rock and need to travel from Rover to Pajarito in order to get to work.
