Readers share concern about crime, taut a presidential
candidate, question the senior city traffic engineer and sternly
warn parents to wear their helmets
Crawford Drive Alert, Gilroy Police Aren’t Being Responsive
Dear Editor,
I am a homeowner on Crawford Drive. The other day I walked out of my house on my way to work and while I was checking the mail, I noticed two individuals hanging around in front of the neighbor’s house. I recognized one of the individuals and knew that he was recently released from jail. He had served 8 months for drug possession. Not a moment later, another individual appeared from inside the neighbor’s house. This person is currently on parole and was recently released from prison. Needless to say, I wasn’t comfortable leaving my house unoccupied.
Since moving to this neighborhood, we have had our car broken into twice, a boat motor stolen, vehicle traffic at all hours of the night. Two houses have been burglarized, the most recent occurring on Aug. 17 during the day. Several cars on this street have also been broken into. I believe these incidents are related to the renter’s on this street and the guest’s that they entertain. I have talked to our neighbor about their guests and voiced my concern, I have expressed my concern to the landlord, and I have spoken to the police.
Absolutely nothing is being done about the activity in this neighborhood. Warning to all who live on Crawford Drive and the surrounding streets: Secure your houses and cars every time you leave them; Do not leave anything of value unsecured; Contact the police if you notice anything or anyone suspicious! It’s a shame that a once nice neighborhood has turned into a target for criminals and a place to hang out.
John K. Martin, Gilroy
Presidential Timber? It’s All About Hillary
Dear Editor,
Hillary Clinton is more experienced than Barack Obama, though Obama is a great man and would be an incredible president.
Bill Clinton was a great president, but Hillary is a dynamo – smart, clever and different because she is a woman and shrewd.
Clinton is the ticket for 2009. She is the best politician in the world today. She is a statesman, a world leader, and tough as nails, but you can’t help but like her because you know she will get some things done.
Progressive or not, Obama and Mrs. Clinton blow away all the Republican candidates. Rudy Giuliani a terrorism fighter? Excuse me, his town was pulverized, the terrorists wiped him out.
Daniel Garcia, Gilroy
Hey Parents, Set the Example and Strap On the Bicycle Helmet
Dear Editor,
For too many years I have unfortunately observed the parents in Gilroy (and probably nationwide) have a warped regard for the children’s future.
Almost without exception whenever I see families out biking, all the children are wearing helmets and the parents are not. Why?
Are you only having the children wear helmets because it’s the law? Are you under the impression that your adult skull is not at all vulnerable at the event of an accident? Is it not cool for you to wear protective gear especially in front of your children? If you do get hit and killed is that the lesson you want to teach your children? Do you love your kids enough to stay alive and raise them? Does it mess up your hair?
Please don’t blame teachers, society or the government. Try and think a more original reason for your fuzzy logic on how to be a good role model.
Nancy J. Hildebrand, Gilroy
Traffic Engineer Makes Policy Counter to the City’s General Plan
Dear Editor,
 What does it take to get city employees to implement and abide by city policy? When it comes to traffic, It seems as if the neighborhoods of Gilroy have an adversary rather than an ally at City Hall in Mr. Don Dey, the city’s senior traffic engineer. Mr. Dey was recently quoted in the Dispatch describing collector streets:
“We’re striving for consistency and uniformity, trying to match up the purpose of a street with the hazards on that street,” Dey said, referring to roads such as Church Street that cut through pedestrian-heavy neighborhoods and run along park areas yet have also become a favorite conduit for drivers trying to avoid Monterey Street.
Dey called these types of roads “collector streets” because they tend to collect the traffic that avoids major avenues.
“Collector streets” is a term probably unfamiliar to most people. It wasn’t until I looked it up in the Highway Capacity Manual that I realized Mr. Dey was basing his policies on an unsupported and invalid definition. The HCM is a nationally accepted book used for traffic planning and management. Many city traffic guidelines come from the HCM.
Here’s the HCM’s definition of collector streets:  A surface street providing land access and traffic circulation within residential, commercial, and industrial areas. And, just for comparison, here’s the HCM’s definition of arterial streets:  A signalized street that primarily serves through-traffic and that secondarily provides access to abutting properties, with signal spacing of 3.0 km or less. (HCM, Part I: Overview: Section 5: Glossary)
Through traffic is mentioned in the definition of arterial streets, but not in collector streets. One serves the city. The other serves the neighborhoods. Mr. Dey seems to have confused the two. And one is not substituted for the other. Through traffic on a collector street is actually called cut-through traffic, which Mr. Dey did refer to in the article. Cut-through traffic is supposed to be limited on collectors, not encouraged. Mr. Dey would disagree.
And where is city policy on this issue? From the General Plan:
Policy 12.02 System Function and Neighborhood Protection.:
Ensure that the existing and proposed highways, streets, bikeways and pedestrian paths serve the functions they are intended to serve, while protecting the character of residential neighborhoods. (General Plan, Chapter 6, page 6-2)Â
My interpretation of the above policy is that if a street was designed as a collector, it should be maintained as a collector. The city traffic engineer should be taking measures to implement city policy by discouraging cut-through traffic on the city’s collector streets rather than implementing his own definitions and policies to encourage it.
Tim Gavin, Gilroy
