The Broadway-Brommer Bike Road
Procedural history
A connection between Broadway and Broadway had been studied in the 1970s as a proposed motor vehicle roadway. This motor vehicle roadway project was stopped and in the 1991, it shifted to a bicycle/pedestrian roadway. The County secured funding through the ISTEA program to complete the portion of the project that falls within the county limits. In 1995, The City became the lead agency in under CEQA responsible for the Broadway-Brommer project.The Notice of Preparation was published in the Fall of 1998 and received many negative comments. Despite this, the City continued with the project. The Draft EIR was published in 1999.11. A Public Hearing was held on 1999.12.09 and public comments were accepted until 2000.01.10. The Public Works department expected ~100 comments and was overwhelmed with >630 comments. There were so many comments, the City did not have sufficient funding to complete the Final EIR. This issue was discussed by the City Transportation Commission for several months and they eventually voted 4-2 to recommend that the city spend an additional $40,000 to complete the Final EIR. This is beyond the amount previously allocated for this phase and beyond the $360,000 already spent on the project. The City Parks and Recreation Department voted unanimously against any further funding on this project due to its environmental impact. On 2000.05.09, the City Council voted 5-2 to fund the additional $40,000 to complete the Final EIR. When this document is complete, the City Council will decide at that time whether to proceed with the project.
- 1997.10.14 - City council allocates an additional $30,000 to B-B project, and votes to restrict EIR to consideration of A1, D2, and no project.
- 2000.05.09 - City council votes to finish EIR, but with the proviso that no path may be built until the Arana Gulch Master Plan is complete. City council also votes to move forward with a "three-pronged" approach to east-west bike connectivity, exploring: (a) bike lanes on Soquel Ave; (b) a ramp to Frederick St Park; (c) the rail-trail.
- 2001.09.06 - SCCRTC votes to withhold reimbursment of city expenditures to date on B-B project, unless city finishes EIR.
- 2001.09.18 - City council basically reaffirms and fills in details in decision of 2000.07.09.
- 2001.09.25 - City council basically reaffirms and fills in more details in decision of 2000.07.09.
- 2002.06.12 - CTC votes unanimously to move forward with the Frederick St Park ramp, and bike lanes on Soquel Ave.
- 2002.09.11 - CTC votes 5-1 to approve staff recommendation, directing the CTC's bike subcommittee to return to the full CTC in one month with a "strategy" to connect Broadway and Brommer with an "educational, environmentally sensitive" pathway.