March 16, 2006

The battle of the bridge: AVCA faces off with
city regarding dangerous trail crossing

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

Dangers posed by the Los Alamitos/Calero Creek Trail crossing at Camden Avenue and how the city of San Jose is responding to the issue were the focus of the Almaden Valley Community Association’s meeting Monday night.

AVCA Vice President Ray Strong and President Lee Dimmitt preside over the meeting Monday night, which focused on the Los Alamitos/Calero Creek Trail intersection at Camden Avenue.

According to the Master Plan, the trail that winds along Camden Avenue was originally intended to continue beneath the Camden Avenue bridge and up Queenswood Way before circling back around, allowing for a bridge crossing. However, at this time, the underpass is unusable, forcing trail users to instead cross the busy intersection.

“The trail, which is supposed to go under the bridge, was never finished,” says Almaden Valley Community Association (AVCA) President Lee Dimmitt. “Instead it empties onto the intersection and creates a dangerous conflict of cars, trucks, hikers, bikers and equestrians.”

Whether the city should build a new pedestrian bridge with an estimated price tag of $4 million, widen Camden Avenue, or maintain an underpass, is the crux of the debate between the city and the AVCA. What is not in question to both AVCA members and the city are the dangers the current situation poses for all who enter the unmarked intersection.

Potential Trail Bridge: A proposal was made by the city to build a new pedestrian bridge along the Los Alamitos Creek Trail and Camden Avenue due to the lack of safe crossing on the existing bridge. (Photo courtesy of PRNS and DOT)

Exacerbating the situation is the blind curve approaching the bridge, in addition to the lack of a shoulder and pedestrians’ or bicyclists’ separation from traffic. “I drive there almost every day and pass bicyclists, runners and kids of all ages on the bridge,” says AVCA Vice President Ray Strong, “and it’s not safe.”

Parks and Recreation Neighborhood Services (PRNS) Trail System Program Manager Yves Zsutty agrees that this intersection poses a serious safety issue, but he does not believe that the underpass is the answer.

“The clearance beneath the bridge is so low, that it is likely the trail would be underwater frequently during the year,” he says. “There is also a concern that someone riding a bike could hit their head.” Zsutty further notes that if the underpass became backed up with debris and sludge on a regular basis, it would be difficult to maintain, which may have led to an earlier decision not to continue the trail beneath the bridge.

AVCA Director Kitty Monahan tells a different story. “When the trail was built, we had a trail under the bridge,” she says. “It was perfectly well fitted and the horses could go under the bridge; but it has not been maintained. That’s the big issue.”

Because the existing Camden Avenue bridge does not provide pedestrian access on the east side (west bound) of the Los Alamitos Trail, users must cross the street to access the bridge, and cross the street again to continue along the Calero Creek Trail, putting them doubly at risk.

In answer to these safety concerns, the PRNS, in conjunction with the Department of Transportation (DOT), pursued a study to determine the feasibility of constructing a new pedestrian bridge parallel to Camden Avenue.

However, the project currently faces a number of challenges, including insufficient funding, the sensitive natural environment that may require the approval of an Environmental Impact Report, and a planned widening of Camden Avenue, including improving the existing bridge with pedestrian lanes in both directions, which might make a new bridge unnecessary. However, the widening of Camden Avenue would depend upon area development and it is uncertain when that might take place.

Daniella Polar, community relations coordinator for Councilmember Nancy Pyle, attended the AVCA meeting to learn the member’s concerns.

“The Department of Fish and Game and the Santa Clara County Water District have been working with us to get a trail under that bridge,” adds Monahan, “So, why would we need a humongous pedestrian bridge?”

Strong agrees. “They should prevent people crossing on the blind side of Queenswood,” he says, “and work with the Water District to improve the trail so people could cross under the bridge.”

To meet the immediate danger posed by the trail’s end at Camden Avenue, the PRNS and DOT are pursuing short-term safety measures, which they plan to implement within the next three months. To identify the trail crossing and enhance public safety, these measures include: realigning the center of Camden Avenue with central striping to create even spacing on both sides of the bridge, the addition of a painted berm and shoulder on the east side of the bridge, and a painted crosswalk and flashing beacon at Queenswood Way.

Although Dimmitt is all for improving pedestrian safety, he would like to see a different solution. “The problem is that a crossing is not supposed to be there at all,” said Dimmitt. “Why isn’t the City Parks and Recreation Department blocking the trail and finishing the crossing under the Camden Bridge?”

The next AVCA meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 13, at Almaden Pizza Co. The public is also invited to attend the Mayoral/District Attorney Candidates Forum hosted by the AVCA at the Santa Clara County Water District Board Room from 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 27.