| | Published November 6th, 2013
| Letters to the Editor
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Editor:
Funny, I never thought of that sign across from the Commons as, "The Town Marquee." That seems a little inflated, but so does the idea of electronic eye-catching signs with town news. Ummmm. I thought we were supposed to be concentrating on driving. Am I wrong? As it is, there is enough information on that sign to distract me from watching for the light to turn green, the cars in front of me, pedestrians/bikers crossing there, etc. We have the wonderful Lamorinda Weekly for news, and the Patch as well. The current locations of "The Town Marquee," is not the place to try and capture our attention with more local information about events, and a greater change in the frequency....just how often we need to notice the newest of the news. In the article by Sophie Braccini, and the comments from the Councilmembers, my point doesn't seem to have crossed anyone's mind! I mean, get an app for town info! Additionally, the "tired old sign" IS part is one of the few remaining reminders (other than the endangered ROCK,) of the semi-rural community most of us love about Moraga. If you want to have the sign fixed, I am CERTAIN that it would make a primo project for one or more potential Eagle Scouts. Spend the money elsewhere. While I have deep respect for those who serve our town such as Mr. Ingram and Mr. Reynolds, I find it positively disturbing to read that Mr. Reynolds gets "really positively giddy," when he thinks about just how much info can be put on a sign "at that location." If you want a flashy sign, with ever-changing info, and lots of important town information to read....please not in any location where we are supposed to be focused on driving the SUV packed with the kiddies en route to their soccer
practice or the Safeway. My point, in case it may have been lost in my sarcasm, is that we have currently have enough distractions while driving. We are told not to talk on our cells and drive; we instill in our new drivers the importance of not texting in the car. We should be watching for kids and squirrels, cyclists, and cars. How can this point have been lost? Simply for a desire for something new and flashy? Come on, guys!
Jari Hazard
Moraga
Editor:
After suffering many on-strike days of the 40+ year history of BART, Orindans faced driving through their "Confluence of Congestion at its 'Crossroads.'" This CCC results from a design prior to City incorporation, overlapping the Orinda BART station with intersections of Brookwood Road, Camino Pablo & the exit from Eastbound Rt. 24 & dumping exiting traffic into that intersection due to a lack of a critical cloverleaf-shaped exit from Rt. 24 for Northbound traffic. Worse yet, on October 23, 2013, Orindans heard with disbelief that BART negotiators created a huge financial mess by giving the transit system's workers an outrageous pay increase, management receiving virtually nothing in return & retaining obsolete work rules, all of which prevents BART from lowering its (& riders') costs. One fallacy of management's decisions quickly surfaced that evening as East-bound Rt. 24 traffic became more snarled than usual from heavy smoke from an Eastbound train stalled at the Orinda BART station. Orinda's faulty "CCC" design then resulted in more than the usual substantial delays on Eastbound Rt. 24 in Orinda, & also more delays for drivers crossing the CCC to go through Orinda Northbound onto the San Pablo Dam Road. Clearly, Orindans have no apparent benefit from a "Complete Streets" Resolution presented to the Council on 12/18/12, that CSR being ineffective to mitigate the Crossroads Congestion. Sadly, at day's end on 10/23/2013, "Complete Streets" remained an illusion, the CCC remained dangerous from traffic flow and safety standpoints, & BART riders readied their pocketbooks and wallets to be pick-pocketed again to pay for the non-electronic workers' new raises. Moreover, to avoid Rt. 24, 100s & 100s of drivers clogged the Orinda Grove construction area along Orinda's Altarinda Road, worsening long interruptions of proper access to the Orinda Convalescent Hospital by ambulances & turning the sidewalk-lined Orindawoods area into a high-speed freeway parallel to Rt. 24, shocking mothers pushing their stroller-bound babies on the once-safe sidewalks. So ended another day in Orinda, a self-described "semi-rural character" City, which ABAG & MTC call a Potential Priority Development Area into which they are directing yet-more housing development.
Chet Martine
Orinda
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA