Carmel / Hwy 1 – Bike Safe, Carmel Valley Rd to Carpenter

Voice your desire to make Highway 1, Carmel biking safer

Guest post by Alex Cappelli, Vice President, Velo Club Monterey

California State Parks is developing a General Plan for the Carmel Area State Parks. They are seeking input from the public on how these lands will best serve the needs of the community.

They will be holding an educational meeting/public workshop on Wednesday, April 18, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Rancho Canada Golf Club in Carmel.

Hatton Canyon

[See Mari’s comment below for update to this guest post by Alex.] Of particular importance with regard to bicycling is the Hatton Canyon. A bike path through Hatton Canyon would provide cyclists with a safe and direct route from Carmel Valley Road to the intersection of Carpenter and Highway 1.

Improving this area for bicycle travel will benefit the residents of this neighborhood by reducing carbon emissions, noise pollution, traffic congestion, and more.  Residents who have questions or who may have any concerns about bicyclists are encouraged to contact me: Alex Cappelli, VCMonterey.org.

What’s there now

This project has come up for development before and was only minimally addressed.  The Class I bike/multiuse path at the mouth of the valley stretches a very short distance. It has the benefit of getting cyclists out of Highway 1 traffic briefly, while it provides easy access to reach the adjacent shopping centers, including two bike shops.

But how far does it go?  The southern end is just south of Rio Road. It ends under the bridge, where unsuspecting southbound travelers find they’ve arrived nowhere and must return the way they came, or make their way up the embankment to the highway.

And the northern end?  After the tunnel provides safe passage across Carmel Valley Road, unsuspecting northbound travelers find that the path does not go anywhere!

Why the northbound path doesn’t yet continue

Previously, a paved bike path through a portion of Hatton Canyon was cancelled.  That decision was made following a letter-writing campaign by some Hatton Canyon residents. If one reads through the record, it becomes apparent that a few form letters had the result of denying cyclists a much-needed path.

Be a voice for safe cycling, the environment, and the economy

This time, it is important that the bike community makes clearer the vital nature of this bike path for public safety, and for the environment and economy.  (This area is a major ecorecreation attraction.) It is also important that bicyclists communicate with Hatton Canyon residents to help identify and address any legitimate concerns, and to share with them the benefits of this bike path to residents.

Why show up

A good turnout at the April 18 meeting by area cyclists will help impress upon decision makers that riding Highway 1 in this area is dangerous and that all the other routes over the hill are poor alternatives.

Please mark April 18, 6:00-7:30 p.m. on your calendars, and make every effort to attend.  At this meeting, you will have the opportunity to speak directly to a State Park employee, and your comments will be entered into the public record.

This is important.  Let’s not let the opportunity to improve this neighborhood and important travel connection slip away.

For more information

Go to the following link:  http://www.parks.ca.gov/caspgp

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Related posts on this site

Bicycle advocacy:  What you can do

Bicycling Carmel

Serious Cyclists

Nice, as far as it goes (not far enough!).

Take it a step farther. Get cyclists up to the Carpenter Street exit safely!

Don’t stop here. Keep safer bikeways coming!

(Click on image to enlarge.)