Planning criticized in city of

Lots of dollars, but no sense.

A big reason for our moving to Westlake was the way its residents of all ages and ability got out to walk and bike together at all times of the day and night around the lake. It was like no other city. Prior city councils encouraged and protected this by paving parkways to widen sidewalks to 8 feet and by allocating 9 feet of street to bike paths.

Lately it appears landscaping

––to update the look to support million-dollar homes––takes priority over safety.

Strange that at a time when the city is looking for programs to meet the needs of its seniors and is developing two senior living residences, that it would overlook planning for and encouraging seniors to get out and walk—it’s free, it keeps them healthy and it’s a great way to meet others and develop community feeling.

Didn’t a cyclist get killed by a car while fixing a tire on Lindero Canyon? So why landscape in a way that might crowd people into the street?

A new park being developed along Triunfo chokes a spacious 8- ft.-wide sidewalk down to a 5-ft. looping path through future landscaping of grass and shrubs and twice as many trees as before. Westlake walkers more often walk in groups of two or more, push double-wide baby strollers, walk marathons for breast cancer, etc., and all at the same time.

I believe choking the 8-ft. sidewalk down to a 5-ft. path means walkers and joggers will be choosing the street. Problem is it puts them on heavily trafficked Triunfo and in the bike path, which is at its narrowest stretch (is) only 3½ feet. Walkers will be wedged between oncoming traffic and parked cars, in conflict with cyclists who have to swerve into traffic lanes to avoid them—an accident waiting to happen.

And it will get worse when warmer weather brings out even more walkers and when Wilma builds public boat docks on the Triunfo side of the lake.

In other parts of Westlake where there are businesses, the city has 8-ft. and wider sidewalks. But here—even with Wilma and with future boat docks planned, and the Westlake Tennis Club and the most foot traffic—we do away with the wide sidewalk?

The new bus stops also put people into the street. They have benches without contoured seats or backrests or any sun/wind/rain protection. And they are often only accessible from the street and up over a curb. They also lack wheelchair accessibility. Compare their comfort and efficiency with Thousand Oaks’ bus stops. And the cost of building and maintenance?

This priority of landscaping over safety seems as backwards as the new Triunfo Park "vista point" that views busy Triunfo rather than the beautiful lake behind. It might look good from the fancy car driving by, but the park sacrifices a wide, inviting and safe sidewalk

––and I think we could have had both.

A. Lenert