Petition For No-Parking Zone On Vista Linda Drive Along Dangerous Blind Curve!

Petition addressed to: City of Mill Valley with City Council

We, the undersigned residents and community members, respectfully request that the City of Mill Valley install No Parking signs on both sides of Vista Linda Drive along the stretch between approximately 340 and 360 Vista Linda Drive, encompassing the blind curve at that location.

The curve between approximately 340 and 360 Vista Linda Drive presents a significant and foreseeable traffic and
pedestrian safety hazard. The combination of the sharp, blind curve, limited sight distance, roadway width, vegetation, pedestrians, and vehicles parked along the roadway creates a situation in which drivers and pedestrians may encounter one another with insufficient warning.

The problem is not limited to one particular parked vehicle. Multiple vehicles routinely park on alternating sides of the roadway around this curve. Even when a parked vehicle leaves the minimum roadway clearance required by the City, its presence can still obstruct sight lines and create a dangerous conflict between vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users approaching from opposite directions.

The City has acknowledged that sight distance is an issue and has indicated that vegetation will be
trimmed to improve visibility. We appreciate that action. However, improving sight lines alone does not
eliminate the hazard created by vehicles parking within the blind curve.

No-parking restrictions already exist farther downhill on Vista Linda Drive, beginning near the fork with
Sheridan Road and continuing through a section of the roadway which is wider and features a less severe curve.The stretch between approximately 340 and 360 Vista Linda Drive presents a compelling case for similar restrictions because the curve is sharper and visibility is significantly more limited.

Importantly, the requested parking restriction would not deprive residents of necessary residential parking. All homes in this area have driveways, and the requested No Parking zone would be limited to the portion of the roadway where roadside parking creates the greatest safety concern.

The City has stated that the roadway is approximately 20 feet wide and that a vehicle may legally park
there if at least 11 feet of roadway clearance remains. We recognize the City's analysis concerning
minimum roadway clearance and emergency vehicle access. However, roadway clearance and sight
distance are separate safety considerations. A vehicle can leave sufficient physical clearance for another vehicle to pass while nevertheless creating a dangerous obstruction to a driver's line of sight around a blind curve. The fact that a vehicle may technically leave 11 feet of clearance does not mean that parking at that particular location is safe or appropriate.

The City's own response recognizes the importance of sight distance by requiring vegetation to be
trimmed and by stating that Public Works will continue to monitor roadway safety at this location. A permanent No Parking restriction would address the second component of the problem
directly: preventing vehicles from becoming additional obstacles within an already constrained sight line.

Installing No Parking signs on both sides of the roadway along the blind curve would:

• Improve visibility around the blind curve;
• Reduce the likelihood of head-on and sideswipe collisions;
• Give drivers and pedestrians additional reaction time;
• Reduce conflicts caused by vehicles approaching one another around the curve;
• Improve pedestrian safety;
• Complement the City's planned vegetation trimming;
• Provide a clear and enforceable rule for drivers; and
• Establish a consistent safety standard comparable to the existing No Parking restrictions farther downhill on Vista Linda Drive.