5th & J Streets - Emergency Situation
April 16, 2025
Open Letter to Davis City Council
Davis City Council,
Another collision at 5th & J Street today. Car vs. Bike.
Right after I called for Jersey barriers again at Council last night after the last collision.
This is an emergency situation. Two collisions just this week, four in one week several weeks back. Put up the goddamned Jersey barriers already, like today, like tomorrow. Recognize that people are getting hurt at an alarming rate here. I made a mistake being OK that the changes are coming after calling for Jersey barriers immediately after the four accidents a few weeks back. We can't wait.
Here's how to do it: put Jersey barriers on the left of each directional lane leading up to the intersection, and along the left-turn lane. The left-turn lanes will face each other, so block the west to south lane, and allow east to north. Put a 4' gap on each side for peds & bikes at crosswalks. Do this also at I Street and K Street. Similar site problems, and drivers will just cut over to I or K if J is blocked. At I and K Street reverse which left turn lane is blocked, so cars can only go west to south. This allows people to get into the neighborhood from 5th either direction, but prevents a 'face-off' between cars in the two left-turn lanes. Then slap a vertical yellow reflector on the east and west ends of the Jersey barriers to prevent cars from hitting them.
This has been going on for years, but the rate of collisions has increased greatly recently. I live near the corner of 3rd & J Streets. 3rd is a bit less busy but still an arterial. I can't recall ever seeing a collision there. In over 35 years. I'm sure it's happened, but it's rare. So it isn't just bad drivers, it's the intersection.
People keep asking why. 5th & J has inherent site problems. These can't be fixed with shrub trimming - there are poles and trees in just the wrong places. Going south to cross, you have to stop back of the stop line, then pull forward up to the bike lane, stop, and then pull across. It's the only safe way to do it, but most people who don't use it regularly don't know this, nor is stopping twice a normal way to cross a street. You get someone who pulls forward from the stop line with their site line blocked in just the wrong places, combined with a speeding car on 5th, and BOOM. And it happens often.
Do it! Fix it! Today! Now! No later than tomorrow!
Alan C. Miller
Old East Davis