Bike Path on Valley Blvd.: First, New Storm Drains

City of Tehachapi requests letters of support to help win more Active Transportation Program (ATP) grants.

Those big three-foot wide concrete pipes lining a four-block stretch of West Valley Blvd. west of Curry St. are sections of new storm drains that are being installed prior to extending the city's growing matrix of bicycle paths.

Those big three-foot wide concrete pipes lining a four-block stretch of West Valley Blvd. west of Curry St. are sections of new storm drains that are being installed prior to extending the city's growing matrix of bicycle paths.

"The bike path drives all of this," Tehachapi Development Services Director Jay Schlosser said. "We put in the storm drains first. You start from the bottom up."

The 36-inch pipes are replacing 24-inch pipes that are being filled with sand and left in place or removed. Currently, Schlosser said, rain sheets off property into the gutter and moves to Elm Street and flows north from there. The rebuilt pipes, in concert with the new curbs and gutters, will serve to "reorganize the storm drains to get the water off sooner and to accommodate a larger storm."

The work includes a reduction in the width of Valley Blvd. from Mill to Kelton, where it bulges out on the south side and is abnormally wide, presenting a confusing hazard for drivers and pedestrians.

Widening the thoroughfare was unworkable, Schlosser said, as it would require bulldozing many homes. As it is, the residents of the apartments and homes in the extra-wide section will get added property to use, and the city will provide landscaping.

"The decision was founded on the new General Plan and the way it looks at traffic," Schlosser said. "The residents don't want six-lane roads with walls. Tehachapi spoke at the charrette [series of design workshops]. The people wanted smaller, more streets and lower vehicle speeds."

The city is applying for three more ATP grants in the spring: 1) Cherry Lane Southside Sidewalk Project to close gaps in the sidewalk from Tucker Road to Elm Street; 2) Tehachapi Blvd. Class 1 Bike Lane Phase II – to install a Class 1 bike lane on the north side of Tehachapi Blvd. from Dennison Road to Steuber Road; and 3) Valley Boulevard Northside Sidewalk – to construct curb, gutter, sidewalk and landscaping on the north side of Valley Blvd. from Mulberry St. to Curry St.

Letters of support from residents, public agencies and special districts will help to win the funding, as points are awarded for community support.

Schlosser will give a presentation on the new grant requests at the second City Council meeting in September (Monday, Sept. 19). Letters of support may be sent to City of Tehachapi, ATTN: Jay Schlosser, 115 South Robinson St., Tehachapi, CA 93561; or email to [email protected].