Category Archives: Politics

May 19, 2016 · 2:57 pm

Willow Glen Road Diet Failure

Our family has lived in Willow Glen for almost twenty years. It is a comfortable and neighborly area of San Jose, California with large gardens, good restaurants and shops, and charming architecture. Lincoln Avenue – the neighborhood’s downtown – is part of what makes Willow Glen a “San Jose Treasure”. Unfortunately, during the last year Lincoln Avenue has been inflicted with a “Road Diet” which has increased traffic and accidents while discouraging customers from shopping and dining in its otherwise-attractive small businesses.

I first wrote about the “Road Diet Controversy in Willow Glen” about a year ago and the situation has not improved. On 21 March 2016, there was a debate among seven of the candidates for the Willow Glen District 6 City Council seat at which the Road Diet was a major topic. Julia Baum of the Mercury News reported on 29 March 2016 reported:

“Candidates answered questions about eminent domain, job creation and the city’s widespread homeless population, but the discussion about the Lincoln Avenue road diet highlighted the evening. Most of the candidates supported permanently keeping Lincoln Avenue to one lane each way and not returning to the original four-lane configuration.”

I do not understand why the failed Road Diet is so popular with Willow Glen’s political leaders (and candidates for political leadership). During this last year, I have spoken regularly with Lincoln Avenue small business owners who are to a person upset at their loss of business due to heavy and dangerous traffic combined with too-little parking. One small business owner told me that in her own observation, Lincoln Avenue accidents have more than tripled this year (eighteen accidents since the five reported by the San Jose Department of Transportation “SJ-DOT” at the 18 June 2015 public hearing). The SJ-DOT web page has posted no more current information since “Lincoln Avenue Road Diet Trial” slides from that public hearing. I have a call into the SJ-DOT office to see if I can get better information.

The SJ-DOT reported on 18 June 2015 that the Purpose of the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet is:

Improve safety for all users
Create a calmer traffic environment
Enhance travel for people walking and biking

As you can see from the photos (taken this week), big trucks routinely park in the Lincoln Avenue middle passing lane to make deliveries, reducing what was a four-lane road in early 2015 to a two-lane road with two bike lanes now. Neighbors have told me that traffic on side streets around Lincoln Avenue (between Willow/Minnesota) is heavier and often dangerously fast – because drivers are trying to get around the traffic jams downtown. I walk down Lincoln Avenue most days and dodging bicycles on the sidewalk is a frequent hazard. I have been told that many cyclists do not want to use the bike lanes because they are too dangerous with all of the traffic.

Considering its stated Purposes, the Road Diet seems to be a complete failure.

Click here to see the entire Willow Glen Road Diet Series.

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Tagged as Road Diet, San Jose, Willow Glen

May 3, 2016 · 7:53 pm

Caucus for Hillary Clinton

Our whole family came out on Sunday as volunteers to support my daughter Jessica Dickinson Goodman who was the Convener (with Steve Preminger) for the US Congressional District 19 Democratic Caucus for Hillary Clinton. The Caucus voted for who may go to the Democratic National Convention (25-28 July 2016, in Philadelphia) to cast a vote for Hillary Clinton to be the Democratic Presidential Candidate. The number of elected Delegates who actually go to the convention will be based on the result of the 7 June Presidential Primary election in California.

I spent most of the time managing the Ballot Box (doing my part to be sure this was a free and fair election). It was a long day but fun to spend time with so many enthusiastic supporters of Secretary Clinton – especially Larissa Shapiro (my sister TechWomen Mentor) and her daughter Rose, who was our speech timer. There were many more female candidates for Delegate than male – everyone wanted to be there to vote for the first woman to be US President!

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Tagged as Jessica, Matthew, Mentoring, San Jose, TechWomen

March 25, 2016 · 1:47 pm

Three Border Walls

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down. …
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, “Good fences make good neighbours.”
– Robert Frost, 1914

After watching John Oliver’s 20 March 2016 comic-news analysis on the proposed Border Wall, I remembered the lines in “Mending Wall“, the first poem I read by the great American poet Robert Frost. I have had experience with three border walls in recent years:

Israel-Palestine Wall – Bethlehem, 2016

Between the TechWomen Delegations to Jordan and Zimbabwe, last month a group of us visited Gaza and the West Bank in addition to more usual Israel-Palestine tourist locations such as Jerusalem and Masada. Bethlehem is a mixed Muslim-Christian city in the West Bank, typified for me by Manger Square, which has the Church of the Nativity at one end and the Mosque of Omar at the other. The wall runs through Bethlehem, in one case right around an existing home.

This wall is regularly a target location for violent confrontations between citizens and soldiers, one of which we regrettably observed from two blocks away, as we were preparing to leave the city. The wall is also a ground for artistic and political communication: it is covered with paintings and graffiti, including some by famous artists like Banksy. In a Bethlehem shop, we saw a traditional olive wood nativity scene – with the addition of a barrier wall keeping out the three wise men.

Berlin Wall Sections – Mountain View, California, 2010

Two graffitied sections of the 1961-1989 Berlin Wall lived in an office park near where I worked in Mountain View, California, for many years. I used to visit them sometimes during lunch, thinking of the people who died climbing the Berlin Wall trying to get to freedom. In 2013, the sections were moved to the front of the public library.

The original sign in front of these sections said: “…Between November 9 and 12, 1989 the Wall was breached; not from without with bombs or bullets, but from within by the sound of freedom and the vision of a better life that had drifted over the Wall. The World must not forget that it was America’s resolve and its political and economic ideals that made this bloodless revolution and most significant historical event possible.” I don’t know if that sign is still with the sections since they moved.

Berlin Wall Section, Mountain View, California, 2010

California USA-Mexico Wall, 2008

In 2008, my husband and I flew with friends to Baja California to see the grey whales at Laguna San Ignacio. Coming home, we got fuel and checked out with Mexican customs in Mexicali, then flew 9 miles north across the US border to check in at Calexico. The Calexico general aviation airport is directly on the USA-Mexico border fence. It was strange to see our two nations that are culturally and economically one family – with a line drawn between them.

Photos Copyright by Katy Dickinson 2008-2016

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Tagged as Israel, John, Mexico, Middle East, Palestine

September 7, 2015 · 11:36 pm

Republican Elephant Killed in Accident (1956)

I grew up knowing about Dolly, the baby elephant my parents took care of during the August 1956 Republican National Convention. I was sad today to learn the end of her story. I have been looking through a family treasure box recently and came across a folder of newspaper clippings from 1956. Some I had seen before – of my parents dressed in Indian finery escorting Dolly, an eight month old elephant from the Louis Goebel Wild Animal Farm in Southern California. There were cheerful news stories from New York, Chicago, Pacific Palasades, my mother’s hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, as well as from the San Francisco Bay Area. Dolly as the symbol of the Young Republicans, went to all of the convention social events and even greeted President Eisenhower (who was successfully re-elected several months later). She was usually pictured wearing her big “Elephant License 1” from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

It was a shock to come upon two final news stories about how Dolly was killed in a traffic accident when the truck taking her home from San Francisco overturned. She died near Watsonville, California, in need of a blood transfusion and far from any elephant who could give it to her.

Four years later, by the 1960 presidential election, my mother had become a Democrat, firmly opposed to my father’s continued support of the Republican party. 1960 was the first election I remember: my 3-year-old self was so delighted that my candidate, John F. Kennedy, won. I wonder if Dolly’s death had anything to do with my mother’s shift in politics?

Family Treasure Box

The family that purchased our San Francisco home three years ago is remodeling and found a big flat metal box in the attic. I am grateful that they were kind enough to ship it to me since it is stuffed with family documents and photographs. I have been sorting and scanning the contents, finding both treasures and surprises. There was a stack of small faded family photos of Swiss ancestors, dated 1863 to 1890 (I recognize a few names and faces). There were also photos of military bomb tests taken my father (Wade Dickinson) in the 1950s, and a picture of my father taking delivery of a baby elephant at the Louis Goebel Wild Animal Farm. He and my mother wrangled the elephant for the 1956 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. Also included were my mother’s diploma from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville 1952), my father’s diploma from West Point (USMA 1949) , plus a humorous 1951 diploma for “Doctor of Nuclear Phenomeknowledgy” from the researchers at the Oak Ridge School of Reactor Technology where my father studied Nuclear Engineering. There is even a flyer from my mother’s first art exhibit in San Francisco (1965?) and a photo of her modeling in the Junior League of San Francisco fashion show. Unpacking treasure is interesting.

Eleanor Dickinson Junior League Fashion Show San Francisco 1955

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Tagged as Eleanor, San Francisco, Wade

June 27, 2015 · 10:02 pm

5th Day General Convention: Presiding Bishop Election

The big news today at the 78th Episcopal General Convention (GC) in Salt Lake City was that we elected a new Presiding Bishop (PB) to a nine year term. Bishop of North Carolina Michael Curry was the favorite for our Deputation from the Diocese of El Camino Real (ECR). He was elected with overwhelming support on the first ballot:

House of Bishops 121 votes (70%)
House of Deputies 800 votes (99%)

Bishop Michael Curry is the first African-American PB and, in fact, the first PB of color. We are trying to find out if any other PB in history has ever been elected on the first ballot. The process is that the House of Bishops (HofB) elects the PB and then the House of Deputies (HofD) votes to confirm. The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings (President of the HofD) lead the celebration of the 230th anniversary of the House of Deputies while we were waiting for HoB to send news of their election. The HofD dates from 1785 and is very proud of being four years older than the HofB: the House of Deputies is referred to as the “elder house”. After the anniversary party, the HofD refused its President’s strong suggestion that we go to lunch. We sang “We are all together” at her until she relented and let us consider more resolutions until the big PB vote. There was great rejoicing after our quick and extremely positive confirmation of the HofB election of Bishop Curry.

In the afternoon after the PB election (and lunch), Rev. Tom Sramek and I walked down the hall to sit in the audience area of the House of Bishops – to see the Diocese of El Camino Real‘s Bishop Mary working among the purple people. (The traditional color for Bishops to wear is purple – and most of them do.) The Vice President of the HofB was presiding. Some of the differences I saw:

HofB is less than half the size, overwhelmingly male, and the average age is much older than the HofD
HofB is much less tightly managed and their parliamentary functioning lacks the high polish and style of the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings
HofB sits in small groups at round tables – promoting collegiality and more interaction – while HofD sit a long tables
There are no Alternates in HofB – everyone there can wear the purple

After our visit to the HofB, it was time for the ECR dinner where Bishop Mary hosted us in celebrating our new PB!

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Tagged as Episcopal church, General Convention

June 22, 2015 · 6:30 pm

Road Diet Controversy in Willow Glen

The Road Diet has caused a great deal of energetic debate in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California, most recently among the 500+ who attended the public discussion at Willow Glen High School on 18 June 2015. Most of the discussion was about:

Bad for Business: The Road Diet trial has reportedly had a very negative effect on local businesses (particularly in the 0.4 mile downtown area on Lincoln Avenue between Willow Street and Minnesota Avenue). Many small business owners at the meeting spoke of a significant decline due to customer frustration with traffic congestion. Several spoke about shopping elsewhere to avoid the intermittent Lincoln Avenue gridlock.
Good for Bikes: Several in the bicycling community reported their satisfaction at having a new bike lane, even if it does not connect yet to other bike corridors.
Driver Frustration caused by increased traffic congestion on Lincoln Avenue was a common topic.
Data, Analysis, and Interpretation: Questions were raised by many about Road Diet data – as well as concern about key elements (like accidents, pedestrian traffic, and parking) not being measured at all.

Here is a summary by the Willow Glen Business Association about the Road Diet:

In Fall 2014 District 6 Council Member Pierluigi Oliverio proposed that the City of San José Department of Transportation (DOT) implement a trial road diet on Lincoln Avenue in Spring 2015. The trial was completed in March, April and May 2015. You may read the DOT’s reports about the trial here:

Results of WGBA Member Survey

DOT Preliminary Status Report – May 2015

DOT Final Data Collection Report – June 2015

What is a Road Diet? Watch this video to learn about road diets.

A recent news story “San Jose: Lincoln Avenue ‘road diet’ divides Willow Glen community” reported on how the Road Diet is polarizing this small community.

Council Member Olivierio wrote (in November 2014) that he backed the Road Diet to help the Willow Glen business district “…feel quaint, pedestrian friendly, and become a more desirable location to shop and stroll.” According to Interim Director Jim Ortbal of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the purpose of the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet was threefold:

Improve safety for all users
Create a calmer traffic environment
Enhance travel for people walking and biking

DOT staff reported at length on traffic volume and speed data for 45 locations in the Willow Glen area. However, on 18 June, the DOT was not able to present information indicating success on any of the three goals. For example, DOT said they could not report on safety because it would take one to two years of data collection to determine patterns. When pressed, DOT staff said that there were about the same number of accidents reported to the police. Some speakers (including myself) testified to the current situation causing dangerous traffic congestion and frustration for both drivers and walkers at certain times of day. Other members of the public said that they felt safer walking in the area as a result of the Road Diet. DOT reported a small increase in bikers but they did not measure walkers.

A group of four Stanford University Public Policy graduate students conducted their own Analysis and Recommendations for Lincoln Ave Road Diet. Their recommendations were:

Clarify and prioritize the goals of the road diet to better gauge whether the road diet successfully achieves its policy objectives.
Determine the road diet’s impact on Lincoln Avenue businesses by gathering and analyzing pre- and post-diet data on business sales receipts.
Survey area residents to gauge perceptions of the road diet’s impact on livability.
Gather more pedestrian and bicycle traffic count observations over a longer time period to determine if the post-diet increases are statistically significant.

Some of the best suggestions I heard at the 18 June public hearing were:

Create a pedestrian scramble at both Willow/Lincoln and Minnesota/Lincoln rather than making walkers wait for two long lights.
Get rid of the Road Diet middle passing lane (that some were calling the “suicide lane” and others said was often blocked by parked trucks making deliveries), allowing just one lane in each direction, then increase the available parking with diagonal striping, and maybe widen the sidewalks at the same time.
Build a parking structure (for example in the now-empty lot on the corner of Willow/Lincoln) to reduce the number of cars circling trying to find a place to park.

The DOT is asking for a quick decision on the success of the 3-month Road Diet so that they can know what to do when they repave Lincoln Avenue in October 2015.

Click here to see the entire Willow Glen Road Diet Series.

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Tagged as Road Diet, San Jose, Willow Glen

Category Archives: Politics

Willow Glen Road Diet Failure

Caucus for Hillary Clinton

Three Border Walls

Israel-Palestine Wall – Bethlehem, 2016

Berlin Wall Sections – Mountain View, California, 2010

California USA-Mexico Wall, 2008

Republican Elephant Killed in Accident (1956)

Family Treasure Box

5th Day General Convention: Presiding Bishop Election

Road Diet Controversy in Willow Glen

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