As you may know, the WGNA board has been asked by the Department of Transportation to provide them with a recommendation on the road diet trial that has been in place on Lincoln Avenue since the beginning of March. The DOT will take that into account when making their recommendation to the City Council on whether or not the road diet should be made permanent. Earlier this week, WGNA Board President Chris Roth sent a letter to the DOT and Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio pointing out Article II, Section 2 of our bylaws, which states that: "WGNA represents all members and does not endorse candidates for political office, political parties, or divisive issues." Because our board may find the road diet to be a divisive issue, we wanted to make the city aware that WGNA may not be able to take a position. As stated in Chris' letter, our decision will be informed by a review of the DOT's traffic analysis report as well as the results of the community survey we just launched (see below). Additionally, we will be listening to everyone's comments during the next Road Diet Trial Community Meeting on Thursday, June 18th, at 6:30pm in the Willow Glen High School Cafeteria. We encourage you to attend and make your voice heard. Continue reading

Join us for our annual meeting to discuss current neighborhood issues and concerns, upcoming events, and ways you can get involved in the community. You can click here to RSVP. We want your help in shaping the topics the meeting will cover. Please take five minutes to complete this simple survey by May 15th so we can find appropriate speakers to discuss the topics you identify as top priorities. PLEASE NOTE: Transportation — particularly the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet — will NOT be discussed during our annual meeting as there will be a separate community meeting on June 11th dedicated solely to that topic. It is also time for WGNA members to elect Officers and Board Members for the 2015-16 term. Members may vote using this online survey OR in person at the annual meeting. Continue reading

To help residents, business owners, and the general community stay up to date on the layout, timeline, and other important information regarding the upcoming road diet trial on Lincoln Avenue, the Road Diet Working Group has created an all-in-one website at www.WillowGlenRoadDiet.com. We hope you will visit this new site today to get informed! WGNA will continue to post updates in this space to help ensure that everyone in our community has a chance to learn the facts and have their voices heard. Speaking of which, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the road diet trial — before, during, or after — please email [email protected] or use the webform at bit.ly/lincolnroaddiet. Thank you again for your patience and input.

The Lincoln Avenue Road Diet Working Group had its fifth meeting on Friday, February 6, 2015. This meeting featured an in-depth conversation with staff from the City of San José Department of Transportation regarding the final draft alignment and timeline for the road diet trial, as well as data collection and community outreach. District 6 City Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio was also present to discuss the agenda for WGNA's February 12th Road Diet Town Meeting at Willow Glen Elementary School. DOT staff directly addressed questions, comments, and concerns collected from community members through group meetings, sidewalk conversations, phone calls, emails, webform responses, and Facebook posts over the past two months. Click here to view the minutes from this meeting. Click here to see the draft alignment for the road diet trial, including signage markers. Click here to see the final 40+ sites where DOT will collect traffic data. All are welcome to email the RDWG at [email protected] with any questions or comments on these minutes or general comments about the road diet trial. The RDWG is committed to an open and transparent process that produces the best possible result for all involved.

After two months of collaboration with the City of San José Department of Transportation, the Lincoln Avenue Road Diet Working Group is excited to invite you to a town meeting at 6:30pm on Thursday, February 12th, where city staff and working group members will present plans for the upcoming road diet trial in Downtown Willow Glen and ask for your feedback. The meeting will be hosted by WGNA in the Willow Glen Elementary School Cafeteria and will include an open forum for any and all community members to pose their thoughts, concerns, and questions. Because we expect a very large crowd, we will ask that you keep your comments to 2 minutes or less so that everyone can be heard. Please see this flyer for more information, and feel free to share it with your friends and neighbors. The flyer includes an excellent FAQ section that should answer most of your questions about the road diet trial. Continue reading

The Lincoln Avenue Road Diet Working Group had its third meeting on Monday, December 22, 2014. This meeting featured an in-depth conversation with Hans Larsen, Director of Transportation for the City of San José, to address questions, comments and concerns raised by RDWG members and community constituents regarding the upcoming road diet trial. You can click here to view the minutes from this meeting. All are welcome to email the RDWG at [email protected] with any questions or comments on these minutes or general comments about the road diet trial. The RDWG is committed to an open and transparent process that produces the best possible result for all involved. [Photo credit: Janet Lafleur, www.ladyfleur.bike]

A working group has been established to solicit feedback from key constituencies – residents, commuters, business and property owners, etc. — and coordinate with City of San José staff to determine the size, scope, and feel of an upcoming "road diet" trial on Lincoln Avenue, scheduled for Spring 2015. This working group is comprised of residents, business owners, and other key stakeholders from Downtown Willow Glen and surrounding communities. The Road Diet Working Group (or RDWG for brevity's sake) is committed to an open and transparent process that ensures all voices are heard. You can learn more about the RDWG and stay up to date on our progress by visiting this special page on the WGNA website or by following our Facebook and Twitter feeds. We'll be posting meeting minutes, data analysis, and other useful content on a regular basis. If you'd like to contribute your thoughts to the discussion, we encourage you to please send an email to the RDWG or use this simple web form. There will be a follow-up community meeting in January on a date TBD to provide an update on the RDWG's work and solicit additional feedback. In the meantime, we appreciate your engagement on this important issue for the future of our community!

WGNA will be hosting our next community meeting on Thursday, November 20th, from 7 to 9pm in the Willow Glen Elementary School Cafeteria. The topic of the meeting will be a recently proposed lane reconfiguration of Lincoln Avenue and a potential trial simulation. There will be comments by District 6 Councilmember Pierluigi Oliverio and representatives from the San José Department of Transportation, who will also answer audience questions. This subject drew a lot of interest when we recently asked our community about it on Facebook, so we expect a large crowd. Be sure to RSVP ASAP. Willow Glen Elementary is located at 1425 Lincoln Avenue at the corner of Minnesota. Parking is available in the rear of the school or across Minnesota. Please use crosswalks and DO NOT jaywalk.

As part of our mission, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association aims to keep our community informed on a variety of planned city improvement projects. From November 2014 through March 2015, the City of San José’s Department of Public Works will be replacing sewer lines on Mackey Ave., Dawson Ave., and Cross Way. If you live nearby or regularly use these streets, please expect delays during this project period. You can download this city fact sheet for more information. If you have any questions or concerns about this project and its effects on the surrounding neighborhood, you are welcome to contact Jess Tanciangco at (408) 793-4145. We encourage you to share this information with your neighbors!

Touring Historic Willow Glen: Ten Walking Loops was a joint effort between the WGNA and Preservation Action Council of San Jose. In a little over 100 pages, Touring Historic Willow Glen manages to capture everything that makes Willow Glen such a wonderful place to live -- its richness in history, balance of nature and architecture, and walkability. Grab a copy of the book, take a walking tour, and fall in love with Willow Glen like we have. You can purchase Touring Historic Willow Glen: Ten Walking Loops at these local retailers: Grace on the Avenue (1100 Lincoln Ave. #150)Hicklebee's (1378 Lincoln Ave.)Three Sisters (1393 Lincoln Ave.)Top Nosh (1167 Lincoln Ave.)Underground (1342 Lincoln Ave.)Whatnots and Dodads (1130 Lincoln. Ave.)Zanotto's (1421 Foxworthy Ave.) If you'd like to distribute Touring Historic Willow Glen through your business, please complete this quick survey, and we'll follow up with you ASAP.

As part of our mission, the Willow Glen Neighborhood Association aims to keep our community informed on a variety of planned city improvement projects. For those of you who live nearby or commute through Minnesota Avenue: From September 2014 through January 2015, the City of San José’s Department of Public Works will be replacing sewer lines on Minnesota between Bird and Lincoln Avenues. You can download this city fact sheet for more information. If you have any questions or concerns about this project and its effects on the surrounding neighborhood, you are welcome to contact Amanda Lei in the Public Works Department at (408) 535-8478. We encourage you to share this information with your neighbors!

Join the City of San José Department of Transportation (DOT) and your fellow neighbors for a conversation about proposed bicycle‐related street improvements in and around Willow Glen. There will be a public meeting at 6pm on Wednesday, August 13, 2014, at Gardner Community Center, 520 W. Virginia Street. The following projects will be discussed: Lincoln Avenue: ADD Bicycle Lanes between Willow Street and San Carlos Street; ADD Shared Lane pavement markings and signing between San Carlos Street and Park Avenue Scott‐Auzerais: ADD Shared Roadway pavement markings between MacArthur Avenue and Los Gatos Creek Trail Stockton Avenue: ADD Bicycle Lanes between The Alameda and Emory Street Julian Street: ADD Bicycle Lanes between The Alameda and Guadalupe River Trail Park Avenue: ADD new and improve existing Bicycle Lanes from Market Street to the Santa Clara city limits For additional information, download this flyer or contact John Brazil at (408) 975‐3206 or [email protected]. Continue reading