Change has come to Visalia. Specifically, on Tulare Avenue. From Demaree east to Cotta, new lane configurations have upset a lot of people.

I put a video up on Facebook and Instagram about these new lane configurations, and it’s garnered over 11 thousand views in just one day. (You can view the YouTube version, here.)

Change doesn’t come easily for some folks. My Facebook post has 55 comments so far in the 24 hours since I posted it. (That’s a lot for a post by me.) Most were not favorable towards the new layout.

Change doesn’t come easily for some folks. Here are some comments made, and my response to some of them.

Jennifer is not happy with the state of the roads in Visalia.

Jennifer Barnhart
They do this while our streets all over town is patchwork and potholes

Susan is concerned about parked cars being hit, and difficulties pulling into driveways.

Susan Achenbach Abbath
I’m waiting for the first park vehicle getting smashed. This, to me is a lawsuit against the city waiting ro happen. Did you see the R.V. parked east of County Center, west of a driveway? We watched as the eastbound driver try to get into the driveway. They had to swing into the west bound lane to get the proper angle.

Albert is not happy with the designs of roads.

Albert Villarreal
This nightmare has tons of folks wondering what other idiotic ideas are in store for us. Seems as if it was the same person that designed the 198 and 99 turnoff or freeway, on and off nightmare. Next time when your on Tulare between West and Demaree and behind a school bus or lawn trailer look at the distance between the parked cars and center line. Yep, they ride on top of the center line. Btw, if you’re heading east on Tulare and make a right onto S. Fairway, don’t hit those curbs or whatever they’re called. I made my turn to soon and dang near damaged the rear tire. Not much room for an Amazon truck and suv. Brilliant, very very brilliant idiotic idea.

Raylene sees a sinister possiblitiy.

Raylene Palmer
Maybe they’re planning something with at this point Tulare Avenue in the future so they’re preparing to be able to buy out properties cheaply because people don’t like the situation they’re in with their homes because of this. It’s just a thought. There’s gotta be something that’s gonna happen in the next however many years that they’re preparing for now why else would they do some so stupid especially with the way fog is in the valley

Beverly asks why.

Beverly Anderson
And why, Jim????

I responded this way:

Jim Reeves
Beverly Anderson putting the bike lanes next to the curbs required the redesign of the parking and traffic lanes. This design makes the city eligible for substantial grants from the state for roads, bike lanes, and urban trails. It’s a quality-of-life improvement for the city. My stretch of Tulare Avenue is next, and while it will be a bit of a pain, I think it’s worth it.

Amy didn’t like my brief explanation, and was a bit rude:

Amy Soto
Jim Reeves so this bullshit design…that’s definitely going to cause more problems/accidents…is all about MONEY!?!? Did you even read this shit before you posted it???…putting people at risk is worth MONEY!? Really🤦🏼‍♀️…you people are seriously fucking unbelievable!!! I’m embarrassed for you!!

I responded to Amy:

Jim Reeves
Amy Soto money runs everything. Studies prove this design makes bicycling safer, and there are six or seven schools that these bike lanes serve. The goals are to make it safer for children who ride bikes to school, reduce automobile traffic that won’t be there because children who ride their bikes don’t have parents driving them, to protect all bike riders, and to increase bike riding. That’s a pollution reduction effort, a health improvement effort, and a quality of life improvement effort. Cities that have implemented bike lane designs similar to this have shown an increase in bicycle use, and a reduction in collisions between bikes and cars.
The money from grants for other projects is an added bonus.
A car parked in these new configurations is no more at risk than if you parked on Court or Locust streets near Main Street. It results in traffic slowing, and more careful driving. It’s a bit of a pain for people who live on those sections, as their parking options change, but sometimes people are asked to make a sacrifice for the common good. My parking options will change later this year, when my section of Tulare Avenue is redone. I’ll adjust.

So change is here, and those that haven’t been paying attention are upset. This has been in the works for some time, the city council approved the plan some time ago, and there have been community meetings to take input on the concerns of people living on the stretches of road affected. Several changes to the initial plans were made as a result of those community meetings. Informational flyers were mailed to every residence on Tulare Avenue that front the project area. I distinctly remember getting mine, and leaving comments on the survey. This wasn’t a surprise to anyone paying attention to their city. Crying foul now is a bit late.