Changes are planned for Los Osos Valley Road between Los Osos and San Luis Obispo.
A county-run safety improvement project, the Los Osos Valley Road (LOVR) Corridor Concept Plan, has been in the works for more than a year. The corridor extends from Foothill Boulevard all the way through Montaña de Oro State Park.
“It’s called a corridor because it’s a main access in and out of Los Osos,” said Deborah Howe, Los Osos Community Advisory Council (LOCAC) Chair.
Howe says more than 4,000 public comments were received from people in the community on what they would like to see changed. A draft design plan was then made.
Robert Davis drives along Los Osos Valley Road every day and knows it’s a busy stretch.
“Being that I live on it, I see a lot of traffic going over there and tourists and stuff,” Davis said.
Howe says most concerns from the community are related to speeding, bike safety, and the need for sidewalks for pedestrians.
“I think it’s a good idea because a lot of people walk and walk with their dogs,” Davis said.
In some areas, there will be a bike and pedestrian path.
“If it’s wide enough, it would be good because those guys like to ride tandem, and that’s scary for us drivers,” Davis added.
“In other areas where there is not enough room to have a separate path, there would be wider bike paths that would be attached to the road like you see everywhere, but they would be painted so people could see they are bike routes,” Howe said.
The draft plan also calls for a roundabout at the intersection of Foothill and LOVR.
“During a lot of traffic, I don’t know if everybody can navigate correctly, but most of the time it’s not that crowded, so it wouldn’t be that bad,” Davis said.
As far as next steps:
“LOCAC has asked for a little more time to consolidate our comments and suggestions,” Howe said.
As far as funding, many federal and state grants could be used to help offset costs.
Once the final draft is ready, it will be presented to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors for approval.
