Grandview Drive pedestrians & bicyclists
As many of you are aware, parking at the Ditch Road off Grandview Drive
(which has happened for the last 15 years in my experience and for 30 years
according to some longterm neighborhood residents) has been prohibited by
the new property owners.
Access to the level, wooded and non-paved Ditch Road between Grandview
and Strawberry has been limited.
One can park and then walk uphill from downtown or Scenic, which defeats
the level walking route essential for some.
One can park on the street at Strawberry at the opposite end of the Ditch
Road.
One can park near the 4 way stop sign at Skycrest, Sunnyview and the
downhill portion of Grandview Drive and walk the tenth of a mile to the Ditch
Road.
But beware – Grandview Drive from the 4 way stop to the Ditch Road access
has recently been declared a shared street by the City of Ashland, meaning
that the road is to be shared by all: pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles going
either way. While the speed limit has been lowered to 15 mph vehicles still
appear to travel at the 25+ mph speed noted by the traffic engineer hired by
the city to be the comfortable speed to drive the road. The pavement is
narrow (not all is the 18 foot width specified by the city for a shared street) and
the “pedestrian refuges” on either side are not all 3 feet wide as specified by
the city. Escape from an oncoming motor vehicle on one side is blocked by
the steep embankment and on the other side by the heavy steel guardrail
which you might have to jump over (if able). While “No Parking Anytime” signs
have been placed along this portion of Grandview Drive, vehicles (mostly
construction) are regularly stopped or parked blocking at least the “pedestrian
refuge” and sometime extending onto the roadway.
Enjoy the Ditch Road, but keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to get
out of the way of a speeding motor vehicle
