Lewis Hanchett was ahead of his time. In 1907, he built our Hanchett Residence Park neighborhood around the idea that people could take either his Trolley Street Car to work or drive their automobile, not unlike how VTA is building high density housing along it's light rail stops today.
One of the innovations for getting trolleys and streetcars to co-exist was his adoption of France's ronds-points traffic device, something we call the Roundabout or Traffic Circle. Intersections with roundabouts no longer required stop signs. Traffic entering the roundabout yields to traffic already in the circle. Sadly our modern day implementation uses stop signs on two of the four cross streets instead of yields on all four. I think this was done to reduce the learning curve on how to navigate them.
Next time you are driving (yes, some experiences are better experienced driving than walking) down the Alameda I encourage you to venture down Martin Avenue and discover the 5 circles of the Shasta Hanchett Park Neighborhood.
One of the innovations for getting trolleys and streetcars to co-exist was his adoption of France's ronds-points traffic device, something we call the Roundabout or Traffic Circle. Intersections with roundabouts no longer required stop signs. Traffic entering the roundabout yields to traffic already in the circle. Sadly our modern day implementation uses stop signs on two of the four cross streets instead of yields on all four. I think this was done to reduce the learning curve on how to navigate them.
Next time you are driving (yes, some experiences are better experienced driving than walking) down the Alameda I encourage you to venture down Martin Avenue and discover the 5 circles of the Shasta Hanchett Park Neighborhood.
The Trolley Roundabouts of Martin Avenue
The Martin Avenue Entrance to Hanchett Residence Park is named after Lewis Hanchett's business partner John Martin from San Francisco, who helped him buy the San Jose and Santa Clara Street Interurban Railroad Company that ran down The Alameda in 1905. Our neighborhood was the first to be designed around the idea that residents could take a street car into town.
Here is a photo of Southern Pacific's San Jose Street Car system passing under the train tracks on the Alameda back in 1937. It showcases three decades of street car service that our neighborhood had thanks to Lewis Hanchett. General Motors, the car company, initiated a hostile take over of San Jose's street car trolley system and on April 10, 1938 the entire system was shut down to help GM sell more cars. A truly sad day.
Circle at Martin Avenue and Sequoia Avenue. This is the first roundabout you'll notice. As far as I can tell this circle hasn't been dedicated with a name.
If you look really closely at the North East corner of the intersection you'll find a short mystery crumbling concrete sign post missing its sign. I'm guessing it had some basic instructions on how to navigate the roundabout, maybe a Yield sign?
If you look really closely at the North East corner of the intersection you'll find a short mystery crumbling concrete sign post missing its sign. I'm guessing it had some basic instructions on how to navigate the roundabout, maybe a Yield sign?
McLaren Circle - Martin Avenue and Tillman Avenue. This is where the street cars would turn around before heading back down Martin Avenue and onto The Alameda. It is named after famed Golden Gate Park designer John McLaren.
The original three entrances and two roundabouts of the Hanchett Residence Park in what we today call the Shasta Hanchett Park Neighborhood were designed by John McLaren, a Scottish Park Designer. His first job was at Edinburgh's Royal Botanical Gardens before sailing as a young adult to America. His design signature can be found in the Eucalyptus trees that line the Peninsula's El Camino Real, the estates of Ralston, Stanford and others. He is most remembered for designing the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the Panama Pacific Expo in and Golden Gate Expo on Treasure Island. In our neighborhood he is remembered for helping Lewis Hanchett design the Hanchett Residence Park and for the San Jose Municipal Rose Garden.
The Automobile Circles of Tillman Avenue
This is how the Tillman Avenue Entrance looked when it was built as a way for autos to easily enter the Hanchett Residence Park. It was designed by famed Golden Gate Park designer John McLaren in 1907 when Lewis Hanchett bought the Agricultural Park and Race Tracks into the first planned residential park. I'm still researching if Tillman Avenue is named after a wealthy San Francisco family or named after US Senator Benjamin Tillman who took the lead in railroad regulation from 1895 until his death in 1918.
Today, the Tillman Avenue Entrance to Hanchett Residence Park is CLOSED. This main goal of the traffic circles was to slow down the Park to The Alameda cross over traffic trying to avoid crowded Race Street. Tillman Avenue used to be a majestic street with a grand McLaren designed Tillman Avenue entrance.
Maybe with the next door Race Street Seafood High density project, funds for a joint PeaceNik Tillman Memorial Park could be found. Ideally the gates should be restored and a bike path entrance, playground and green space should be made.
I'm amazed that Hanchett Residence Park area still doesn't have it's own city park yet! A good start would be to get a different Tillman involved. Let's get the 408K Pat Tillman Memorial Race to run down Tillman Avenue each year. It's the perfect tie in! Thousands of runners navigating thru the Park entrance past the circles.
Maybe with the next door Race Street Seafood High density project, funds for a joint PeaceNik Tillman Memorial Park could be found. Ideally the gates should be restored and a bike path entrance, playground and green space should be made.
I'm amazed that Hanchett Residence Park area still doesn't have it's own city park yet! A good start would be to get a different Tillman involved. Let's get the 408K Pat Tillman Memorial Race to run down Tillman Avenue each year. It's the perfect tie in! Thousands of runners navigating thru the Park entrance past the circles.
There is no Traffic Circle at Tillman Avenue and Mariposa Avenue. Tillman Avenue given the right of way with no stop signs. Mariposa Avenue forced to stop when crossing or turning on Tillman Avenue.
I like how one Mariposa Avenue resident has this sign out in front! $10 gets you your own version of this sign at: DriveLikeYourKidsLiveHere.com
I like how one Mariposa Avenue resident has this sign out in front! $10 gets you your own version of this sign at: DriveLikeYourKidsLiveHere.com
The Traffic Circle at Tillman Avenue and Yosemite Avenue. Yosemite Avenue has the stop signs. Tillman Avenue has no stop signs. I figure it is just a matter of time before someone wraps their car around this big beautiful Sycamore. A raised concrete curb around the island would help minimize the damage an accident can cause, but designing larger traffic circles is the better solution.
Traffic Circle at Tillman Avenue and Sierra Avenue. Stop signs are on Sierra Avenue. Tillman Avenue has no stop signs. You can see a YouTube video of neighbors cleaning this traffic island.
Another view of the original Street Car Roundabout at Tillman Avenue and Martin Avenue named in McLaren's honor.
I really have to give kudos to the neighborhood for their tireless effort in keeping the five circles weed free, mulched, and trimmed without city help.
I really have to give kudos to the neighborhood for their tireless effort in keeping the five circles weed free, mulched, and trimmed without city help.
Traffic Circle at Tillman Avenue and Hanchett Avenue. Hanchett has the stop signs and a sign telling you that Tillman Ave doesn't yield. This traffic circle is matched by a pergola entrance at Hanchett Avenue and The Alameda.
Hanchett takes its name from Lewis Edward Hanchett who developed the neighborhood and was San Jose's "Transit Tycoon." Selling lots in the Hanchett Residence Park was a way to profit off the San Jose and Santa Clara Railroad Street Car system he ran. Eventually he sold the street car system to Southern Pacific Railroad and vacationed at his Capitola beach house, known today as the Monarch Cove Inn.
Hanchett takes its name from Lewis Edward Hanchett who developed the neighborhood and was San Jose's "Transit Tycoon." Selling lots in the Hanchett Residence Park was a way to profit off the San Jose and Santa Clara Railroad Street Car system he ran. Eventually he sold the street car system to Southern Pacific Railroad and vacationed at his Capitola beach house, known today as the Monarch Cove Inn.
If you aren't familiar with roundabouts then you should go check them out. We have 2 European "eye candy" roundabouts on Martin Avenue designed by McLaren and 4 smaller traffic circles on Tillman Avenue that were added much later.
Ideally the stop signs should be removed as the goal of a roundabout is to prevent traffic from stopping. If you doubt the ineffeciency of 4 way stop signs vs roundabout traffic circles check out this episode of Myth Busters. With the Martin Avenue trolley car service gone, and Tillman Avenue's entrance closed at Park the real use of the roundabouts are for attractive green space than any real traffic control!
Ideally the stop signs should be removed as the goal of a roundabout is to prevent traffic from stopping. If you doubt the ineffeciency of 4 way stop signs vs roundabout traffic circles check out this episode of Myth Busters. With the Martin Avenue trolley car service gone, and Tillman Avenue's entrance closed at Park the real use of the roundabouts are for attractive green space than any real traffic control!
The Sixth Circle...
Back in 2010 there was a proposal to add a 6th modern roundabout to the neighborhood with a major one at the Alameda, Martin Avenue, Race Street intersection. It was a rare opportunity for the neighborhood to have done something bold and would have gotten rid of the long traffic lights at the intersection, and improving the throughput by 20%, while still slowing down overall speed of cars that tear through our neighborhood.
As a pedestrian trying to cross at a busy roundabout I think it would have been pretty hazardous so I'm happy that crossing the Alameda isn't made more dangerous by cars that don't have to stop at intersections, but then again some folks in the UK claim roundabouts are safer for bicyclists and pedestrians and saved their neighborhood. It's all in how they are designed!
As a pedestrian trying to cross at a busy roundabout I think it would have been pretty hazardous so I'm happy that crossing the Alameda isn't made more dangerous by cars that don't have to stop at intersections, but then again some folks in the UK claim roundabouts are safer for bicyclists and pedestrians and saved their neighborhood. It's all in how they are designed!
Here is how The Alameda at the cross section of Race Street and Martin Avenue looked back in 1951. It was basically a death trap of left turn collisions and run over pedestrians!
As part of the pedestrian improvements to The Alameda the intersections had enlarged sidewalks. At the Race, Martin, and The Alameda intersection this meant the elimination of the right turn lane. During the construction in Nov 2013 the traffic backup down The Alameda went past Peets at Hanchett Ave. The decision was to tear out this bulb and restore the right turn lane. Race Street traffic will only get worse so maybe a roundabout makes more sense.
Here is the same intersection in 2014 after the new median planters with trees. During the construction of the median the original train tracks down the Alameda were uncovered. Maybe some day they'll be restored, or a grand traffic circle built, but at least now we have cross walks, traffic lights, a pedestrian island, new LED lighting and traffic cameras.
With the advent of self drive cars the need for stop lights is minimized and the utility of round a bouts for accommodating merging traffic may give us another opportunity to embrace roundabouts in our neighborhood. Besides it makes a great place to put fountains, statues and iconic monuments!