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VICTORY FOR THE BICYCLE/PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ACROSS FRYER CREEK IN CITY OF SONOMA
From the SONOMA INDEX-TRIBUNE:
Bike bridge nod for Newcomb
Direct route
By David Bolling
INDEX-TRIBUNE EDITOR
In a decision that seemed to make geometric sense but frustrated some residents of the affected neighborhood, the Sonoma City Council voted Wednesday night to locate a bicycle and pedestrian bridge crossing Fryer Creek at the foot of Newcomb Street.
The decision followed a public hearing in which 21 people spoke, with 12 favoring Newcomb Street and nine opposed. Tone of the discussion was set by Peter Posert, a member of the Community Services and Environment Commission, who told the council his commission members have spent "an enormous amount of time looking at this plan, hundreds of hours," to help determine the solution that best fits the goal of the city's masterbike plan.
Posert said there is a compelling need to connect bike paths to areas of commerce, to connect bike paths to each other and to connect bike paths to schools for children. The goal, he said, is to create a bike path loop of the city, with spokes radiating in toward the Plaza.
Newcomb Street, he said, offers "the best connectivity."
For the rest of the article, click here
->http://tinyurl.com/y9z9y7f
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HUMBOLDT ST. BICYCLE BOULEVARD
Humboldt Street Bike Boulevard Pilot Project - Vehicle Prohibitions Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Study Session
February 4, 2010 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM DeMeo Room Steele Lane Community Center
Purpose: to discuss vehicle prohibitions at College Avenue and Humboldt Street and at Pacific Avenue and Humboldt Street as part of the Humboldt Street Bike Boulevard
View the Agenda
The SCBC strongly supports this project as well as the neighbors who are working to make this project a success. We believe it is possible to create a world-class bike facility right here in Sonoma County. The success of this project opens the door for many more bike friendly projects in Sonoma County.
A successful bike blvd. works for all people -- those riding bikes, walking, driving cars, using wheelchairs, etc... one that enhances the neighborhood by encouraging alternative modes of transportation, and encouraging slower, more thoughtful driving... one that helps us move toward our goals around sustainability... Ensuring that this Bicycle Boulevard works helps create more walkable, bikeable, shareable streets throughout Santa Rosa; conversely, if we lose the Humboldt Bicycle Boulevard, I believe it will be very difficult to muster the political will to get more of these sorely needed facilities anytime soon. Projects like these benefit people who ride bikes, yes, but that's not all -- they improve safety for everyone, and while some fear that the HBB will harm their property value, however, studies of similar projects show that home values increase. I recognize that many people, including perhaps some on this list, have concerns about the project. Part of sustainability is the ability to sustain connection and conversation with our neighbors, even when there's disagreement, in the interest of creating a workable solution.
I hope you will consider attending this meeting to support the HBB.
City Ph. 707-543-3800
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Does removing parking and adding bike lanes hurt retail business?
Not according to these studies:
Curbing Cars, December 2006
Bike Lanes, On-street Parking and Business, February 2009
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Do you want the "NO BIKES" signs removed?
These signs are wrongly placed, bicycles ARE allowed to use this path. This was part of the agreement of the development of the Wild Oak community.
Please let SR City Council know that enough is enough. It is NOW time to remove these signs. Please print this petition and return it when completed to SCBC PO Box 3088, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
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Campaign Victory!
Improve Santa Rosa Creek trail access!
Thanks to everyone that stood up and helped made this a reality!
This is one of the critical east west links between Santa Rosa and the West County. The project will continue the paved path that starts in Downtown Santa Rosa (and currently ends at Fulton Ave.) all the way to Willowside. Beyond Fulton, the Santa Rosa Creek currently has two dirt roads traversing it; one on each side. Recently, the north side has been made into a connecting route all the way to Willowside Road with the installation of three bridges. The plan is to pave the north side, leave the south side a dirt path. This will give bicyclists a fantastic east/west connector all the way from Downtown Santa Rosa to Willowside road while leaving the south side dirt for those users who prefer a dirt pathway. This improvement on the north side will make this trail easier to use for many trailer users including wheel chairs, roller blades and skinny tire bikes.
This is an important improvement for transportation and recreation riders, and one that will increase our bicycle network greatly.
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SRJC/HWY 101 OVERCROSSING
http://tinyurl.com/dcvmqv
The City of Santa Rosa, Public Works Department, is studying a potential bicycle and pedestrian bridge across Highway-101 in the Santa Rosa Junior College area. The bridge would be an east-west connector over Highway-101. A community meeting was conducted Thursday, February 19, 2009 to receive public input regarding the community’s goals, issues, and priorities as they relate to this potential project. The second meeting was Thursday, May 7, 2009
If you have questions or comments about this project please contact, Otto Bertolero, Associate Civil Engineer at 707-543-3878 or via email at obertolero@srcity.org
Second Community Meeting Documents
5-7-09 Community Meeting Annoucement
PDF version of the announcement for the second community meeting regarding a proposed bicycle and pedestrian bridge across Highway 101
First Community Meeting Documents
2-19-09 Community Meeting Announcement
PDF version of the announcement for the first community meeting regarding a proposed bicycle and pedestrian bridge across Highway-101
2-19-09 Meeting Announcement in Accessible Format
Rich Text Format version of the announcement for the first community meeting
Slide Presentation from the 1st Community Mtg.
Notes from the 2-19-09 Meeting
Notes form the 2-19-09 Meeting in Accessible Format
Results of Triangle Worksheet Excercise
The results of worksheets that were completed by members of the community.
County Chip seal frustrates bike riders
Don't like it?
You can help the SCBC efforts by writing a letter to the county letting them know that the new 1/2" rocks they are using in their chip seal is bad for bikes and bike riders.
Write: Phillip Demery
Director of Transportation and Public Works
2300 County Center Dr. Suite B 100
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Please cc your county supervisor:
First District Supervisor:
Valerie Brown - vbrown@sonoma-county.org
Second District Supervisor
Mike Kerns - mkerns@sonoma-county.org
Third District Supervisor
Tim Smith - tsmith@sonoma-county.org
Fourth District Supervisor
Paul L. Kelley - pkelley@sonoma-county.org
Fifth District Supervisor
Mike Reilly - mreilly@sonoma-county.org
SCBC Article by member Vin Hoagland in the Summer 2009 BikeSonoma Newsletter:
Back in the fall, there were a lot of complaints concerning the chip seal which was applied to several Sonoma County roads. The most vociferous were about Pepper Road and Occidental Road, but West Sierra and Grange/Crane Canyon were also mentioned.
Steve Urbanek, who is the pavement preservation manager for the County Department of Transportation and Public Works explained the problem. The rock used on Grange/ Crane Canyon is different than that used on West Sierra and Pepper. TPW had planned on using the material used on Crane Canyon for the entire project, but unfortunately this company’s crushing operation broke down before they were able to produce all the material needed for this year’s program. To keep the project on schedule another source of aggregate was needed. The material obtained from another company was slightly larger and a different gradation than the material used on Grange/Crane Canyon. This material was also produced differently; it is made using a cone crusher that produces a more angular, sharper, faceted rock, while the Grange/Crane Canyon material is produced by an impact crusher that produces a more cubic rock that makes for smoother riding.
Another complaint was that on West Sierra and Pepper, some of the liquid asphalt has “dribbled” from the travel way onto the shoulder and is holding chips which makes it difficult to ride on the shoulder which has not been chip sealed. This can happen when starting ambient and pavement temperatures are on the cool side of the temperature range in the mornings when chip seal work begins. With cooler temperatures the asphalt emulsion can take longer to set, and if the road slopes in those areas we can see dribbles in some locations. That kind of issue will be minimized in future projects as TPW crews continue to optimize this work and become more familiar with issues that affect cyclist’s and chip seal performance.
A pavement preservation program has recently been instituted by TPW. This program prioritizes roads and the kind of maintenance they will receive. One of the major points of this program is to reduce long term costs by more frequent but less expensive surface treatments as opposed to overlays. A method called Cape sealing will be used.
Cape sealing involves the usual chip seal but then a second sealant will be applied over the chip seal. This will provide a smoother surface as well as providing a membrane to prevent water from seeping into the pavement and protects the pavement from exposure to the sun, both of which can rapidly deteriorate the asphalt.
We have asked what the situation is now (Aug. 2009) and here is County Staff response:
A response from Steve Urbanek, Pavement Preservation Manager of County Public Works…”the department and the county is faced with a critical economic situation particularly in light of the State budget realities. The department has yet to receive any gas tax to date for the current fiscal year. That, coupled with the suspension of State proposition 42 funding and reduced Measure “M” sales tax revenues, the "cupboards" are bare. The current fiscal crisis will have a long term impact on the department’s ability to manage the county's existing infrastructure systems, let alone adding the enhancements that we all want.”
Steven Schmitz the staffer for the County Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee writes:
So, in short, County Public Works has very little money for road maintenance issues…either for motor vehicles or for bicycles or for pedestrians. Future chip seal work will take bicyclists into consideration. There’s been some recent chip-seal work completed on Petaluma Hill Road and Adobe Road that I think is an improvement over Pepper Road. I think Steve Urbanek would appreciate bicyclists feedback on these recent chip seal projects. surbanek@sonoma-county.org
COUNTY ROAD RESURFACING ROUGHER, BUT CHEAPER
Published on October 23, 2008
BYLINE: RANDI ROSSMANN, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT PAGE: B1
Drivers traveling over a new roadway surface on a long stretch of Occidental Road west of Santa Rosa may feel like work crews completed the work but forgot to provide the final smooth top layer of asphalt.
The job is done. But the rough, noisy ride now greeting drivers is the result of the county's newest method of road repair.
Less expensive than asphalt pavement, the new surface uses oiled rock chips as a top layer. And it's a method more county roads will receive in the future, said county public works officials Wednesday.
"It's a rougher finish, and it's meant to be that way," said Phil Demery, the county's director of public works and transportation.
"We used a little bit larger chip than we have in the past. It provides a greater wearing surface and the road will last longer," Demery said.
It also will provide more traction when the rain falls, Demery said. "Dollars are really driving this. We want to use the most cost-efficient treatments we can apply," said Steve Urbanek, county pavement preservation coordinator. "You're going to see more roads with more chip seals."
Crews recently finished resurfacing 6.5 miles of Occidental Road with a chip seal. The rural two-lane thoroughfare connects west Santa Rosa to greater Sebastopol and west Sonoma County.
This week, road crews are working on chip sealing two miles of Eighth Street East, from Highway 121 to Napa Road.
But they've already completed such resurfaces on stretches of Pepper Road, West Sierra Avenue, Grange Road and Crane Canyon.
The work involves laying rock chips over an oiled roadway, sealing it with more oil and rolling it to compress the surface.
Drivers then are advised to travel slowly over the surface for a few days, to reduce kick-ups from any loose rocks as the surface sets.
The roadwork received mixed reviews from residents and regular travelers. "I think it's OK; of course it looks different and we're going to have to get used to it," said Sylvia Melrose, who lives along Occidental Road.
"But I wonder how long it's going to last without the asphalt finish to kind of hold it together. I just hope it's long-lasting," she said.
While chip sealing is cheaper, it doesn't last as long as a full asphalt overlay. Officials said that, typically, the new rocky surface functions for five to seven years. And with the larger rocks used on these projects, they're hoping for at least seven years.
An asphalt overlay can last about 20 years but costs about $1 million a mile.
The county's 20 miles of chip sealing this season cost less than $1 million, Urbanek said.
"If we only had a program where we were overlaying roads with new pavement, we could do very few roads. We can do many more roads with chip seal."
County Supervisor Mike Reilly said he's heard no concerns about the change on Occidental but said he was curious about the new surface after driving it himself.
"It's certainly different. It makes a little bit more noise with your car," Reilly said.
Radios might need to be turned up and conversations become a little harder to hear.
At Hanna Winery, employee Mary Hilt said she hadn't noticed a noise issue. "But I listen to Jimmy Buffett when I drive." Hilt said she's hoping the new surface will mean an end to the bad pothole problem on the rural roadway.
"If that alleviates the potholes I think it's wonderful," she said. But the winter rains will tell that story. "We'll have to wait and see," Hilt said.
Urbanek said he's received a few complaints. "Most of it has been that it's different."
Some residents said they hadn't noticed the busy roadway needed repairs. Chip sealing is good for roads still in decent shape, officials said. The county no longer wants to wait until a roadway fails before fixing it.
"Occidental was in pretty good shape. That's exactly the time you want to use these effective treatments," Urbanek said. "We want to keep it that way."
Rick Moshier, Santa Rosa's director of public works, said there are no plans to use chip seal surfacing in the city. "It tends to not be as good for a real urban ... or semi suburban environment," he said, as rock chips can sometimes be thrown up onto lawns or in gutters and cause problems.
You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5412 or
randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.
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