A new bike and pedestrian plan for Sonoma County
Sonoma County is kicking off an update to its Active Transportation Plan, the first such update in almost 10 years. Sonoma County Transportation Authority has hired the consultant Fehr & Peers to draw up the new plan, which will detail the County’s goals for bicycle and pedestrian policy and infrastructure and is expected to take about 18 months to complete. In addition to a countywide plan, the project will include individual plans for most of Sonoma County’s jurisdictions (Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Windsor are all engaging in active transportation planning updates outside of the county initiative).
SCBC continues to advocate for a network of low-stress routes that connects people to the locations they want to go — schools, employers and shopping areas. We also call for protected Class IV bike lanes (not Class II) to become the default for planning discussions, as lanes with vertical protection against cars are the strongest means of encouraging cyclists of all ages and abilities.
The County and consultants are expected to solicit public comment throughout this process. Sign up to receive notifications on the project here.
Speak up for safer cycling in Penngrove
Share your opinions on traffic improvements in and around Penngrove at a community meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4. The hybrid meeting will be held at Penngrove Community Hall, 385 Woodward Ave, and online via Zoom.
The County launched a traffic study of Penngrove last year to identify potential improvements around Petaluma Hill Road, Old Adobe Road and Old Redwood Highway. The study area also stretches north to include East Cotati Avenue and Snyder Lane.
Take a look at this interactive map to see some of the suggestions that have already been made, and to add your own.
SMART Pathway updates
One piece of infrastructure that would benefit the Penngrove area is the completion of the SMART path between Main Street and Railroad Avenue. But SMART officials say construction on this segment is still unscheduled while they look for funding, and work on design and environmental permitting.
Meanwhile, SMART has recently allocated funding for two other significant stretches of the path — between North Petaluma and Penngrove, and between Rohnert Park and Santa Rosa. Construction on these segments, which will help to close gaps in the pathway, is expected to begin in 2024.
Lastly, after some construction delays due to weather, SMART hopes to complete construction on a quarter-mile segment of the path between Payran and Lakeville Streets in Petaluma this summer.