bicycle paths – Page 4 – Enviro Updates

SuzanneMay 12, 2014Sustainable Living, Transportationbicycle paths, trailsLeave a comment

Foss Creek trail and bicycle path set to grow

Clark Mason, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A bicycle and pedestrian path planned to extend from one end of Healdsburg to the other is getting another gap filled in.

The City Council has approved a $1.3 million bid for construction of two-thirds of a mile of the Foss Creek Pathway, adding to existing portions of the off-street trail.

Work is anticipated to begin by early June on the latest portion of the paved path, extending it 3,100 feet north from West Grant Street to the Carson Warner Memorial Skateboard Park.

Eventually, pedestrians and cyclists are expected to be able to make their way along an approximate 4-mile route from Front Street on the south end of town to the northern edge of city limits near Alexander Valley Road.

via Healdsburg pathway set to grow | The Press Democrat.

SuzanneApril 30, 2014Land Use, Sustainable Livingbicycle paths, urban planningLeave a comment

Public workshop for Sebastopol general plan update

Mary Callahan, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

The City of Sebastopol is launching its general plan revision with a community “visioning” workshop Wednesday night.

The session is designed to introduce the public to the process and solicit comments on goals and priorities that should guide future development and growth.The workshop also will introduce the city’s 12-member General Plan Advisory Committee, which was appointed to provide a forum for discussion and to help sift through the issues and policies to be incorporated into the revised plan.

Mayor Robert Jacob said the general plan rewrite provides an opportunity for the city to codify, for instance, a strong community interest in promoting pedestrian and bicycle travel in a town currently ruled by the automobile.

That may mean strategic placement of “human friendly” pathways, re-evaluation of the one-way traffic scheme through downtown or defining limits to the city’s core and other commercial zones, he said.

via Sebastopol readies general plan update | The Press Democrat.

SuzanneMarch 26, 2014Local Organizations, Transportationbicycle paths, Bike MonkeyLeave a comment

Bike riders pitch in to fill potholes

Matt Brown, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

When organizers of Levi’s GranFondo wanted to bring the mass-participation bike ride to Sonoma County five years ago, they surveyed some of the rural west county roads and knew they had a problem.

The pavement on the proposed route was so potholed in places that it posed a safety risk to riders.

Organizers could have bailed on Sonoma County, but the ride’s founder, former professional cyclist Levi Leipheimer, is from Santa Rosa and has sought to promote the county as a cycling destination.

They could have asked the county to fix the byways on the route, but the Public Works Department has consistently come up short on such requests, upgrading only a small fraction of its 1,382-mile network each year. The repair backlog over the entire network is more than $920 million, according to the latest estimate.

Instead, after getting county permission, organizers hired their own contractor to fill in potholes. In the process, they forged a unique partnership with the county — a private organization stepping up to maintain public infrastructure.

“Sitting around tapping our feet waiting for the county doesn’t get potholes paved,” said Greg Fisher, marketing director for Bike Monkey, the group that runs the GranFondo. “We’re addressing safety issues so that we aren’t banging bike rims or car rims. We all use these roads.”

via Bike riders pitch in to fill potholes | The Press Democrat.

SuzanneFebruary 12, 2014Sustainable Living, Transportationbicycle pathsLeave a comment

Push for Sonoma to Santa Rosa bike path

James Knight, NORTH BAY BOHEMIAN

If a proposed trail linking Santa Rosa with Sonoma is completed, bicyclists and pedestrians will be able to travel through the scenic Valley of the Moon at a safe distance from automobile traffic on Highway 12. But don’t clip in those shoes too readily—it’s a long and winding road from plan to reality. And as yet, there’s no plan.

via Push for Sonoma to Santa Rosa Bike Path | News | North Bay Bohemian.

SuzanneDecember 30, 2013Sustainable Living, Transportationbicycle paths, trailsLeave a comment

Santa Rosa completes key link in creek trail

Kevin McCallum, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A short but important new bicycle and pedestrian path opened last week in eastern Santa Rosa, promising to make it easier for people to travel east-west without using Highway 12.

The new 1,000-foot trail connects two existing path fragments to create a continuous route along Santa Rosa Creek from Mission Boulevard to the Streamside neighborhood.

“It’s a nice path and a key link,” said Colleen Ferguson, deputy director of public works.

via Santa Rosa completes key link in creek trail | The Press Democrat.

SuzanneNovember 5, 2013Transportationbicycle paths, pedestrianLeave a comment

Close to Home: Building bridges in Santa Rosa

Gary Helfrich and Janis Watkins

Quietly, without fanfare or fireworks, a land-use issue was resolved this past month in Santa Rosa.

You probably didn’t hear about it because it didn’t involve protests or lawsuits or contentious hearings before the City Council. It was settled with reasonable discussions among sensible adults looking to find a solution that would work for both sides and, more importantly, for all residents of Santa Rosa.

We want to share that good news.

At issue is the community connector bridge across Highway 101, a project that has been planned for several years to provide a safe way for people to cross the freeway without using their cars. The bridge would create a new connection between Santa Rosa’s east and west sides, between Santa Rosa Junior College and Coddingtown, between northeast Santa Rosa and the SMART train station in the northwest on Guerneville Road.

via Close to Home: Building bridges in Santa Rosa | The Press Democrat.

SuzanneOctober 27, 2013Transportationbicycle pathsLeave a comment

Rodota trail to be rerouted despite cyclists' objections

Kevin McCallum, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A plan to reroute a popular bicycle trail around a proposed gas station and market on the western edge of Santa Rosa was criticized as not doing enough to protect bicyclists but was approved anyway Thursday by the city’s Planning Commission.

In a 5-1 vote, the commission signed off on plans to build the station, market and one-bedroom apartment along the Joe Rodota Trail at North Wright Road just south of the Fulton Road and Highway 12 intersection.

Most commissioners felt the developer had found a creative solution to the problem of possible conflicts with bicyclists by diverting them behind the station along an easement on the property.

But some bicycle advocates and Commissioner Vicki Duggan felt the project wasn’t doing enough to protect bicyclists along what is already a problematic portion of the trail linking Santa Rosa to Sebastopol.

via Santa Rosa gas station gets OK despite cyclists' objections | The Press Democrat.

Environmental Center of Sonoma County

Tag: bicycle paths