West Capitol Avenue Road Rehabilitation and Safety Enhancement Project Stakeholder Focus Group Meeting #2 Tuesday, August 28, 2018 7:00 8:00 a.m. West Sacramento City Hall 1110 West Capitol Avenue, West Sacramento
Meeting Summary Businesses and properties represented at the second West Capitol Avenue Road Rehabilitation and Safety Enhancement Project focus group meeting included: Washington Unified School District Meeting Objectives Provide an overview of the project objectives; Review the project schedule; and Obtain stakeholder input about existing conditions, access points, and potential challenges and opportunities along West Capitol Avenue Project Background The 2007 West Capitol Avenue Streetscape Master Plan identified key urban design strategies that supported the goal of creating a revitalized corridor with a healthy pedestrian environment. West Capitol Avenue is envisioned as the City of West Sacramento s Downtown a central core with a vibrant main street that takes advantage of its prime location, provide an attractive setting for a variety of land uses. These land uses include the Civic Center, Community Center, transit hub in addition to residential, commercial, and urban parks that are accessible via multiple modes of transportation. Page 1
The will rehabilitate the deteriorating pavement along Jefferson Boulevard and West Capitol Avenue and improve safety and mobility along the corridor. Proposed project improvements include reduced vehicle travel lanes, separated bike lanes, and enhanced street lighting and mid-block crossings for pedestrians. Infrastructure improvements include replacing an existing water line from Jefferson Boulevard to Westacre Road, installing a new water line from Enterprise Boulevard to Northport Drive, and installing fiber optic cabling for traffic signals along West Capitol Avenue. The project is anticipated to begin construction in Summer 2019. Stakeholder Discussion Existing pedestrian and bicycle traffic along the corridor There needs to be more lighting on West Capitol Avenue for people walking and biking. There is a lot of foot traffic from people jaywalking across West Capitol Avenue. There are students that run across the street (West Capitol Avenue). They miss the bus on one side and then run to the other side. There are more students biking to school near Riverbank Road north of West Capitol Avenue because there are bike lanes on Riverbank Road. Bus Service Washington Unified School District (WUSD) buses pick up about 40 students around the apartment complex by TOGO s Sandwiches. There is also a Yolobus stop there. WUSD picks up students on West Capitol Avenue and Sycamore Avenue. There is another bus stop at the Granada Inn by Enterprise Boulevard, but the school buses usually pull into the Inn s parking lot so this is not a huge issue. WUSD does not change its bus routes frequently. For the most part, the District uses existing Yolobus bus stops. How many transit stops are on West Capitol Avenue? o Project team response: About 14. WUSD s Administration office is off of West Capitol Avenue on Westacre Road. There is one stop there in the afternoons. When a school bus is stopped, it puts a stop sign out so all traffic, including cyclists, behind it stops. Potential improvements Recently, bike improvements were made in front of Southport Elementary School. The improvements include bumps to separate the bicycle lane. The school buses have to drive over these bumps to pull all the way up to the curb, because there cannot be any type of traffic between a bus and the curb when students are picked up. Sooner or later these bumps will break from the buses driving over them every day. Page 2
If the City installs tall plastic poles to separate bike lanes from other lanes of traffic on West Capitol Avenue, then school buses will drive over those plastic poles to reach the curb. o Project team response: Thank you for your feedback. The project team is considering several different types of physical separation between the proposed bicycle lanes and lanes of motor traffic. In certain cases, the team will consider implementing Class II bike lanes with striping instead of Class IV bike lanes with a physical barrier. I would like to see high-visibility crosswalks. Flashing signs to tell drivers there are people walking across the street would be good. In the Fall, it is dark in the early mornings. There is no lighting around the apartment complex by TOGO s Sandwiches, on West Capitol Avenue. Some lighting along West Capitol Avenue is obstructed by the trees. WUSD is trying to get more students to bike to school. There is a big bike rack project going on so there will be more bike parking at some schools. Construction When is construction planned to start? o Project team response: Construction on the West Capitol Avenue project is expected to begin in Spring 2019. The City currently only has funding for construction between Jefferson Boulevard and Interstate 80. The City is actively seeking funding for the remainder of the project, from Interstate 80 to Enterprise Boulevard. What impacts will construction have on traffic? o Project team response: The City is still identifying those details. We anticipate there will be temporary detours at some locations, and impacts to traffic from construction equipment and crews. Can the City share the construction schedule with the Washington Unified School District? This way the district can notify parents and students about the impacts at least two or three weeks ahead of time? We will also need to place temporary directional signage by the bus stops. o Project team response: Yes, before construction begins the City will coordinate with the contractor about all notifications that need to be provided to businesses, schools, and residents. The Washington School District is on a traditional school system. If construction near areas that would impact our students and bus routes could take place during the summer or winter break, that would be more convenient. The last day of school is June 2 nd. There is still summer school, but the bus stops can change locations. Community outreach WUSD has a district-wide e-newsletter that goes to parents and community members. NextDoor and Facebook community pages are good ways to reach residents. Page 3
Appendix Meeting Agenda Project Fact Sheet Project Limits Map Page 4
Focus Group Meeting August 28, 2018 1. Welcome and Introductions Agenda 2. Project Overview 3. Proposed Project Improvements & Schedule 4. Group Discussion 5. Next Steps
WEST CAPITOL AVENUE Road Rehabilitation & Safety Enhancement Project The City of West Sacramento is proposing to rehabilitate the deteriorating pavement along Jefferson Boulevard and West Capitol Avenue and improve safety and mobility along the corridor. project limits Safety improvements include: Rehabilitate deteriorating pavement Reducing vehicle travel lanes to add separated bike lanes Enhancing the mid-block crossings for pedestrians Improved lighting Infrastructure improvements include: Replacement of an existing 8" water line from Jefferson Boulevard to Westacre Road New 16 water line from Enterprise Boulevard to Interstate 80 Fiber optic cabling for communication interconnect along West Capitol Avenue Signal modifications at selected intersections Questions? Contact Candido Ramirez: candidor@cityofwestsacramento.org (916) 617-4611 Visit the project webpage at bit.ly/westcapitol
Road Rehabilitation & Safety Enhancement Project WEST CAPITOL AVENUE