FPA Blog

Your voice is needed! If you agree with this message from Jake Bayless, Forestville resident and bicycle advocate, click on the links below or write to Caltrans directly to ask for a better solution to the repair of 116 over Jones Creek, which floods near the Elementary School most winters. We need a bridge and walkway not just a band aid and NOW is the time to respond.

Comments needed prior to August 13th!

From Jake Bayless:
Caltrans wants to fix the bridge on 116 just below the Elementary School by *merely* replacing the cement side rails.  In my opinion this is a horribly deficient proposal in two important ways:
It does nothing to address the seasonal flooding of the creek (and regular closure of 116) because the bridge isn’t big enough – AND it would essentially lock the substandard narrow width of the road there as wholly inadequate for bikes, skaters  and pedestrians. The project they propose *merely* is to replace the cement sides of the existing bridge.

We all got mailers from Caltrans a couple weeks ago. I noted the URL and went to the Caltrans page only to discover that they *had not* posted the project documents and map!  So last week I emailed the project manager and asked that they post the details AND extend the deadline for public comment… they did! Have a look here  (scroll way down to Sonoma for 116 bridge railings replacement project):
https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-popular-links/d4-environmental-docs

Interestingly & super pertinent to this: the CalTrans DoT Director recently created a Director’s Policy called “Complete Streets” – mandating that every CalTrans project needs to prioritize features for bicycles & pedestrians (of all types). For a caltrans project to *not* meet “complete streets” conditions requires staff to outline in planning documents this exemption, and to get the District Director to approve the variance.

More about Caltrans Complete Streets:
https://dot.ca.gov/news-releases/news-release-2021-039

So I’m intent on doing whatever I can to get them to:

1. Stop this version of the Jones Creek Bridge guardrail project
2. Completely revise and re-prioritize the plan to BOTH raise the bridge (build a new one that doesn’t flood) and
3. Ensure that it’s wide enough and safe enough for people who walk or ride to schools, the Sk8spot or downtown Forestville (or the other way)

They shouldn’t be investing in wildly substandard improvements.