Support a Safer, Smarter Solution for Highway 121 and 8th Street East

The Issue

The Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) is proposing a $25 million roundabout at Highway 121 and Eighth Street East in Schellville. Our community supports improving safety at this intersection.

But before SCTA commits tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to a large roundabout, we believe a simpler, less disruptive signalized alternative deserves a complete, site-specific evaluation and fair comparison.

To date, SCTA has not fully studied the simpler Broadway-style signal solution our community is proposing — see aerial photo above of the existing signal at Highway 121 and Broadway.

We are asking SCTA to compare the roundabout and this simpler signal alternative based on:

•Cost
•Safety and conflict points
•Traffic operations
•Engineering feasibility
•Construction and environmental impacts
•Effects on Schellville residents and businesses

A properly designed signal may provide the needed safety improvements at substantially less cost, with a quicker path to completion and significantly less disruption to local traffic.

If a thorough analysis shows it will not work, then the community and taxpayers will have better information on which to base the decision.

Our request is simple: study both options fairly before choosing one.

Please sign this petition urging SCTA to fully evaluate and publicly present the simpler Broadway-style signal alternative alongside the proposed roundabout before a final project decision is made.

Linda MarksPetition StarterSchellville Colony resident

Media inquiries

170

Let’s get to 200 signatures!

Petitions with 1,000+ supporters are 5x more likely to win!

The Issue

To date, SCTA has not fully studied the simpler Broadway-style signal solution our community is proposing — see aerial photo above of the existing signal at Highway 121 and Broadway.

We are asking SCTA to compare the roundabout and this simpler signal alternative based on:

•Cost
•Safety and conflict points
•Traffic operations
•Engineering feasibility
•Construction and environmental impacts
•Effects on Schellville residents and businesses

A properly designed signal may provide the needed safety improvements at substantially less cost, with a quicker path to completion and significantly less disruption to local traffic.

If a thorough analysis shows it will not work, then the community and taxpayers will have better information on which to base the decision.

Our request is simple: study both options fairly before choosing one.

Please sign this petition urging SCTA to fully evaluate and publicly present the simpler Broadway-style signal alternative alongside the proposed roundabout before a final project decision is made.

Linda MarksPetition StarterSchellville Colony resident

Media inquiries

Support now

170

Let’s get to 200 signatures!

Petitions with 1,000+ supporters are 5x more likely to win!

The Decision Makers

Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities,

sctca.ca.gov

Responded

“[Response Overview] The Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) shares the petitioners’ goal of improving safety at the State Route (SR) 121/8th Street East intersection and appreciates the request that a simpler signalized alternative be evaluated alongside the roundabout. This response summarizes the project background and status, the community’s proposed three-lane signal concept, the broader alternatives analysis and why the roundabout alternative was selected, and future opportunities for public review. [Background] SCTA, in partnership with Caltrans District 4, Sonoma County, Sonoma County Regional Parks, and the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit District (SMART), is advancing a project to improve safety, traffic flow, and multimodal access at the intersection of SR 121 and 8th Street East. In 2022, the County contracted with SCTA to prepare the scoping phase of the project under Caltrans oversight, and subsequently the County amended the contract with SCTA to prepare the environmental phase of the project. SCTA is considered the project sponsor in partnership with the County, while Caltrans is performing oversight of the project and is the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The following is the purpose and need for the project. The purpose of the project is to achieve the following objectives: · Provide an intersection that improves safety for all users while also enhancing multimodal mobility through the intersection. · Improve the intersection to provide drivers with the necessary gaps to reduce delay and collision potential at the intersection. · Address existing pedestrian deficiencies and accommodate regional trail projects by adding bicycle and pedestrian facilities at the intersection to create a safe, multimodal facility that meets the demand from all modes of transportation. · Provide safe and sustainable access at the existing intersection. The need of the project is that SR 121 and 8th Street East are both regionally significant facilities that experience high commute volumes on SR 121, which results in insufficient gaps for left turns in and out of 8th Street East, inducing significant motorist delay and increased safety challenges. Additionally, the current intersection’s lack of multimodal facilities acts as a barrier for pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized users. Addressing the lack of multimodal features is also necessary to support future expansion of planned multimodal networks in the area. [The three-lane “Broadway-Style” signal concept] The project team investigated eliminating the additional lanes and shortening the left turn lane for a revised three-lane signal alternative. This would be similar to the existing intersection of State Route 12 (Broadway Avenue) and SR 121, west of the project site. The intent was to reduce the signal’s footprint. Although this concept appears simpler, the westbound left-turn lane must still provide sufficient length for drivers to slow and queue outside the through lane. Traffic analysis determined that eliminating the additional lanes would not reduce delay as much as the proposed signal or the roundabout, and the concept would still require replacement of the Arroyo Seco (Schell Creek) Bridge to provide enough length for vehicles to decelerate safely into the left-turn lane. Shortening the turn lane to avoid replacement of the bridge would require non-standard design features and would increase the risk of rear-end collisions. As improving safety and reducing delay are key components of the project’s Purpose and Need, these shortcomings weigh heavily against this alternative. The modified signal alternative would have cost, adverse environmental impacts (right of way impacts, wetland impacts, tree removal), construction impacts, and effects on local residents and businesses similar to those of the roundabout. However, the modified signal alternative would not provide the same safety and operational benefits as the roundabout or the proposed signal alternative. The analysis showed the modified signal alternative would not be feasible to implement because its non-standard design does not meet Caltrans safety design standards. In addition, the reduced operational and safety benefits of the modified signal alternative would make it uncompetitive for future state and federal funding due to a very low benefit/cost ratio, similar to the proposed signal. With benefit/cost ratios significantly less than 1:1, neither signal alternative would be an efficient use of taxpayer funds. For these reasons, this alternative will be presented in the draft environmental document as “considered but rejected.” [Project Design Alternatives: The Signal and Roundabout Alternatives] During the preparation of the project design and draft environmental document, SCTA and Caltrans considered both roundabout and signal alternatives using the project’s…”

Sonoma County Transportation and Climate Authorities

sctca.ca.gov

Responded

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors,

3 Members

California