CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - On July 23, the Citrus Heights City Council held a Zoom study session to discuss the Carriage Drive/Lauppe Lane Safe Schools Corridor Plan. The project area includes the entirety of the Carriage Dr. and Laupe Ln. corridor, which runs from Antelope Rd. to Auburn Blvd., as well as Auburn Blvd. from Carriage to Sylvan Corners. The City is partnering with the San Juan Unified School District and working closely with the three schools located on the Carriage Dr./Lauppe Ln. corridor: Mesa Verde High School, Sylvan Middle School, and Carriage Drive Elementary.

Enrollment at the three schools has increased by 25% since just 2016, and most students arrive by car. The Safe Schools Corridor Plan analyzes traffic safety and operational improvements on the public streets and within the school parking lots. The project was initiated after years of feedback from residents and school representatives about the unsafe conditions on the corridor.

Two rounds of public outreach identified some key issues on the corridor: parking and traffic congestion, students crossing the streets outside of crosswalks, low visibility of crosswalks, unsafe vehicle speeds, and illegal U-turns.

The July 23 study session focused on the following improvements to the city-maintained roadways: high-visibility crosswalks, a pedestrian crossing with rapid-flashing signal light at Carriage Dr. and Midnight Way, a wider sidewalk on Auburn Blvd. between Carriage Dr. and Sylvan Middle School, speed humps, curb extensions, vertical curbs, and green conflict markings at intersections. Based on public feedback, these recommended improvements have general community support.

Community respondents were split regarding some other potential improvements, so staff asked for feedback from the Council. Circular intersections, or roundabouts, could be installed at the Carriage Dr. and Kanai Ave. intersection and at the Carriage Dr. and Pratt Ave. intersection. Benefits of circular intersections include regulating traffic, reduced vehicle speed, safe and predictable U-turns, and allowing space for vegetation or public art. The drawback is that some drivers may be unfamiliar with their use.

Councilmember Jeannie Bruins said she likes roundabouts, but they must be well-designed with enough space: “They can work well when implemented correctly.”

Mayor Jeff Slowey agreed: “When they’re done right, they work. But if you try to stick a roundabout in an intersection that isn’t really big enough for it, it’s a pain.”

Another potential improvement is a raised roadway at the northern entrance to Mesa Verde High School, where Lauppe Ln. turns a corner. Drivers take that corner too quickly, and it can be difficult to see students in the crosswalk. A raised roadway, which is like a larger version of a speed hump, could include the crosswalk and extend around the corner. Drivers would have to drive up onto the platform at sidewalk level, forcing significant reductions in speed from both directions of travel. The drawback to this option is the expense to install, so Council wanted to hear cost estimates before supporting this improvement.

 

The section of Carriage Dr. between Kanai Ave. and Auburn Blvd. currently has two driving lanes, two parking lanes, two bike lanes, and two sidewalks. The sidewalks and bike lanes are narrower than safety guidelines recommend, so staff presented two alternatives. Option 1: widen the bike lanes, narrow the driving and parking lanes, and maintain the sidewalks. Option 2: widen bike lanes, narrow the driving lanes, widen the sidewalk on the east, and remove the parking lane on the east.

Councilmember Bret Daniels said he can’t support removing parking, “especially if it’s in front of people’s homes.”

Councilmember Bruins agreed that removing parking on one side would likely increase parking congestion on the other side and could lead to an increase in J-walking.

The Council agreed that they preferred Option 1, which would maintain the parking lanes on both sides.

The section of Lauppe Ln. from Antelope Rd. to Pratt Ave. currently has two driving lanes, two parking lanes, two sidewalks, and no bike lanes. Staff presented two alternatives for improving safety on this section. Option 1: add bike lanes in each direction and remove parking on the west side of the road, north of Oak Grove Estates. Option 2: maintain both driving and parking lanes but add a wide shared-use path on the west side that can be used by both pedestrians and bicyclists. There was more community support for Option 2, but a shared-use path would be more expensive to construct and take more time to implement.

Councilmember Porsche Middleton liked the idea of the shared-use path, saying it had a “community feel.”

Councilmember Bruins also supported the idea the shared-use path but said she’d like to see some more specifics on the cost difference before making a decision.

Based on feedback from the Council, the plan concepts will be further refined so costs can be estimated. While the creation of the plan itself is funded by a grant from Caltrans, the implementation of the plan will require additional grants, which the City will apply for after the plan is finalized.