CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - As part of the City’s goal to improve streets and infrastructure, the Citrus Heights City Council unanimously voted to adopt new policy documents for two traffic-safety-related programs. Both the Multi-Modal Transportation Safety Program and the Carriage Drive/Lauppe Lane Safe Schools Corridor Plan have been in the works for a while now, and the final plans were presented to Council for approval at the December 10 meeting. 

The Multi-Modal Transportation Safety Program (MMTSP) was created in response to the high number of resident requests for traffic calming measures such as crosswalks, speed humps, and traffic enforcement in local neighborhoods throughout Citrus Heights. The new MMTSP system— scheduled to launch in the spring of 2021—will prioritize requests and increase the transparency of the process.

The development of the program was funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant totaling $180,000. But those funds only covered the development of the project; the costs of maintaining the MMTSP system and implementing the countermeasures will require additional funding.

Mary Poole of the General Services Department explained that adopting the program gives the City the opportunity to access more funding sources, as the City will now meet more eligibility requirements for state, regional, and local grant programs. The costs can also be included in future City budgets.

The Carriage Drive/Lauppe Lane Safe School Corridor Plan was developed to address the many safety concerns along the one-mile-long stretch of roadway that connects Antelope Dr. and Auburn Blvd. There are three schools along the Carriage Drive and Lauppe Lane corridor—Carriage Drive Elementary School, Sylvan Middle School, and Mesa Verde High School—as well as various adjacent residential neighborhoods. Traffic congestion during peak hours (school drop off and pick up) has only gotten worse over the years as school enrollment has increased and the majority of students arrive by car.

Although minor improvements have been attempted, including staggered bell schedules, the high traffic congestion and associated safety concerns still discourage families from walking or biking to school. The congestion also affects nearby residents, who have difficulty getting in or out of their driveways during peak hours.

After a thorough review of traffic patterns, crash data, and roadway conditions—as well as an extensive public outreach campaign—the Safe School Corridor Plan was developed. To address the major concerns of pedestrian safety, residential access, and school parking lot access, the plan recommends the following general improvements along the Carriage/Lauppe corridor: speed humps, curb extensions, vertical curbs, high-visibility crosswalks, and green conflict markings at intersections.

Strategic improvements are also recommended for some specific areas of concern: a pedestrian crossing with a rapid-flashing signal light at Carriage Dr. and Midnight Way; a wider sidewalk on Auburn Blvd. between Carriage Dr. and Sylvan Middle School; and a wide shared-use path for pedestrians and bicycles on the west side of Lauppe Ln. between Antelope Rd. and Pratt Ave.

A raised roadway—essentially a large, raised crosswalk that requires drivers to slow down to drive up and over—is proposed on the portion of Lauppe that bends to the east at the rear entrance to Mesa Verde High School. Circular intersections are recommended at both the Carriage/Kanai and Carriage/Pratt intersections to regulate traffic, reduce vehicle speeds, allow for safe and predictable U-turns, and reduce crashes. The plan also suggests widening the bike lanes and narrowing the drive lanes along Carriage Dr. from Kanai Ave. to Auburn Blvd. in order to reduce vehicle speeds and increase bicycle safety while maintaining parking on both sides of the road.

This plan was developed in partnership with the school district, so it also includes recommendations for some improvements on the school properties.  The Carriage Drive Elementary School entrance is currently just south of the Pratt Ave. intersection, which results in traffic congestion in front of the school and left-turn conflicts as vehicles try to enter the school from the south. To address these issues, the plan recommends relocating the entrance to align with Pratt Ave.

The plan also recommends closing the northern driveway into the Mesa Verde parking lot to all vehicles except for busses. Vehicles would instead enter the campus at Kanai Ave. at a one-way entrance and circle around the parking lot to a one-way exit. This would reduce traffic congestion by getting vehicles off the roadway and onto the campus, where they can queue on the school site instead of on Carriage Dr.

Development of the plan, which involved a feasibility study and conceptual designs for the improvements, was primarily funded by a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant totaling $196,000.  Additional studies are required to analyze the potential construction impacts, and the actual costs of implementation—including engineering design, right-of-way acquisition, and construction—is estimated at $9,000,000. Adoption of the plan increases the City’s eligibility for state and federal funding opportunities to fund the construction.