Council authorizes SS4A grant application for safety upgrades on West Sacramento and Warner streets

The Chico City Council on June 17 directed staff to pursue a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant to fund a permanent redesign of West Sacramento Avenue and Warner Street, a corridor serving high school and university traffic. The vote to authorize submittal of the grant application was unanimous.

City staff presented three delivery concepts: a permanent rebuild to provide a separated multi‑use path and improved bike lanes; a quicker “quick‑build” protected lane option that would be faster and cheaper but could affect signal phasing and turning movements; and a short pop‑up demonstration. Staff’s preferred path was the permanent build, which would realign curbs to create a 12‑foot bidirectional path, narrow vehicle lanes for traffic calming and maintain neighborhood parking where feasible.

Staff estimated a combined planning‑level budget of about $10 million to implement the permanent improvements on both West Sacramento and Warner corridors. The SS4A program requires a minimum 20% local match; the city reported preliminary partner commitments totaling $750,000 — $250,000 from Chico Unified School District and $500,000 from California State University, Chico — to help reach the required match. The city’s share would be about $1.25 million if the full $10 million scenario were pursued, staff said.

Speakers representing the university and student groups urged the council to pursue the permanent approach, noting heavy pedestrian and bicycle use by students and parents. Marie Patterson, director of sustainability at California State University, Chico, told councilmembers the project fits both the university’s climate and transportation plans and would improve campus gateways and safety for students. Associated Students representative Sarah Lanham described feeling unsafe walking and biking after dark and urged infrastructure and lighting improvements to make active transportation a viable option year‑round.

Council members praised the interagency collaboration and noted the project’s safety record: staff reported 24 collisions across the corridor between 2018 and 2024, with roughly 38–39% involving bicycles or pedestrians. The council directed staff to submit the SS4A application by the program deadline and to continue coordinating match commitments with Chico State and Chico Unified. Staff said if the SS4A application is not successful they will pursue other funding opportunities such as the Active Transportation Program and could revisit lower‑cost quick‑build options in the interim.

The unanimous council vote authorizes staff to complete and submit the SS4A application and to continue partner coordination on the 20% match.