Council asks engineering to design quick‑build protected bike lanes on West Sacramento and Warner to improve safety near Chico High and CSU Chico

Councilmembers returned to an internal‑affairs item on street lighting and active‑transportation safety and directed Public Works‑Engineering to develop a quick‑build design for protected bicycle lanes and traffic calming on West Sacramento Avenue and adjacent streets serving Chico High and CSU Chico.

Council member O’Brien, reporting from Internal Affairs, said a neighborhood‑based street‑lighting program and a data‑gathering mechanism would help the city prioritize investments. Council member Winslow asked for immediate attention to West Sacramento Avenue and Warner Street because of multiple recent incidents involving bicyclists and student traffic. Public Works Director Ottoboni said striping and quick‑build treatments are feasible and noted a Safe Streets for All grant effort is underway that will develop a Safe Routes to School master plan; that plan could be used to compete for construction funding.

Several students and teachers from Chico High and community members spoke in favor of protected bicycle infrastructure and traffic calming. Speakers cited multiple recent incidents involving students and urged the city to act quickly. The council asked staff to prepare a design for a quick‑build protected lane, including an assessment of parking impacts (staff noted loss of parking is concentrated on one side of West Sacramento in some blocks) and to present cost and funding options. Council additionally asked staff to create a public submission mechanism so neighborhoods can report lighting and safety gaps.

Council approved the direction to staff by unanimous vote and asked for a prompt staff return with design and funding options.