Santa Rosa seeks public comment on Active Transportation Plan update; public review to run March 3–30

Toreena Wilson, the City of Santa Rosa transportation planner and project manager for the Active Transportation Plan update, briefed the Waterways Advisory Committee on Feb. 27 on the project schedule and outreach. Wilson said the update—formerly the 2018 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan—has been rebranded to the Active Transportation Plan to be more inclusive and aligned with current practice.

Wilson said the public review draft of the plan will be posted online starting March 3 and remain open through March 30 for comments; the bicycle and pedestrian advisory board is scheduled to review the final plan in May and it will be forwarded to city council for adoption in June. The plan is organized into five chapters, with Chapter 5 containing the prioritization methodology and the high‑priority project list for roughly a five‑year implementation horizon.

Staff emphasized safety and a Vision Zero orientation as central goals and said the project prioritization was informed by pavement‑maintenance scheduling so that bicycle and pedestrian facilities can be bundled into repaving work. Staff said projects near transit hubs, schools and parks, projects that close network gaps and crossings of creek trails and arterials were elevated. Wilson described examples discussed with the committee, including a small crossing improvement near Hardee’s and a larger crossing on Gurnville Road where median geometry and ADA accessibility are issues that could be addressed when the roadway is repaved.

Wilson outlined outreach channels: the online interactive public review draft will allow page‑level comments; the project page will be posted on the city website and promoted through City Connections and department mailing lists. She asked committee members to share the link with community groups and stakeholders; committee members raised outreach to business and realtor groups as a recommended addition to the notification list.

Committee members asked about pilot projects and outcomes; staff said the Steel Lane pilot (a road diet and protected bike lane) showed reductions in collisions and speeds in the monitored segment and will remain in place for the near term. Wilson said staff will consider public comments on prioritization and may adjust project rankings where community feedback demonstrates a clear preference or where grant opportunities would accelerate a project.

Wilson closed by asking committee members and the public to review the draft when it posts on March 3 and to send comments through the project web page.