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Council reviews Caltrans plan for SR‑20 at Humphrey Road; asks staff to press Caltrans about El Margarita intersection
Summary
Caltrans has proposed either a roundabout or a traffic signal at the SR‑20/Humphrey Road intersection and has programmed $8.535 million for improvements; the council asked staff to press Caltrans to also prioritize the El Margarita/Highway 20 intersection.
YUBA CITY — City staff briefed the council on a Caltrans proposal to improve the intersection of State Route 20 and Humphrey Road, and councilmembers directed staff to continue engagement with Caltrans and SACOG and to send a formal letter asking Caltrans to also prioritize the El Margarita/Highway 20 intersection.
City Manager Diana Langley said Caltrans’ project webpage reports 13 collisions at the Humphrey Road intersection from Jan. 1, 2017, through Dec. 31, 2021, with 11 categorized as broadside or sideswipe, and that Caltrans has programmed $8,535,000 for improvements. Caltrans is seeking input on two primary options at Humphrey Road: a roundabout or a traffic signal. Langley said Caltrans is holding a public workshop and the city requested the item be brought to council for direction.
Councilmembers and staff discussed engineering tradeoffs. Langley and a city engineer noted that roundabouts can reduce the types of collisions recorded at Humphrey Road, though some councilmembers raised concerns about speeding, “drag‑strip” behavior on the approach to the intersection and driver familiarity with roundabouts. Several councilmembers also said the eastern city intersection at El Margarita and Highway 20 — near a high school and commercial area — carries more daily trips and an elevated safety concern; they asked staff to press Caltrans and SACOG to evaluate that intersection alongside the Humphrey Road project. Community Development Director Ben Moody noted there is some STIP/CIP funding and that SACOG can help leverage regional funds.
No vote was required to receive the presentation. Council directed staff to send a formal letter to Caltrans District 3 emphasizing the council’s interest in advancing safety planning for the El Margarita/Highway 20 location in parallel with Caltrans’ Humphrey Road project and continue coordination with SACOG.
