Santa Rosa council adopts Active Transportation Plan, prioritizing safety and 200 miles of bike routes

Santa Rosa City Council voted to adopt the city’s updated Active Transportation Plan after months of community outreach and technical review, approving a roadmap for new sidewalks, protected bike lanes and shared‑use paths intended to make walking and bicycling safer and more accessible.

The plan, presented by Transportation Planner Torina Wilson and consultant Mauricio Hernandez of Alta Planning + Design, lays out nearly 200 miles of proposed bike routes, roughly 80 miles of upgraded sidewalks and a program of education, enforcement and “quick‑build” pilot projects. Councilmember McDonald moved to adopt the resolution; Councilmember Rogers seconded the motion. The council vote was 6-0.

City staff and advocates said the ATP is important because it shifts project design toward a “safe systems” approach that treats safety as the default for all projects and explicitly prioritizes improvements in areas of equity need.

Wilson told council, “this feels like this is my Super Bowl,” describing the plan as the product of two years of outreach and…