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 technical work and saying the document emphasizes safety for “people of all ages and abilities.” Consultant Mauricio Hernandez said the team combined collision and stress‑level analyses with two public engagement phases and an interactive web map to develop recommendations.

The plan’s recommendations range from intersection “spot” improvements (RRFBs, high‑visibility crosswalks, pedestrian bulbs) to major corridor upgrades with protected bike lanes and shared‑use paths. Staff said the full build‑out cost of the plan’s network elements is approximately $750 million; that figure excludes some intersection spot‑improvement costs that must be scoped project‑by‑project.

Wilson told council staff will pursue grants and seek cost savings by pairing active‑transportation work with pavement maintenance and other capital projects. “We have an endless list of projects,” she said, “but prioritization and finding cost savings — for example, adding bike lanes when we repave a street — will help deliver more projects sooner.”

Community speakers representing bicycle, transit and neighborhood groups told council the plan is a rare opportunity to reduce vehicle miles traveled, improve public health and expand transportation choices. Thea Hensel, chair of the Southeast Greenway campaign, said the plan is “clearly a road map for safer transportation for biking and walking in the city.” Adrian Covert of Santa Rosa YIMBY called the plan “a watershed moment for mobility.”

Council members stressed equity and school connections in their comments, asking staff to ensure priority projects reach neighborhoods with the greatest safety needs and to coordinate ATP projects with Safe Routes to School efforts. Several council members and speakers pressed staff to use available pavement and maintenance timelines to add bike and sidewalk work at lower marginal cost.

The resolution adopted directs staff to implement the plan as a policy guide and to pursue funding, including grants. Staff said they will post project prioritization and progress on the city’s CIP/dashboard and continue community outreach as designs move forward. Councilmembers voiced broad support for the policy while acknowledging the multi‑year, grant‑dependent nature of funding and construction.

Supporters said the ATP’s mix of network-level projects and smaller, quicker “low‑cost” projects will allow the city to show early wins while pursuing larger corridor investments. Opponents did not appear during the public hearing; multiple residents urged faster delivery in particular neighborhoods such as Roseland.

Staff and council recommended next steps that include applying for grants, advancing high‑priority corridor designs, pursuing quick‑build pilots and integrating ATP priorities into the city’s pavement and capital project schedules. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board had previously reviewed and recommended the plan to the council.

Implementation details and funding remain the next steps. The plan sets the policy direction and project prioritization; specific design, right‑of‑way and funding choices will be decided as individual projects move from concept to construction.