Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Active Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves updated Active Transportation Plan that expands priority bikeway and pedestrian projects
Summary
The City Council approved an updated Active Transportation Plan that expands a prioritized network of bikeways, crossings and pedestrian improvements and provides a framework for grant funding and project selection.
The Sonoma City Council unanimously approved an updated Active Transportation Plan (ATP) that the city and the Sonoma County Transportation Authority (SCTA) developed to replace the 2014 bicycle and pedestrian master plan.
Consultants and staff described the ATP as an aspirational, implementation‑focused update intended to expand walking, biking and rolling across the city while making the community eligible for a wider range of state and regional grants. The plan emphasizes “all ages and abilities” facilities, identifies a network of proposed bikeways and pedestrian crossing improvements, inventories sidewalk gaps and provides a prioritization framework to guide grant‑seeking and capital‑project planning.
Key points from the plan and council discussion:
• Design and equity focus: The ATP’s goals include safer facilities for people of varied ages and abilities, improved regional connections, and clearer implementation steps. The plan adds policy language on green infrastructure and bicycle parking coordination with private development. Consultants said the countywide effort aligned prioritization criteria across nearby jurisdictions.
• Project types and prioritization: The ATP proposes separated bikeways on some segments that carry high traffic volumes and identifies pedestrian crossing upgrades at key intersections. Projects are sorted into tiers based on criteria that reflect safety, connectivity and grant funding competitiveness; priority projects will be pursued for grant funding and for inclusion in the city’s capital planning.
• Process and limits: Several council members expressed caution about applying standardized treatments in Sonoma’s historic downtown and asked that future project designs respect local character, shade and pedestrian amenities. Staff noted that the ATP is a policy and eligibility document; any specific project will receive design work, environmental review under CEQA and council approval before construction.
• Next steps: The ATP will be used to support grant applications (regional and state programs were discussed) and to inform the circulation element of the city’s general plan update. Councilmembers directed staff to ensure the ATP and upcoming circulation decisions align on street typologies, sidewalk widths and tree/amenity planning before project implementation.
Council action: Councilmember Gurney moved to approve the ATP; the motion passed unanimously on a roll‑call vote.
