Auburn council approves amendment to Fuhrer and Pierce agreement for active-transportation planning; staff cites Safe Streets funds and ARPA match

The Auburn City Council on July 8 approved a first amendment to a professional services agreement with Fuhrer and Pierce to advance the city’s active transportation planning and related safety work.

Bob Peterson, representing the Sierra Foothills Cycling Club and Auburn Trails Alliance, told the council he wants stronger local stakeholder involvement and earlier action on projects such as bike lanes and signage. “If you're gonna spend up to $755,000, the thing that I wanna do in my role as a stakeholder... is make sure they take action,” he said, urging the city to leverage local volunteer groups and align outreach with county planning.

Jonathan Wright, the city’s Community and Economic Development director, said the city is coordinating with the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) and that significant funds in the contract are earmarked for public outreach. Wright noted the amendment expands an existing agreement for wayfinding and other studies, and clarified that roughly $500,000 is being applied to Safe Streets and related studies but that multiple projects are bundled under the single agreement.

Council discussed timing and how the new work will dovetail with Auburn’s circulation and general plan updates; staff estimated the active-transportation effort will take about 18 months, though individual projects can start sooner. Councilmember motioned for the amendment and it passed on a roll-call vote.

Councilmembers and staff said they will try to publish a community outreach schedule and ensure local stakeholders have opportunities to participate in the project’s planning process.