Petaluma advisory committee reviews plans to narrow Caulfield Lane and add protected bike space on Eli Boulevard South

Petaluma city staff presented detailed plans and trade-offs for safety and pavement upgrades on Caulfield Lane and Eli Boulevard South, pitching lane reductions, protected or buffered bike lanes and intersection changes as tools to slow traffic and reduce severe crashes.

Bjorn, the city’s staff liaison, said the work is driven by safety metrics and grant requirements. “We are recommending lane reductions on both of these streets based on the average daily traffic figures,” he told the Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee, citing tube counts and the Federal Highway Administration guidance that supports converting multi-lane arterials with under 18,000–20,000 vehicles per day. He told the committee the Caulfield project is a full paving reconstruction with a budget “in the $4,000,000 range,” while Eli is expected to be under $1,000,000 and will be a shorter slurry-seal and…