Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Active Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts Active Transportation Plan into General Plan amid calls to address Highway 29 crossings
Summary
After NVTA presented a countywide Active Transportation Plan tailored for American Canyon, the council voted unanimously to adopt it as an appendix to the General Plan; residents and advocates urged immediate attention to safe crossings of Highway 29 and school‑route connectivity.
The City Council unanimously adopted a General Plan amendment on June 16 to incorporate the American Canyon Active Transportation Plan, a county‑coordinated update prepared by the Napa Valley Transportation Authority.
NVTA senior planner Patrick Van told the council the plan updates the city’s earlier bike and pedestrian work and reflects nearly 2,000 engagement interactions countywide. “We did nearly 2,000 interactions throughout the valley with local residents, business owners and community groups,” Patrick Van said, describing workshops, school outreach and public events used to shape priorities.
Key findings and priorities: NVTA highlighted a level‑of‑traffic‑stress analysis that identified corridors where walking and biking are uncomfortable or unsafe; roughly 15% of roadway miles in the city scored as high stress (LTS 3–4). The plan proposes a 40‑plus mile built‑out bicycle network with roughly 10 miles of class‑one shared use pathways and prioritized sidewalk gap closures designed to connect parks, schools, transit stops and retail centers.
Public safety and crossings: Several commenters — including the Napa County Bicycle Coalition and school‑community members — urged the city to prioritize safe crossings of State Route 29, especially near American Canyon Road and school routes. Cindy Beerman, a school trustee and grandparent, said education alone does not make crossings safe and asked the council to revive pedestrian‑overpass planning: “They’re not going to walk across that highway,” she said, describing recent collisions and stress about children crossing 29.
Council response: Members agreed the plan provides a useful prioritization framework and asked staff and NVTA to study specific crossing options and school‑route continuity. Vice Mayor Mark Joseph suggested preliminary corridor planning to identify optimal pedestrian overcrossing sites so the city is positioned to seek funding when opportunities arise. Council also discussed re‑examining a Class‑2 bike lane gap near Donaldson Elementary where continuity is incomplete.
Next steps: The plan was adopted as a General Plan mobility element appendix; staff and NVTA will continue to coordinate funding, environmental review and design for prioritized projects. The council asked staff to return with follow‑up analysis on specific corridor priorities, including potential crossing locations across Highway 29 and potential adjustments to elementary school bike route continuity.
The result: Active Transportation Plan — adopted unanimously as General Plan appendix.
