THE UNION Articles on
Traffic
July Articles
Off-ramp unsafe, Ken Suzuki, Letter July 8, 2005
County town to charge for parking, David Bunker, July 14, 2005
In rare move, county adds street to system, Becky Trout, July 20, 2005
Sales tax weighed for road work, Becky Trout, July 21, 2005
Crowd slams Crestview, Becky Trout, July 22, 2005
How many must die to get a traffic light?, Craig Ruble, July 25, 2005
Road decision an outrage, David Adams, July 27, 2005
Grass Valley becoming a city of gridlock, Grant Cattaneo, July 28, 2005
Off-ramp unsafe
By Ken Suzuki
July 8, 2005
In the 17 years that I've lived in this area, I have witness four incidents of vehicles turning onto the southbound exit ramp from McKnight Way (during daylight hours). Two occurred within the last year - the most recent was a couple weekends ago. On this occasion, I was relieved to see two CHP units just happened to exit the freeway (following an accident under the Hwy. 20 underpass) and blocked the wrong-way vehicle.
On the previous occasion, as I approached the McKnight exit, a car entered the off-ramp, proceeded to the freeway and made a U-turn to head the correct direction. It was fortunate that the traffic was very light and there were no incidents. On another incident, I was one of the vehicles blocking the wrong-way driver - who was waving at us to get out of the way.
It seems there are adequate signs, but yet people continue to make the wrong turn. I wonder how many other cars have made this wrong turn that I haven't seen.
Perhaps the appropriate agency can look into this before another tragedy occurs.
Ken Suzuki, Grass Valley
County town to charge for parking
Truckee to get meters downtown
By David Bunker
July 14, 2005
TRUCKEE - The days of parking for free in downtown Truckee are coming to an end.
The Truckee Town Council has authorized the purchase of 35 "pay and display" meters for nearly $300,000. The multispace meters, which will print tickets that will be placed in car windows, are expected to be in service downtown by Oct. 3.
Truckee also recently hired a parking coordinator and will soon negotiate a lease for a parking lot previously operated by the Downtown Merchants Association.
All the moves mean Truckee now has both feet firmly in the parking game, a position that will bring it challenges in the months ahead, town officials said.
"I can guarantee that we are not going to get it perfect on the first cut," said Dan Wilkins, public works director, of the upcoming creation of a metered parking district in downtown.
One of the biggest questions will be whether to meter the entire downtown at one time or phase in the paid parking so the managers and enforcers of the parking district can work out the kinks slowly. At last week's Town Council meeting, council members were leaning toward having all the meters operational at one time.
"Frankly, the truth of the matter is metering throughout downtown all at the same time is probably the most successful and least controversial way to go about this," Truckee Mayor Craig Threshie said.
The meters will be solar-powered so they will not need any trenching for electricity. They will also process credit or debit cards for motorists who do not have spare change. Officials are also working on the idea of a "locals pass" for residents who frequent the downtown and do not want to feed the meter each time they park.
Stefanie Olivieri, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said the parking program needs to be initiated with the fewest problems possible."I think the most important thing for the merchants is we want it to be a good experience for the locals and the visitors that come to us," Olivieri said.
Town Councilman Richard Anderson said that parking staff should be out in force to monitor any problems that arise as paid parking comes into effect.
"It does seem important that we do have people out looking for problems so we can deal with them as quickly as possible," he said.
In rare move, county adds street to system
Becky Trout, Staff writer,
beckyt@theunion.com
July 20, 2005
The Nevada County Board of Supervisors agreed Tuesday to accept Gold Country Drive into the county’s road system, a move that comes after a homeowners’ association threatened to sue the developer over access to a development.
The formerly private road curves through Wildwood Ridge, a 103-lot development near Lake Wildwood. The 4-1 vote — Supervisor Nate Beason voted against it — infuriated some opponents of the project.
“We haven’t been properly represented,” said Mary Nelson, who lives along Gold Country Drive.
Nelson and many of her neighbors wanted the 3,600-foot-long road, which is now a dead end, to remain private to prevent residents of a yet-unnamed extension of the development from using the road.
The road’s ownership change is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the failed Wildwood Estates project, a burden on the county since a former developer’s bonds defaulted, leaving the county with a tab of more than $1 million it is still trying to resolve.
Wildwood Ridge was the first phase of that project.
To hoist the project out of its financial troubles, L.A.-based developer Brian Masterman hopes to construct 352 single-family residences, including 36 income-restricted affordable units on the 207 remaining acres.
First, however, he needs to ensure the future residents will have access to Gold Country Drive, a road intended to link with his project.
Masterman cannot build another road to substitute for Gold Country Drive because steep slopes and archaeological remains block the only suitable spots, said representative Ken Baker, retired from Nevada City Engineering.
At a Planning Commission meeting in June, an attorney representing the homeowners announced he had filed a lawsuit to prevent Masterman from using the road.
The bid to have the county accept the road was in part a defensive move, Masterman admitted, to preclude his company from responding to the lawsuit.
Neighbors say that Gold Country Drive is too narrow for the traffic from the 343 houses and claim additional use would affect their quality of life and property values.
As part of the deal reached Tuesday, Masterman pledged to pay for maintenance of the road, repave it, work to add pedestrian access and make an effort to cooperate with the homeowners, he said.
Masterman is expected to bring his project before the Planning Commission in the next several months.
To contact staff writer Becky Trout, e-mail beckyt@theunion .com or call 477-4234.
Sales tax weighed for road work
Commission OKs study of potential fee
By Becky Trout,
beckyt@theunion.com
July 21, 2005
A new quarter-cent sales tax for western Nevada County moved closer to becoming reality Wednesday, when the Nevada County Transportation Commission voted to start researching such a tax to pay for road improvements.
"I'm tired of trying to rely on the state to help us with traffic," said Grass Valley City Councilwoman Patti Ingram, who serves on the commission. "It's time we take care of ourselves."
Admitting the sales tax proposal is a "controversial option," commission Executive Director Dan Landon recommended launching a $30,000 study of the potential tax.
With little discussion, the commission concurred, voting 4-1 to seek out consultants to conduct the study.
"To me this is an issue of circulation, quality of life and public safety," said Nevada County Supervisor Robin Sutherland. "We have to take care of our roads."
Nevada City Mayor Conley Weaver voted against the study because Nevada City is also considering a transportation tax of some sort, he said.
The measure would need approval by two-thirds of affected voters before it could be enacted. The tax could generate $2 million a year, which would be used to pay for a backlog of already planned transportation improvements, Landon said.
A list of projects and goals would be prepared before election day to inform voters, Landon said. "Nobody wants more taxes," said Nate Beason, a county supervisor who approved of the study. However, a vote on the tax could allow people "to do what they want," he said.
In other business, the commission agreed to charge a 5-percent fee on private parties that use the commission's resources.
Although the fee would not apply retroactively, Catlin Properties developer Paul O'Sullivan offered to contribute an additional 5 percent toward the commission's efforts on the Crestview Drive interchange.
O'Sullivan's company, which hopes to develop a shopping center at the former Bear River Mill site, has paid more than $200,000 for a study on the feasibility of the interchange.
"I want to be seen as friendly to the community," O'Sullivan said.
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To contact staff writer Becky Trout, e-mail beckyt@theunion.com or call 477-4234.
Interchange not popular
By Becky Trout,
beckyt@theunion.com
July 22, 2005
Brimming with questions, more than 150 people packed the L.O.V.E. building Thursday evening to learn about plans for an freeway interchange at Crestview Drive south of Grass Valley.
Many angry, frustrated speakers decried the interchange, questioning the need for the massive project and its effect on Highway 49 traffic.
"I think an intersection would just open the door to more tract housing in practically the last undeveloped part of the county," said area resident Ray Farmer.
"What are the chances of no interchange? A lot of us want the interchange at Dorsey and we're not interested in this at all," one person cried out. The comments were met with cheers.
The answer isn't at all straightforward.
The current $442,000 study - which is examining the design, timing, and financing of an intersection, an interchange, and a road connecting with Allison Ranch Road - was spurred by SouthHill Village, a proposed shopping center and housing complex east of Highway 49.
The study - conducted by consultants and coordinated by the Nevada County Transportation Commission - has been paid for by the developers of North Star, a 2,000-house development west of Highway 49, and SouthHill Village.
The Grass Valley City Council called for the study last year after SouthHill Village developer Catlin Properties proposed constructing an intersection with a signal.
The city wanted to ensure the effects of North Star were also examined, and coordinate the intersection with the city's governing document, called a General Plan, which calls for a southern link with Highway 49 and a road connecting the highway with Allison Ranch Road, said Joe Heckel, community development director for the city.
As currently proposed, the interchange - with ramps - includes a road connecting to Allison Ranch Road and would require taking two houses and one business. An intersection with a stoplight would probably precede a full interchange.
But with an estimated price tag of $55 million, the interchange won't be built anytime soon, Executive Director of the Nevada County Transportation Commission Dan Landon has said.
The consultants are investigating when, and by what, the intersection and interchange would be triggered.
The four major developments on the outskirts of Grass Valley are on hold until the release of a study on their economic viability and the city's need for housing and jobs. The long-overdue study will be released in September or October, Heckel said.
Then, the City Council will consider what changes, if any, it wishes to make to its General Plan, Heckel said. Concurrently, the four developers are expected to file formal applications with the city.
A complete examination of the effects of an intersection with a stoplight at Crestview will be included in the environmental study of SouthHill Village, which could be released early in 2006, Heckel said.No development at all is not an option, leaders pointed out to the many concerned attendees. The developers, as property owners, have the right to develop their land in some way.
beckyt@theunion.com or call 477-4234.
If the four major developments are not accepted by the city, they could try to develop in the county. The city, however, is much better prepared to provide roads, sewer and other services to the new developments, Tassone said.
"We're trying to gather all the facts to make an informed decision," Tassone said. "Believe me, what you all have to say has a tremendous impact.
The meeting remained heated but civil, although at least one untoward comment was made to a local official.
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To contact staff writer Becky Trout, e-mail
How many must die to get a traffic light?
By Craig Ruble
July 25, 2005
I was just curious to see if The Union has any statistics, national or countywide, on how many people must die to make a traffic light appear at an intersection that is obviously in need of one. It is so obvious this intersection needs a solution - I'm sure the intersection of Brunswick and Idaho-Maryland has already come to your mind, among others. No, I'm not a trained traffic consultant, but when you see so many accidents and close calls at one intersection you start to think that hey, perhaps something should happen before more people die.
Every weekday, I have a routine of waking up and racing with my 5-year-old son to see who can get dressed first (dirty trick, but it sure seems to get the little guy up and going). Then we stop at our regular favorite gas station, where I get coffee and he charms the socks of the gals who work there while getting his favorite breakfast snack. Then we proceed on our adventure of seeing if we will be the fortunate ones who make it through the intersection of Brunswick and Idaho-Maryland on our way to his charming school at the Cedar Y. As we do every day, we talk, laugh at silly jokes, sing songs on the radio together and generally have a great time. I'll even admit that sometimes we are having such a good time, I forget our lives are in serious jeopardy as we travel though what I have heard from many county residents is the most dangerous intersection in the county.
Recently, I was on my way back from dropping my little guy off and saw another horrific accident that had just happened (just minutes after me and my little boy went be-bopping through the danger zone). I have to wonder, how many people must die to get a solution in place at this intersection? I'm sure there are trained experts out there that have spent hours studying, researching and doing cost analysis studies on different options, but every day that goes by, another community member is at risk of a life changing/ending adventure. And I can't help but to wonder how many lives were changed forever for those unfortunate accident victims and their family members because the number of lives lost has not yet reached the number where the community will demand that action be taken.
So if you happen to stumble across the number it takes, can you please share it with me? I will be sure to pass it on to those who have to travel this way every day.
Many thanks.Craig Ruble is vice president for Olympic Mortgage and Investment Co., Inc., and has lived in Nevada County for four years. His wife, Heather and he have two sons Chase, 5 years old and Cole, 10 months old.
By David Adams
July 27, 2005
I hope every voter will remember next election the outrageous 4-1 decision by the County Board of Supervisors last week. The Wildwood Ridge Neighborhood Association had filed a lawsuit against the L.A. developer trying to turn their winding Gold Country Drive into the main access road for his 388-unit sprawl project. To protect the developer, the B.O.S. accepted that street into the county's road system, undercutting the association's standing in the case.
There must be hundreds of private roads that have waited for decades for county acceptance. Now the B.O.S. accepts this recent street, one unsafe as a main access road for many reasons. It's a powerful slap in the face to the 90 Ridge residents of Wildwood Ridge who came to complain at the recent hearing. It seems the result of a blatant, back-room deal with the developer.
This shows that the rhetoric about "property rights" these Supervisors used to get elected means nothing when it doesn't suit their pro-development purposes. Their action is close to an eminent domain "taking" Đ taking these citizen's property values, neighborhood safety, and quality of life to benefit a private developer. No, I don't live in Wildwood Ridge. We should all be concerned.
David Adams, Penn Valley
Grass Valley becoming a city of gridlock
Other Voices
By Grant Cattaneo
July 28, 2005
The title "City of Gridlock" may be a little premature for Grass Valley, but we are well on our way.
So what's driving us down this road to gridlock? How about another 4,000-plus new housing units, an additional 3,000-plus students at Sierra College, double the service capacity of the hospital, new and proposed businesses on Litton Hill. And let's top that off with the expansion and relocation of Weaver Auto, Hills Flat Lumber, Moule Paint & Glass, BriarPatch and De Martini's RV, all of which will leave behind vacated locations to be filled with more businesses that generate even more traffic.
I don't know about you, but I have done gridlock before, and it is not why I came to Nevada County. So what do to about it? Well, the city has offered some intriguing suggestions, but some of you might consider them more in the category of what not to do. Here are three, for example:
Some of the city council members say the residents "will just have to get used to it" because "it is just a small town."
The city says it has a Street System Master Plan that provides recommendations for improving traffic conditions, but there isn't enough money to do the fixes.
Some of the city council members say that there needs to be "creative solutions."
OK, just to get this out of the way up front, I'll take the hit for not naming names and taking words out of context and so on and so forth, but those of you who have been to recent City Council meetings don't need me to tell you what has been said. And to be totally fair, I encourage, even beg, the city to share with us their comprehensive management plan to deal with all this new growth and the traffic that will come with it. Oh, and just so we are all on the same page, management plans come with budgets and funding sources that are identified.
Now that you are as hot under the collar as I expect you should be, let's get to some interesting facts and figures.
Grass Valley classifies intersections according to "Levels of Service," which grades the amount of time delays for vehicles getting through an intersection. The city has a policy that intersections should not operate lower than a Level of Service of "D." Imagine yourself bringing home from school a report card full of "D's," or worse! Your parents wouldn't be happy. Yet, the city's current Intersection Report Card has 12 "D's" or worse. These 12 bad grades are identified in the city's approved Strategic Street Master Plan or in the Kenny Ranch traffic report on file with the Nevada County Transportation Commission.
However, we think the Plan erred when the city was given a "B" for the Richardson/Bennett/East Main streets at the post office (a shining example of city planning), because it currently operates at Level "D." Thus, the true grade should be 13 "D's" or worse.
But if you think it is bad now, wait until the next report card comes out. Citizens Concerned About Traffic (CCAT) (http://www.ccatnc.org) estimates that 15 additional grades of "D" or worse will be given to the city.
These additional bad grades will be for the following: 1) East Main/Dorsey/Sierra College; 2) Ridge/Rough and Ready; 3) Alta/Ridge/Main; 4) Ridge/Hughes; 5) Ridge/Sierra College/Morgan Ranch; 6) East Main/Hughes; 7) Idaho-Maryland/Brunswick; 8) McKnight (with all its roadway connectors); 9) Sutton/Idaho-Maryland; 10) Railroad/Idaho-Maryland; 11) Sutton/Dorsey; 12) Allison Ranch Road/McCourtney; 13) Mill Street/McCourtney; 14) Freeman Lane/McKnight Way; and finally, number 15) Brighton/McCourtney.
Small-town government worked back in the day when Grass Valley was a small town, but those days have almost slipped past us now. We have grown out of being a little town and are on the verge of major growth. Whatever the city did to manage traffic and growth in the past isn't working now. Conditions are getting worse, not better, and the big challenges are just ahead of us. If the city has a workable plan, they need to show us what it is now. We don't need to add government gridlock to our growing list of problems. The community of Grass Valley deserves answers that work.
Grant Cattaneo lives in Grass Valley and is a member of CCAT.