GONZALES
3 CHAPTER
Gonzales : Existing Conditions 31
Gonzales
Existing Conditions
This chapter discusses the current conditions in Gonzales related to walking, bicycling, and transit use. These include citywide demographics and commute trends, land use and community destinations, collision data, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, transit options, and encouragement programs.
Demographics
Gonzales was home to an estimated 8,466 people in
2024.1 The city has a large youth population, with 30% of residents being under the age of 18.2 Seniors represent a smaller proportion, with 7% of residents being over the age of 65.2 The median age is 28.8, which is lower than the median age for Monterey County as a whole.
Among Gonzales residents, 16% identify as white, 91% as Hispanic or Latino, and 1% as Asian. Thirty-one percent did not finish high school, and 22% completed high
school as their highest level of education. Forty percent of residents have at least some higher education, and 6% have either a bachelor’s or a graduate degree.2
Active transportation investments are especially important in underserved communities, which tend to have higher
rates of walking and bicycling.
According to the California Department of Education, 84% of students in Gonzales public schools qualify for free and reduced meals, which is a sign of low-income status.3 Correspondingly, 57% of households have incomes of less than $50,000 per year, and 12% of families with children under the age of 18 have incomes below the poverty level.4 1 State of California Department of Finance, 2022. E4 Population Estimates for Cities, Counties, and the State, 2021-2024 with 2020 Census Benchmark. dof.ca.gov/forecasting/demographics/estimates/e-4-population-estimates-for-cities-counties-and-the-state-2021-2024-with-2020- census-benchmark.
2 Census American Community Survey 2017–2021 Selected Characteristics of US Populations, Table SO601. 3 State of California Department of Education, 2022. Free or Reduces-Price Meal (Student Poverty) Data. www.cde.ca.gov/ds/ad/filessp.asp. 4 Census American Community Survey 2017–2021 Selected Economic Characteristics, Table DP03. 30%
63%
7%
age 18-65
under the age of 18
over the age of 65
Figure 1. Age distribution of
Gonzales residents, 2022
Source: Census American
Community Survey 2017–2021
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 32
Commute Trends
An estimated 3,605 Gonzales residents over the age of 16 are employed, and 81% of those drive to work alone. Gonzales has a higher rate of driving to work alone than any other city in Salinas Valley and a higher rate than Monterey County as a whole.5
Overall, 5% of Gonzales residents carpool to work, 2% walk 1% bike, and less than 1% take public transit. About 1% of residents work from home.
Although some Gonzales commuters travel outside Monterey County for work, the majority (93%) stay within the county for their work trips. The average commute time to places of employment for Gonzales residents is 24 minutes.
Twenty percent of commuters travel more than 30 minutes daily, and 8% travel 45 minutes or more.5
Although commute trips offer the best available data on travel modes, they represent only a percentage of trips. Comprehensive data sets on the percentage of Gonzales residents walking or bicycling for other daily trips are not available.
5 Census American Community Survey 2017–2021 Commuting Characteristics by Sex, Table SO801.
Figure 2. Work Commute Travel Modes in Gonzales
1.2%
8.7%
0.7%
9.2%
81.5%
Worked from Home
Taxicab, Motorcycle, or Other Means
Bicycle
Walked
Public Transportation
Carpooled
Drove Alone
2.0%
1.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Gonzales : Existing Conditions 33
Land Use and Major Destinations
Gonzales is bisected by Highway 101, with the three schools, downtown, and the majority of residential housing located west of the highway. A commercial area and several residential neighborhoods are located east of the highway, and 5th Street is the only route between the two sides. The three public schools in Gonzales are situated near one another on 5th Street and Elko Street. Commercial areas are also located along 5th Street east of Highway 101 and in the historic downtown on Alta Street. Other key destinations include Central Park, Centennial Park, the Gonzales Library, and medical centers.
Existing Bicycle Network
There are currently two types of bicycle facilities in Gonzales: Class II bicycle lanes and Class IIB buffered bike lanes. Other streets have been designated as regional bike routes.
See below for definitions of each type of facility.
Class II bicycle lanes are located on portions of Alta Street, portions of 5th Street, Harold Parkway, and Elko Street, although the bikes lanes near La Gloria Elementary are currently used for parent parking. The city of Gonzales upgraded the bike lanes on 5th Street between Elko Street and Rincon Road to class IV separated bike lanes as part of the temporary pilot project; following the pilot, the design was converted to class IIB buffered bike lanes.
Class II bike lane in front of La Gloria Elementary in Gonzales Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 34
Class II Bicycle Lane
These are on-street facilities that use paint
striping and stencils to designate spaces for
bicycle travel. Bike lanes delineate the rightsof-way assigned to bicyclists and motorists and encourage more predictable movements by
each. A more important reason for constructing
bike lanes is to accommodate bicyclists in
corridors with insufficient room for side-by-side
sharing of streets with motorists. This can be
done by reducing the number of lanes, reducing
lane width, or prohibiting or reconfiguring
parking to delineate bike lanes. In addition,
other things can be done on streets with bike
lanes to improve the situation for cyclists
in ways not possible on all streets (e.g.,
improvements to the surface, augmented
sweeping programs, special signal facilities).
In general, pavement markings alone do not
measurably enhance cycling conditions.
Class IIB Buffered Bicycle Lane
Buffered bike lanes are conventional bike
lanes with designated buffer spaces separating
them from adjacent motor vehicle travel lanes
or parking lanes. Buffered bike lanes create a
greater distance between cyclists and motor
vehicle traffic and provide space for cyclists to
pass each other without encroaching on the
vehicle lane. Buffered bike lanes appeal to a
wider cross-section of users and skill levels than
conventional bike lanes.
Regional Bike Routes
The Transportation Agency for Monterey County
(TAMC) developed a Pedestrian and Bicyclist
Wayfinding Plan for Monterey County in 2016,
in which it identified a network of regional
bicycle routes. These routes connect key
destinations within the county and currently
have either class I multi-use paths, class II bike
lanes, or class III bike routes, or are planned to
have bicycle facilities in the future.
Class IIB Buffered Bicycle Lane Class II Bicycle Lane
Source Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Gonzales
: Existing Conditions 35
Figure 3. Bicycle Facilities in Gonzales
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 36
Existing Pedestrian Network
The City of Gonzales has good sidewalk coverage, with sidewalk present on nearly all roadways. There are several raised intersections downtown, which slow traffic speeds and make intersections easier for pedestrians to navigate.
Gonzales also has curb ramps at most intersections. Curb ramps provide access between the sidewalk and the street for people with disabilities, children on bicycles, and people pushing strollers. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), upgraded curb ramps must include warnings that are detectable by people with vision impairments. As the City repaves streets and installs roadway improvements, upgraded curb ramps are installed at intersections to comply with ADA standards.
Transit Network
Gonzales Unified School District provides busing for special education students and students who live on the outskirts of the city, including high school students from Chualar. Bus transportation is also available for students living in the northwestern portion of the city.
In addition to the transportation offered by school districts, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) offers bus transportation to the public, including some students traveling to school in Gonzales. Youths aged 18 and younger receive discounted fares for all trips. In summer 2023, bus routes included service between Chualar and 5th Street in Gonzales, providing access to Gonzales High School.
Gonzales : Existing Conditions 37
Active Transportation Safety
Bicycle- and pedestrian-related collision data can be used to identify highlevel collision trends and locations with high rates of bicycle and pedestrian collisions. This analysis uses data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) for the ten-year period from 1/1/2012 to 12/31/2021.
It is important to note that the TIMS data include reported injury collisions only.
Many bicycle and pedestrian collisions are not reported and therefore are not represented in this analysis.
Gonzales has significant rates of collisions involving both bicyclists and pedestrians, with 20 pedestrian collisions and nine bicyclist collisions between 2012 and 2021.61In both 2017 and 2018, Gonzales was ranked among the top ten cities of similar size for pedestrian collisions involving youths under 15 and bicycle collisions involving youths under 15 by the California Office of Traffic Safety.7
Gonzales also ranked in the top ten for pedestrian collisions in both 2017 and 2020, again in comparison to cities of a similar size.27 People walking and bicycling in Gonzales are disproportionately involved in collisions relative to people who are driving. Data from TIMS shows that between 2012 and 2021, 21% of injury collisions in Gonzales involved pedestrians and 9% involved bicyclists.36 This is disproportionate to walking and biking rates in the city, where 3% of work trips are made by walking or bicycling.48
Bicycle Safety
Over the ten-year study period, there were nine bicycle-related injury collisions in Gonzales, with an average of less than one per year. The number of collisions increased to three in 2014, but this trend did not continue in subsequent years.
There were no fatal bicycle collisions within the ten-year period. No collisions caused severe injuries, four resulted in an “other visible injury,” and five resulted in a “complaint of pain.”
6 Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, University of California, Berkeley, 2023. 7 California Office of Traffic Safety. 2021. Gonzales 2021. www.ots.ca.gov/media-and-research/crash-rankings-results. 8 Census American Community Survey 2015–2019 Commuting Characteristics by Sex, Table SO801. data.census.gov Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 38
Bicycle Collision Trends
Bicycle-related collision locations are shown in
Figure 6. Key takeaways from the analysis include
the following:
• 9% of injury collisions in Gonzales
involved people on bikes. Although bicycle
trips make up only a small percentage
of the trips in Gonzales, cyclists are
disproportionally involved in injury collisions.
• Nearly all bicycle-related collisions
(78%) took place on 5th Street, a major
roadway. 5th Street is the city’s only route
across Highway 101, and all three schools in
Gonzales are located on or near 5th Street,
making it a popular route for students who
are walking and biking.
• Youths aged 19 or younger were involved
in 67% of bicycle collisions. Youths aged
14 or younger were the top age group for
bicycle collisions and were involved in 44%
of collisions. Male cyclists were slightly more
likely to be in collisions and made up 56% of
crash victims.
• The two most common bicycle collision
factors, according to the reporting law
enforcement officer, were driver’s failure to
yield (22%), and failure to obey traffic signals
and signs (22%).
Person in wheelchair using the protected
bike lanes during the Gonzales pilot project
on 5th St
Gonzales : Existing Conditions 39
Figure 4.
Annual Bicycle Collisions in
Gonzales, California, 2012–2021
Source: UC Berkeley Transportation
Injury Mapping System (TIMS)
Figure 5.
Severity of Bicycle Collisions in
Gonzales, California, 2012–2021
Source: UC Berkeley Transportation Injury
Mapping System (TIMS)
56% 44%
Injury (other visible)
Injury (complaint of pain)
Students walking and biking across the 5th Street bridge in Gonzales 2012 2013
0 2
1 3
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Figure 6. Map of Gonzales Bicycle Collisions, 2012–2021 Gonzales : Existing Conditions 41
Pedestrian Safety
Over the ten-year study period, there were 20 pedestrian collisions in Gonzales, with an average of 2 per year. This number increased to 4 in 2021, and monitoring will be necessary to see whether that trend continues. There was one fatal pedestrian collision in the ten-year period. One collision caused severe injuries, eight resulted in some “other visible injury,” and ten resulted in a “complaint of pain.” Figure 7. Annual Pedestrian Collisions
Source: UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) Bollards and raised crosswalks at the intersection of 4th Street and Belden Street in downtown Gonzales
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
0 2
1 3
4 Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 42
Pedestrian Collision Trends
Pedestrian collision locations are shown in Figure 9. Key takeaways of the analysis include the following:
• 21% of injury collisions in Gonzales involved people walking.
Although walking trips make up only a small percentage of the trips in Gonzales, pedestrians are disproportionally involved in injury collisions. • 70% of pedestrian collisions involve youths aged 19 or younger.
People in this age group were more than five times as likely to be involved in a pedestrian collision as people in their 20s. Fifty-five percent of collisions involved youths under 14.
• 5th Street was the location with the most pedestrian collisions, with 50% of all such collisions. 5th Street is the city’s only route across Highway 101, and all three schools in Gonzales are located on or near 5th Street, making it a popular route for students who are walking and biking. • The most common type of violation, according to the reporting law enforcement officer, was drivers’ failure to yield to pedestrians at marked or unmarked crosswalks, which accounted for 45% of all collisions. The second most common violations were speeding and unsafe turning, which each accounted for 10% of collisions. The type of violation was not listed in 30% of collisions.
• Drivers were at fault in 55% of pedestrian collisions. Pedestrians were at fault in 5%, and fault was unknown or not listed in the remaining 40%.
Figure 8. Severity of Pedestrian Collisions in Gonzales, California, 2012-2021 Source: UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) 5%
5%
50%
40%
Injury (other visible)
Injury (complaint of pain
Fatal
Severe Injury
Figure 9. Map of Gonzales Pedestrian Collisions, 2012–2021 Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 44
Existing Programs
A variety of program offerings provide active transportation education and encouragement to Gonzales residents. Some programs are focused on school-aged youths, but there are also programs offering safety information, encouragement, and events for the general public.
Active Transportation Support Program
The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) provides free racks for bicycle and skateboard parking, bike lockers, and bicycle repair stands to businesses, schools, and other organizations throughout Monterey County. The goal of the program is to increase the amount of secure bicycle parking and ensure that it is distributed equitably throughout the county. Interested parties can apply for funding to purchase a rack at any time here:
tamcmonterey.org/active-transportation-support-program.
Blue Zones Project Monterey County
Blue Zones Project is a national organization that works with communities to encourage changes that lead to healthier options for residents. Blue Zones works with governments, employers, restaurants, and school sites to encourage healthy eating, exercise, and community building. Blue Zones was launched in Monterey County in 2019 and works with schools in Gonzales to encourage healthy habits. Learn more here: montereycounty.bluezonesproject.com.
Modo Bike Safe program
Gonzales : Existing Conditions 45
Go 831
Go831 is a free transportation-demand management program led by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. The program is offered countywide and provides resources and incentives for commute trips made by biking, walking, carpooling, vanpooling, or public transit. Go831 also provides resources for employers who want to start incentive programs to reduce drivealone commute trips. Learn more here: go831.org.
Measure X Safe Routes to Schools Program
Local sales tax Measure X, which was approved by Monterey County voters in 2016, includes $20 million for Safe Routes to Schools projects and programs through 2040. The Transportation Agency for Monterey County has developed a comprehensive Safe Routes to Schools program that offers tools, programming, and resources to schools, guardians, and communities aimed at improving safety and traffic around schools. Learn more here: saferoutesmonterey.org.
Modo Youth Programs
The Bike Safe and Walk Safe programs, led by Ecology Action, provide onthe-ground training in safe walking and bicycling to second- and fifth-grade students, with the goal of empowering students and parents to walk and bike and to reduce collisions. Learn more here: letsmodo.org/youth-safety.
Modo Walk Safe program
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 46
Outreach
Gonzales Outreach Summary
Parent Outreach
• 6 presentations at virtual or in-person
parent meetings
• 45 responses to online parent survey
• 0 responses to draft
recommendations survey
• 2 presentations to the Gonzales
Youth Council
• 3 presentations to the Gonzales
City Council
• 3000+ parents estimated reached through
ParentSquare or social media
Pilot Projects
• 1 pilot project on 5th Street
• 170 responses to the 5th Street pilot
project survey
Steering Committee
• 10 Steering Committee members
• 8 Steering Committee meetings
• 492 community votes during participatory
budgeting process
• 2 projects approved for funding
Public Outreach
Public input, which was the foundation of the Safe Routes to Schools Plan, began in the fall of 2022 in Gonzales. Outreach included presentations at virtual and in-person parent meetings, digital parent surveys, and tabling at community events. Walking audits were held at each school site to review the current infrastructure conditions and discuss safety issues with school staff.
After the draft recommendations were developed, the planning team hosted one temporary demonstration project in each city to test them and get feedback from the community. Finally, Steering Committees were developed in each city to lead a participatory budgeting process.
Gonzales is home to many Spanish-speakers, and enabling equitable participation was an important part of the outreach process. All materials and surveys were developed in English and Spanish, and translation was available during the walking audits. Parent presentations were given primarily in Spanish, and Steering Committee meetings were conducted in Spanish with English translation available.
Gonzales : Outreach 47
Walking Audits
Walking audits were held at each of the three schools
in Gonzales in fall 2022. Audits were held during school arrival or dismissal to observe traffic and infrastructure conditions around the school and discuss key safety
issues with school staff. School principals, community
liaisons, parents, and crossing guards shared information on typical traffic patterns and safety issues for people walking and biking. These meetings were held outside, and COVID-19 protocols were maintained to ensure participants’ safety.
Parent Meetings
At the beginning of the planning process, the team contacted school staff to request time on the agendas of pre-scheduled virtual and in-person parent meetings, such as coffee klatches, site councils, and the English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). During their presentations, planning team members shared information about the planning process and asked parents and school staff for input on safety issues with biking and walking near the school. After the draft recommendations were developed, another round of presentations was conducted to get feedback on them. In total, three presentations were given at the three Gonzales schools.
Parent and Student Surveys
An initial survey was shared with parents through school communication channels, the project website, and on social media. This received 45 responses. The survey asked about how students typically traveled to school before COVID-19, top concerns about students walking or biking to school, and barriers to traveling to school safely.
After the draft recommendation list was developed, recommendations maps in English and Spanish were shared with parents along with a short survey asking for feedback.
No responses were received with feedback on the draft recommendations.
Planning team and school
staff at the Gonzales High
School audit
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 48
Gonzales Youth Council
The Gonzales Youth Council (GYC) is a group of student residents who represent the youth population at both city council and school board meetings.
They participate in local decision making and suggest policy improvements for the community, city government, and school. The planning team gave two presentations to GYC members to learn about safety problems they had experienced traveling to school and to hear their ideas for future projects.
Staff also consulted GYC members before selecting a location for the pilot project.
Pilot Projects
After the draft recommendations were
developed, the planning team selected one
location per city for a temporary pilot project.
These projects were designed to test the
recommendations and designs in practice
and get feedback from the community on
whether they should be made permanent.
See below for more information on the
Gonzales pilot project and community
survey data.
Presentation to the Gonzales Youth Council
Banner promoting the Gonzales Pilot Project
Gonzales : Outreach 49
Steering Committees
Safe Routes to School Steering Committees
were formed in each of the four cities. The
Committees were made up of community
representatives, including students, parents,
school staff, advocates, and residents. These
groups met monthly for nine months and took
an active leadership role in engaging the
community and developing projects.
Each Steering Committee led a participatory
budgeting process, a process in which
community members decide democratically
how to spend part of a public budget. TAMC
allocated $250,000 per city to implement
projects from the Safe Routes to Schools Plan,
and Steering Committees developed a process
for allowing community members to vote on
which projects should be funded.
The Gonzales Committee developed
project proposals based on the project
recommendations from the Safe Routes to
Schools Plan and designed a process for
residents to vote on which projects were the
most important to them. The projects receiving
the most votes were recommended for funding.
Steering Committee members presented the
election results to the Gonzales City Council in
June 2024 and received approval that August.
Projects funded through the participatory
budgeting process will begin implementation as
soon 2025. The City of Gonzales will construct
as many recommendations as is feasible given
current construction costs. The list of projects
recommended for funding in Gonzales can be
found in Chapter 3D.
Many Committee members came
from communities that are traditionally
underrepresented in the political process,
and whose members face obstacles to
participating or who feel left out. By serving on
Safe Routes to Schools Steering Committees,
members gained experience in leadership and
participation in local government. Steering
Committees also improved connections between
the planning team and each community and
increased public participation in the planning
process. Steering Committee members were
compensated for their time to recognize the
value of their work and allow for equitable
participation. Dinner was provided at each
meeting, and childcare was provided as needed.
Gonzales Steering Committee members
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 50
5th Street Pilot Project
Survey Results
Highlights of the community survey data for the 5th Street pilot project are provided below. The full survey data can be found in the Appendix.
The temporary installation on 5th Street was located between Elko Street and Rincon Road, a section that connects nearby residents with all three schools in Gonzales. 5th Street was selected for the pilot project because it connected the three schools and was the corridor with the most bicycle and pedestrian collisions over the last 10 years. 5th Street was also identified as a priority by the Gonzales Youth Council.
At the time of the installation, there were class II bicycle facilities along this section of 5th Street. The speed limit was 25 mph, but public comments indicated that drivers frequently travelled faster. 5th Street is the only route across Highway 101 to the neighborhoods east of the highway, and it is frequently congested in the afternoons. The pilot project removed on-street parking on 5th Street in order to install separated bike lanes, and added high-visibility crosswalks to the intersections of Elko Street, Gabilan Court, and Rincon Road.
The 5th Street pilot project was in place for one month. The planning team received 179 community survey responses. The following methods were used to promote the project and collect survey responses:
• Distribution of fliers and a survey link to parents, through all Gonzales schools
• Distribution of fliers and a survey link through city utility bill mailers • Door-to-door distribution of fliers with the survey link, to neighbors along 5th Street
• Mass mailings to 2,700 households in the neighborhoods around the pilot project
• Social media posts
• Banners and pre-stamped surveys placed along 5th Street • Presentation to City Council before the pilot was installed Gonzales : Outreach 51
Survey Results
• Thirty-two percent of survey respondents
walked on 5th Street during the pilot
project, and 64% drove down 5th Street.
Four percent of respondents bicycled
through the pilot.
• Seventy-one percent of respondents
reported having a positive experience with
the high-visibility crosswalks, and 56% had
a positive experience with the separated
bike lanes.
• Nearly 30% of respondents said that they
walked or biked more because of the
pilot project.
• Half of respondents indicated that they
would like to see the temporary changes
made permanent. Twenty percent were
undecided, and 29% said they did not want
to see the changes become permanent.
• Sixty-eight percent said that they would
either definitely or probably use the new
facility if it became permanent.
Figure 10. 5th Street Pilot Project Survey Data
Figure 11. 5th Street Pilot Project Survey Data
Would you like to see the temporary improvements made permanent? How likely would you be to walk or bike through this area if the changes became permanent?
51%
11%
9%
29% Yes
Maybe - with some changes
Undecided
No
45%
23%
20%
12%
Definitely
Likely
Not likely
Not at all likely
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 52
Next Steps
During the first few weeks of the pilot, members of the public expressed concerns about emergency vehicle access on 5th Street. The barriers separating the bike lanes from the street prevented drivers from moving into the bike lane if an emergency vehicle needed to get through, and frequent traffic congestion on 5th Street created concerns that emergency vehicles would not be able to get through in an emergency. City staff returned to City Council with an update and a request for direction, and the City Council directed them to remove the barriers that separated the bicycle lanes from the motor vehicle lanes.
City staff returned to Council at the end of the pilot project and were directed to keep the high-visibility crosswalks and the new configuration of the bicycle lanes as a permanent project. Council also directed staff to enhance the bicycle lanes with dashed green lane treatments as a phase II project.
Separated bike lanes with planters on 5th Street during the Gonzales Pilot Project Gonzales : Recommendations 53
Recommendations
School Profiles
The school-level infrastructure recommendations listed in this chapter are the core of the Safe Routes to Schools Plan. They were designed to address the specific challenges at each school site to increase the safety of families walking and biking and encourage more active transportation trips to school. This chapter includes information on the current conditions at each school, observations from the walking audit, and the list of infrastructure recommendations. Schools are organized alphabetically. School-specific non-infrastructure recommendations are also listed under each school’s profile. Citywide non-infrastructure recommendations are listed at the end of the chapter.
A guide to the various types of infrastructure treatments mentioned in this chapter starts on page 56.
Safe Routes to Schools Corridors
Safe Routes to Schools corridors are streets that have been identified as key routes to Gonzales schools. These streets may be good candidates for corridorlevel improvements in the future, such as slowing traffic speeds, improving intersections and crossings, and creating a safe and comfortable environment for students to walk and bike to school.
Crosswalk on 5th Street during the Gonzales Pilot Project Figure 12. Map of Gonzales Safe Routes to Schools Corridors Gonzales : Recommendations 55
Recommendation Process
The recommendations in this plan were developed in response to public input on the barriers to getting to each school site safely. Public comments from parent surveys, parent meetings, and walking audits were reviewed, and where feasible, recommendations were developed to address each issue.
This process included evaluation of the existing conditions around each school.
After the draft recommendations were developed, recommendation maps in English and Spanish were shared with each school site along with a short survey asking for feedback. Each school was also offered another round of bilingual parent presentations to share the draft recommendations and collect feedback from parents and school staff. The planning team then reviewed this feedback and adjusted the recommendations where feasible.
All recommendations are planning level and require further analysis before implementation. All recommendations for new marked traffic-control devices, including crosswalks, require further analysis and must meet the guidelines of the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices to be installed.
The planning team at the Fairview Middle School audit
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 56
Class I shared use paths are paved rights-ofway, completely separated from streets, which support multi-use recreation and transportation
opportunities for walkers, bicyclists, skaters, and
wheelchair users.
Class II bike lanes are on-street bicycle facilities
that use striping and stencils to designate spaces
for bicycle travel.
Class IV separated bikeways or cycle tracks
are bike lanes separated by a physical barrier,
such as parked cars, planters, or plastic posts
from the vehicle lane, providing separation and
safety for cyclists.
Curb extensions are additions to the sidewalk
installed at intersections or mid-block crosswalks
to shorten the crossing distance for people
walking and make them more visible to drivers.
Decorative crosswalks are crosswalks that
include a colored, textured, or artistic mural
element. They are used primarily for aesthetic
enhancement, but they can also make people who
are crossing more visible to drivers.
Source Amelia Conlen
Source pedbikeimages.org
Adam Coppola
Source pedbikeimages.org
Dan Burden
Source pedbikeimages.org
Brandon Whyte
Guide to Bicycle & Pedestrian Infrastructure Recommendations Source pedbikeimages.org
Laura Sandt
Gonzales : Recommendations 57
High-visibility crosswalks, or “ladder style”
crosswalks, are more visible to drivers than
crosswalks consisting just of two lines (standard
striped crosswalk).
Neighborhood traffic circles are small
roundabouts installed in neighborhood streets
to slow traffic and create a safer and more
comfortable environment for people walking
and biking.
Raised crosswalks are marked crosswalk on
higher sections of pavement. These are used to
encourage drivers to slow down and make people
walking more visible to drivers.
Rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs)
are used at uncontrolled intersections or midblock crosswalks to alert drivers to people who are waiting to cross the street.
Roundabouts are circular intersections where
drivers travel counterclockwise around a center
island. They have been shown to reduce crashes
and improve safety for people walking.
Source pedbikeimages.org
Dan Burden
Source City of Capitola
Source pedbikeimgages.org
Toole Design Group
Source pedbikeimages.org
Toole Design Group
Source Amelia Conlen
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 58
Citywide Bicycle and Pedestrian
Network Recommendations
Figure 13 shows existing bicycle and pedestrian facilities together with recommendations for bicycle and pedestrian corridor improvements throughout Gonzales. A description of each facility type can be found above.
School buses at La Gloria Elementary
Gonzales
High School
Fairview
Middle
School
La Gloria
Elementary
Maxar
Gonzales Citywide Bicycle & Pedestrian Network Recommendations Class II Bike Lane
Existing Bikeways Recommended Bikeways
Class I Shared Use Path
Class II Bike Lane
Class IV Separated Bikeway
Parks/Open Space
City Limits
Schools
¯
0 0.25 0.5 Miles
Figure 13. Map of Gonzales Safe Routes to Schools Corridors Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 60
Fairview Middle
Fairview Middle School is located in central
Gonzales, adjacent to Gonzales High School and
La Gloria Elementary, and draws students from the
entire city (see Figure 15).
Parent Survey
Fairview Middle School parents were asked to
complete a bilingual survey about their attitudes
toward walking and biking to school in spring and
fall of 2022, and seven surveys were received. The
full survey report is in the Appendix.
The survey asked parents about the most important
factors in their decision making on whether to allow
their children to walk or bike to school. The top
responses are listed in Figure 14.
GRADE LEVELS
6-8
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
497
STUDENTS QUALIFYING
FOR FREE OR
REDUCED MEALS
88.7%
STUDENTS RESIDING
WITHIN 1 MILE
OF SCHOOL
84%
STUDENTS USING ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION
(based on 7 survey
responses)
28%
Figure 14. Parents’ Concerns about
Children Walking or Biking to School
(respondents could select more than one)
DISTANCE
AMOUNT OF
TRAFFIC ALONG
ROUTE
SPEED OF TRAFFIC
ALONG ROUTE
SAFETY OF
INTERSECTIONS
AND CROSSINGS
CONVENIENCE OF
DRIVING
SIDEWALKS OR
PATHWAYS
WEATHER OR
CLIMATE
Gonzales
: Recommendations 61
Figure 15. Map of Fairview Middle School Area
1st St
10th St
Alta St
Alta St
Elko St
Old Stage Rd
Alta St
Gonzales River Rd
5th St Herold Pkwy
Alta St/Old US Hwy 101
Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Fairview Middle Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan 0 0.5 1 0.25
Miles
0.5 ≥ 1 mile:152 students
0.25 ≥ 0.5 mile:189 students
≥ 1/4 mile:51 students
Public LibrariesFairview MiddleStudents
Existing Bike Infrastructure
Bike LaneCity Limits
≤ 1 mile:73 students
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 62
Current Infrastructure Conditions
Motorist Conditions
• Fairview Middle School has a small dropoff loop and a parking lot off Elko Street.
Parking spaces in the lot are reserved
for staff.
• At the time of the audit, drop-off took place
mostly on the street (Elko Street), and
minimally in the drop-off loop itself.
• School bus drop-off takes place on one
side of the drop-off loop designated
specifically for buses.
• There is traffic congestion on Elko Street
before and after school, especially closer to
La Gloria Elementary.
Pedestrian Conditions
• There are complete sidewalks on both
sides of Elko Street.
• The intersection of Elko Street and
4th Street is an all-way stop with
standard striped crosswalks and updated
curb ramps.
• At the time of the audit, the intersection of
Elko Street and 5th Street was an all-way
stop with standard striped crosswalks.
There is an overhead flashing red beacon
in place, and an in-street pedestrian
crossing sign.
• There were no crossing guards at any of
the nearby crossings at the time of
the audit.
Pedestrians crossing Elko St in front of Fairview Middle School Gonzales : Recommendations 63
Class II bike lane on Elko Street
Bicycling Conditions
• There are class II bike lanes on both
sides of Elko Street, though drivers were
observed parking in the bike lane across
from La Gloria Elementary.
• At the time of the audit, there were also
class II bike lanes on 5th Street between
Alta Street and Fanoe Road.
• There are no bicycle facilities on other
nearby neighborhood streets.
Recommended Infrastructure
Improvements around Fairview
Middle School
The following table lists recommendations for
Fairview Middle School, and the map below
shows their locations in relation to the school.
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 64
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZF01 Elko
Street 5th Street Fairview
Drive
Sidewalk on Elko
Street between
Fairview and La
Gloria was very
crowded before and
after school. Some
students walked in
the street.
Widen the sidewalk on
east side of Elko Street
to create a shared-use
path for pedestrians
and bicyclists. Include
benches and other
pedestrian amenities.
ZF02 Belden
Street 5th Street
Bicycle/pedestrian
collision at this
intersection.
Install high-visibility
crosswalk on the north
side of intersection.
ZF03 Belden
Street 5th Street
Bicycle/pedestrian
collision at this
intersection.
Conduct sight-distance
analysis to identify
issues that may have
contributed to collision.
ZF04 Center
Street 5th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install curb extensions
on all corners of
intersection.
ZF05 Center
Street 5th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZF06 Day
Street 4th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZF07 Day
Street 4th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install in-street
pedestrian crossing
sign. Consider artwork
in the intersection.
ZF08 Day
Street 5th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install curb extensions
on all corners of
intersection.
Table 1: Recommendation for Fairview Middle School
Gonzales : Recommendations 65
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZF09 Day
Street 5th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install high-visibility
markings on all legs of
the intersection.
ZF10 Day
Street 5th Street Key pedestrian route
to school.
Install in-street
pedestrian crossing
sign. Consider artwork
in the intersection.
ZF11 Elko
Street 4th Street
Angled parking was
not well-used during
pick-up and dropoff. Angled parking
located next to a
bike lane can create
conflicts between
cars and bikes.
Consider converting
angled parking to
parallel parking, and
convert extra space to
multi-use path.
ZF12 Elko
Street 4th Street
Main school
crosswalk. High
volumes of
pedestrians and
vehicles before
and after school.
Traffic control would
help traffic to flow
smoothly.
Station crossing guard
at north crosswalk.
ZF13 Elko
Street 4th Street Main school
crosswalk.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZF14 Elko
Street 5th Street
Key pedestrian route
to middle and high
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZF15 Gabilan
Court 5th Street
Low pedestrian
visibility at side
streets.
Install high-visibility
crosswalk on south leg
of intersection.
Table 1: Recommendation for Fairview Middle School (continued) Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 66
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZF16 Gabilan
Court 5th Street
Reports of drivers
not yielding to
pedestrians in the
crosswalk.
Upgrade existing RRFB
signal to flashing sign to
better alert vehicles of
pedestrians crossing.
ZF17 Gabilan
Court
Fairview
MS
Provides access to
future Community
Center.
Ensure that gate
remains open between
Middle School and
Gabilan Court to allow
student access to 5th
Street.
ZF18 Rincon
Road 5th Street
Key pedestrian
route to middle and
high school. Current
stop-bar location
encourages drivers
to stop in crosswalk.
Install curb extensions
to move crosswalk
closer to center line on
5th Street.
ZF19 Rincon
Road 5th Street
Key pedestrian route
to middle and high
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalk on north
and south leg of
intersection.
ZF20 Rincon
Road 5th Street
Key pedestrian
route to middle and
high school. Current
stop-bar location
encourages drivers
to stop in crosswalk.
Relocate stop bar
to prevent cars from
encroaching on
crosswalk.
ZF21
School
Parking
Lot
4th Street
Conflicts between
drivers entering
parking lot and
pedestrians crossing
Station a crossing
guard at the south
parking lot crosswalk,
as cars entering the lot
turn right across this
crosswalk to reach staff
parking.
Table 1: Recommendation for Fairview Middle School (continued) Gonzales : Recommendations 67
Table 1: Recommendation for Fairview Middle School (continued) ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZF22
School
Parking
Lot
4th Street
Conflicts between
drivers entering
parking lot and
pedestrians
crossing.
Install raised crosswalk
at south parking lot
crosswalk.
ZF23
School
Parking
Lot Exit
Elko
Street
Parents entering
through school loop
exit. Left turns out of
driveway block traffic
in loop.
Install “Do not enter”
signage at school loop
exit. Consider striping
at exit to separate right
and left turn lanes
ZF24
School
Parking
Lot
Elko
Street
Parents parking at
beginning of loop to
drop off.
Ask parent or staff
volunteers to help direct
traffic in the loop during
drop-off and pick-up so
drivers know to pull to
the front of the loop.
ZF25
School
Parking
Lot
Elko
Street
Conflicts between
drivers entering
parking lot and
pedestrians
crossing.
Consider an additional
driveway entrance into
the staff lot to reduce
conflicts with students
in the parking lot.
ZX03 Citywide
Need for improved
lighting at
crosswalks.
Install pedestrian
lighting at marked
crosswalks, with a focus
on neighborhoods west
of Hwy 101.
Day
Street 3rd Street 10th
Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
Intersection Recommendations
High Visibility Crosswalk
Rectangular Rapid Flashing
Beacon
Gonzales High
Fairview Middle
La Gloria Elementary
Consider
intersection
artwork
Consider intersection
Artwork. Install
decorative crosswalks
Consider conversion of
angled parking to parallel
parking. Add a crossing
guard. Install decorative
crosswalks
Upgrade existing RRFB
signal to flashing sign
to better alert vehicles
of pedestrians crossing
Keep gate open for
student access
Add a crossing
guard. Install
raised crosswalk
Create left/right turn
lanes at lot exit
Consider
additional staff
lot entrance
Install decorative
crosswalks
Install
decorative
crosswalks
Install or update
bike parking
Maxar, Microsoft
Fairview Middle- Safe Routes to Schools Recommendations Existing Bikeways
Class II Bike Lane
Recommended Bikeways
Class I Shared Use Path
Class II Bike Lane
Class IV Separated Bikeway
School
Library
Parks/Open Space
City Limits
Curb Extension
¯
0 0.05 0.1 Miles
Figure 16. Fairview Middle Recommendations
Gonzales : Recommendations 69
Gonzales High
Gonzales High School is located in central
Gonzales, adjacent to Fairview Middle School and
La Gloria Elementary, and draws students from the
entire city (see Figure 18).
Parent Survey
Gonzales High School parents were asked to
complete a bilingual survey about their attitudes
toward walking and biking to school in spring and
fall of 2022, and 16 surveys were received back.
The full survey report is in the Appendix.
The survey asked parents to identify the most
important factors in their decision making on
whether to allow their children to walk or bike to
school. The top responses are listed in Figure 17.
GRADE LEVELS
9-12
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
869
STUDENTS QUALIFYING
FOR FREE OR
REDUCED MEALS
85.7%
STUDENTS RESIDING
WITHIN 1 MILE
OF SCHOOL
76%
STUDENTS USING ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION
(based on 16 survey
responses)
25%
Figure 17. Parents’ Concerns about
Children Walking or Biking to School
(respondents could select more than one)
SAFETY OF
INTERSECTIONS
AND CROSSINGS
AMOUNT OF
TRAFFIC ALONG
ROUTE
SIDEWALKS OR
PATHWAYS
SPEED OF
TRAFFIC ALONG
ROUTE
TIME
CROSSING GUARDS
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 70 Figure 18. Map of Gonzales High School Area 1st St
10th St
Alta St
Alta St
Elko St
Old Stage Rd
Alta St
Gonzales River Rd
5th St
Herold Pkwy
Alta St/Old US Hwy 101
Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Gonzales High Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan 0 0.5 1 0.25
Miles
0.5 ≥ 1 mile:207 students
0.25 ≥ 0.5 mile:347 students
≥ 1/4 mile:89 students
Public LibrariesGonzales HighStudents
Existing Bike Infrastructure
Bike LaneCity Limits
≤ 1 mile:203 students
Gonzales : Recommendations 71
Current Infrastructure Conditions
Motorist Conditions
• Gonzales High School has a small drop-off loop and a parking lot off Elko Street and 7th Street. Parking spaces in the lot were reserved for staff, visitors, and students.
• At the time of the audit, drop-off took place mostly on the back side of campus along Elko Street and segments of 7th Street. Some drop-offs also took take place in the drop-off loop.
• School bus drop-off takes place in the central driveway through campus, which is reserved for buses.
• There is some traffic congestion on Elko Street, 7th Street, and 5th Street before and after school.
Pedestrian Conditions
• There are complete sidewalks on both sides of Elko Street and 7th Street. • The intersection of Elko Street and 7th Street is an all-way stop with standard striped yellow crosswalks.
• The intersection of Elko Street and 5th Street is an all-way stop, has a flashing red beacon, and had standard striped yellow crosswalks at the time of the audit.
• There were no crossing guards at any of the nearby crossings at the time of the audit.
High visibility crosswalk with RRFB on 5th Street
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 72
Bicycling Conditions
• At the time of the audit, there were class II bike lanes on 5th Street between Alta Street and Fanoe Road.
• There are no bike lanes on 7th Street or Elko Street near the high school parking lot.
• There are no bicycle facilities on other neighborhood streets.
Recommended Infrastructure Improvements
around Gonzales High School
The following table lists recommendations for Fairview Middle School, and the map below shows their locations in relation to the school.
Gonzales : Recommendations 73
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ01 Center
Street
10th
Street 1st Street
No bicycle facilities.
Wide street
adjacent to Central
Park.
Study options to
combine bike lanes to
create multi-use path
on east side of the
street.
ZZ02 1st Street Alta Street Center
Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ03 Alta
Street 1st Street 10th
Street
High traffic volumes
and speeds.
Install a protected bike
lane.
ZZ04 Elko
Street 1st Street 5th Street
Key pedestrian
route to all three
schools.
Install decorative
crosswalks at
intersections.
ZZ32 Trail Fairview
Drive 5th Street
Key route to all
three schools, no
off-street bicycle
facilities.
Study options to
develop shared-use
path adjacent to
slough.
ZZ22 Trail Centennial
Drive
Fairview
Drive
Key route to all
three schools, no
off-street bicycle
facilities.
Study options to
develop shared-use
path adjacent to
slough.
ZZ05 Trail 4th Street 6th Street
Key route to all
three schools, no
off-street bicycle
facilities.
Extend the proposed
Gonzales Slough Trail
to the high school.
ZZ06 5th Street Elko
Street Fanoe Rd
Key route to all
three schools,
higher traffic
volumes and
speeds.
Install separated
bikeway.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 74
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ07 5th Street Herold
Parkway
Missing curb ramps
make it harder
to use a stroller,
wheelchair, or bike
on the sidewalk.
Install curb extensions
on southwest and
northwest corners of
the intersection.
ZZ08 5th Street Herold
Parkway
Low pedestrian
visibility at
intersection.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on the
west and south legs of
the intersection.
ZZ09 5th Street Hwy 101 S
Entrance
Key route to all
three schools,
history of collisions.
Upgrade existing
crosswalks to high
visibility, study quickbuild curb extensions,
and install signage.
ZZ10 5th Street Hwy 101 S
Entrance
Key route to all
three schools,
history of collisions
and traffic
congestion.
Study options to
install roundabout,
study quick-build curb
extensions, and install
signage.
ZZ12 5th Street
Hwy
101 N
Entrance
Key route to all
three schools,
history of collisions.
Upgrade crosswalks to
high visibility.
ZZ13 5th Street
Hwy
101 N
Entrance
Key route to all
three schools,
history of collisions
and traffic
congestion.
Study options to install
roundabout.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) Gonzales : Recommendations 75
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ34 5th Street
bridge
Hwy
101 N
Entrance
Hwy
101 S
Entrance
Key route to all
three schools.
Narrow sidewalks
and bike lanes on
bridge and history
of collisions.
Long term: Study
options to widen bridge
to create a separated
pedestrian and bicycle
path, or to construct a
separated bicycle and
pedestrian bridge over
Hwy 101 in another
location.
ZZ11 5th Street
In front of
5th Street
shopping
center at
driveway
No marked
crosswalks across
5th Street between
Hwy 101 and Fanoe
Road. People
crossing mid-block.
Conduct all-way stop
warrant.
ZZ18
Bus
driveway
between
5th Street
and 7th
Street
5th Street 7th Street
Difficult for buses to
turn left out of the
bus driveway due
to the number of
students walking.
Study feasibility of
allowing right turns
only on 7th Street from
bus driveway. This
might prevent buses
getting stuck trying
to turn left onto 7th
Street.
ZZ19
Bus
driveway
between
5th Street
and 7th
Street
5th Street 7th Street
High volumes of
pedestrians in
driveway, difficult
for buses to exit
campus.
Divide bus driveway
into separate lanes
for buses and
pedestrians.
ZZ14 7th Street Cielo Vista
Drive
Difficult for buses to
turn left out of the
bus driveway due
to the number of
students walking.
Low visibility for
drivers around
curve at Cielo Vista
Drive.
If separate bus lane
is created, remove
one crosswalk at 7th
Street/Cielo Vista
Drive and convert
remaining crosswalk to
raised crosswalk.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 76
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ15 4th Street Center
Street
Elko
Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ16 7th Street Alta Street End of 7th
Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ20 Alta
Street C Street
Braga
Fresh
Gonzales
Plaza
No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ21 Belden
Street
10th
Street 5th Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ23 Center
Street 6th Street Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZZ17 Belden
Street 6th Street Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on the
east and west legs of
intersection.
ZZ24 Belden
Street C Street 3rd Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
ZZ25 5th Street Center
Street
Elko
Street
Key pedestrian
route to school.
Install decorative
crosswalks at
intersections.
ZZ26 Citywide Need to update
signage.
Upgrade all pedestrian
and school crossing
signage.
TBD Day
Street 3rd Street 10th
Street No bicycle facilities. Install bike lanes.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) Gonzales : Recommendations 77
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ27 Day
Street 6th Street Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZZ28 Day
Street 7th Street Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZZ29 Day
Street 8th Street
Pedestrian route to
school. Reports of
speeding.
Install curb extensions
on all four corners
of the intersection.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks and
flashing stop signs on
the east and west legs
of the intersection.
ZZ30 Del Monte
Drive
Cielo Vista
Drive
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZZ31 Elko
Street 7th Street Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of intersection.
ZZ33
Johnson
Canyon
Road
Fanoe
Road
Iverson
Road
Gonzales Youth
Commission
expressed desire
for off-street paths
to allow safe cycling
for exercise and
recreation.
Install multi-use path.
ZZ36 Longhorn
Drive
Holstein
Way
Key pedestrian
route to school.
Reports of
speeding.
Install flashing stop
signs on east and west
legs of the intersection.
Install street lighting at
existing crosswalk.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 78
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZZ37 Longhorn
Drive
Mustang
Way
Reports of
speeding, and
drivers not yielding
to pedestrians.
Install flashing stop
signs on east and west
legs of the intersection.
Install street lighting at
existing crosswalk.
ZZ38 Fanoe
Road
Rhone
Way 5th Street No bicycle facilities
Widen the sidewalk
on the west side of
Fanoe Road to create
a shared-use path.
ZZ39
School
parking
lot
Elko
Street
Limited bike parking
on campus.
Install or upgrade bike
parking.
ZX01 5th Street
Hwy
101 N
Entrance
Fanoe
Road
Opportunity to
improve bicycle
facilities and safety
of crossings.
Consider conversion
of eastbound lane to
right-turn lanes into
shopping center and
bus pullout. Evaluate
for similar treatments
in westbound lane.
ZX02 5th Street
Shopping
center
driveway
closest to
McDonald’s
Congestion
in and out of
shopping center.
Conflicts reported
between drivers
and pedestrians
crossing the
shopping center
driveway.
Consider limiting to
right-in/right-out only.
ZX03 Citywide
Need for improved
lighting at
crosswalks.
Install pedestrian
lighting at marked
crosswalks,
with a focus on
neighborhoods west of
Hwy 101.
Gonzales : Recommendations 79
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZX04 General Congestion on 5th
Street after school.
Work with industrial
plants south of Alta
Street to stagger hours
to reduce the number
of employees leaving
or going to work during
school arrival and
dismissal times.
Table 2. Recommendations for Gonzales High School (continued) EY
SO
Fairview
Middle La Gloria
Elementary
Install curb
extensions
Consider
roundabout
Evaluate for
4-way stop
Streamline bus operations
to right-in, right-out only.
Divide bus driveway into
separate lanes for buses
and pedestrians.
Install
decorative
crosswalks
Widen bridge across US-101
to create multi-use
path, or construct new
bicycle/pedestrian bridge
Install
neighborhood
traffic
circle
Install
neighborhood
traffic
circle
Maxar, Microsoft
Gonzales High - Safe Routes to Schools Recommendations
Existing Bikeways
Class II Bike Lane
Recommended Bikeways
Class I Shared Use Path
Class II Bike Lane
Class IV Separated Bikeway
School
Library
Parks/Open Space
City Limits
Intersection Recommendations
High Visibility Crosswalk
Rectangular Rapid Flashing
Beacon
Curb Extension
¯
0 0.13 0.25 Miles
Gonzales High
Remove one crosswalk
and convert
remaining crosswalk
to raised crosswalk
Consider
roundabout
Install or
update
bike
parking
Install
neighborhood
traffic
circle
Install
decorative
crosswalks
Figure 19. Gonzales High Recommendations
Gonzales : Recommendations 81
La Gloria Elementary
La Gloria Elementary School is located in central
Gonzales, adjacent to Fairview Middle School and
La Gonzales High School, and draws students from
the entire city (see Figure 21).
Parent Survey
La Gloria Elementary School parents were asked
to complete a bilingual survey about their attitudes
toward walking and biking to school in spring and
fall of 2022, and 21 surveys were received back.
The full survey report is in the Appendix.
The survey asked parents to identify the most
important factors in their decision making on
whether to allow their children to walk or bike to
school. The top responses are listed in Figure 20.
GRADE LEVELS
K-5
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
888
STUDENTS QUALIFYING
FOR FREE OR
REDUCED MEALS
82.5%
STUDENTS RESIDING
WITHIN 1 MILE
OF SCHOOL
67%
STUDENTS USING ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION
(based on 21 survey
responses)
14%
Figure 20. Parents’ Concerns about
Children Walking or Biking to School
(respondents could select more than one)
AMOUNT OF
TRAFFIC ALONG
ROUTE
SAFETY OF
INTERSECTIONS
AND CROSSINGS
SPEED OF TRAFFIC
ALONG ROUTE
CROSSING
GUARDS
DISTANCE
WEATHER OR
CLIMATE
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 82 Figure 21. Map of La Gloria Elementary School Area 1st St
10th St
Alta St
Alta St
Elko St
Old Stage Rd
Alta St
Gonzales River Rd
5th St
Herold Pkwy
Alta St/Old US Hwy 101
Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community La Gloria Elementary Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan 0 0.5 1 0.25
Miles
0.5 ≥ 1 mile:177 students
0.25 ≥ 0.5 mile:324 students
≥ 1/4 mile:87 students
Public LibrariesLa GloriaStudents
Existing Bike Infrastructure
Bike LaneCity Limits
≤ 1 mile:287 students
Gonzales : Recommendations 83
Current Infrastructure Conditions
Motorist Conditions
• La Gloria Elementary School has a drop-off loop and a parking lot off Elko Street near 1st Street and Fairview Ave. Parking spaces in the lot are reserved for staff and visitors.
• The drop-off loop is open to parents before school but closed to them after school, when buses use the loop to pick students up.
• At the time of the audit, drop-off took place mostly in the drop-off loop and on the street along Elko and 1st Street, with many parents parking and walking their students to campus.
• School bus drop-off also takes place in the drop-off loop, in a designated bus area.
• There is traffic congestion on Elko Street and 1st Street before and after school. In the morning, traffic was backed up from the drop-off loop through the intersection of Elko and 1st Street.
Existing conditions at La Gloria Elementary
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 84
Pedestrian Conditions
• There are complete sidewalks on both sides of Elko Street, Fairview Ave, and 1st Street.
• The intersection of Elko Street and 1st Street is a three-way stop and has standard striped crosswalks.
• The intersection of Elko Street and 4th Street is an all-way stop and has standard striped crosswalks.
• There were no crossing guards at any of the nearby crossings at the time of audit.
Bicycling Conditions
• There are class II bike lanes on both sides of Elko Street, though drivers were observed parking in the bike lane across from La Gloria Elementary. • At the time of the audit, there were also class II bike lanes on 5th Street between Alta Street and Fanoe Road.
• There are no bicycle facilities on other neighborhood streets.
Recommended Infrastructure Improvements around
La Gloria Elementary School
The following table lists recommendations for La Gloria Elementary School, and the map below shows their locations in relation to the school.
Gonzales : Recommendations 85
ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZL01 1st Street Belden
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of the intersection.
ZL02 1st Street Center
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on all legs
of the intersection.
ZL03 2nd Street Belden
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on east
and west legs of the
intersection.
ZL04 2nd Street Center
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on east
and west legs of the
intersection.
ZL05 3rd Street Belden
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on east
and west legs of the
intersection.
ZL06 3rd Street Belden
Street
Reports of
speeding.
Install mini traffic
circle.
ZL07 3rd Street Center
Street
Pedestrian route to
school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on east
and west legs of the
intersection.
ZL08 Elko
Street 5th Street Fairview
Drive
Sidewalk on Elko
Street between
Fairview and La
Gloria was very
crowded before and
after school. Some
students walked in
the street.
Widen the sidewalk
on the east side of
Elko Street to create
a shared-use path
for pedestrians and
bicyclists. Include
benches and other
pedestrian amenities.
Table 3. Recommendations for La Gloria Elementary
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 86
Table 3. Recommendations for La Gloria Elementary (continued) ID
code Street Cross
Street 1
Cross
Street 2 Issue Recommendation
ZL09 1st Street Alta Street Centennial Drive
Sidewalk was
crowded before and
after school.
Widen the sidewalk
on both sides of the
street.
ZL10 Alta
Street
South of C
Street
Low visibility for
students walking
after dark.
Install street lighting at
the existing crosswalk.
ZL11 Elko
Street
1st Street/
Fairview
Drive
High pedestrian
and vehicle
volumes traveling
to school, traffic
backed up through
intersection. Difficult
for pedestrians to
cross.
Install curb extensions
or tighten the curb
radius on the northeast
and northwest corners
of the intersection.
Consider adding
bollards.
ZL12 Elko
Street
School
driveway
exit
Key pedestrian
route to school.
Install high-visibility
crosswalks on the
north and south legs.
ZL13
La Gloria
Parking
Lot
Elko
Street
Congestion in
drop-off loop
before school.
Traffic backs
up to Fairview
intersection.
Ask school staff or
volunteers to help
direct traffic in the
school loop, including
blocking entrance to
vehicles during pick-up
and waving vehicles
through the loop
during drop-off.
ZL14 General
area
Traffic congestion
before and after
school.
Implement park and
walk program in which
parents or guardians
park on 1st near the
skate park and walk to
pick up their children.
La Gloria Elementary
Consider
intersection
artwork
Consider intersection
artwork. Install
decorative crosswalks
Consider conversion of angled parking to parallel parking.
Add a crossing guard. Install decorative crosswalks
Consider additional
staff lot entrance
Install
neighborhood
traffic circle
Have staff direct
traffic in drop-off loop
during drop-off/pick-up
Implement
park and
walk program
Install
decorative
crosswalks
Maxar, Microsoft
La Gloria Elementary - Safe Routes to Schools Recommendations Existing Bikeways
Class II Bike Lane
Recommended Bikeways
Class I Shared Use Path
Class II Bike Lane
Class IV Separated Bikeway
School
Library
Parks/Open Space
City Limits
Intersection Recommendations
High Visibility Crosswalk
Rectangular Rapid Flashing
Beacon
Curb Extension
¯
0 0.05 0.1 Miles
Figure 22. La Gloria Elementary Recommendations
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 88
Policy and Program Recommendations
The recommendations below are for all school sites and are arranged by implementing agency and type of program. Some recommendations are listed under multiple organizations that could take the lead on implementation.
Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC)
Education
• Support the Street Smarts traffic-safety education campaign, including information on how to use new infrastructure like roundabouts, class IV separated bikeways, and pedestrian hybrid beacons.
• Install traffic gardens at elementary schools and parks to provide space for traffic safety education.
• Promote the TAMC program that allows citizens to report sidewalk and bicycle facility hazards on Gonzales roadways.
Encouragement
• Work with schools to develop SchoolPool carpooling programs, with incentives for participation such as priority parking spaces and drop-off lanes. • Develop a bar-code scanner program that notifies parents when students arrive at school.
• Develop a pilot program to structure school arrival and dismissal times and locations by grade level and align it with education programs. • Promote the TAMC Safe Routes website (saferoutesmonterey.org) as a community resource for establishing walking school buses, finding safety information, etc.
• Continue to provide bike and skateboard racks to schools through the Bicycle Secure program.
Equity
• Design and implement public outreach and engagement that is broadly accessible and provides means for everyone to participate. • Provide an equitable share of transportation investments to underserved, racially diverse communities to improve their health, safety, and quality of life.
Gonzales : Recommendations 89
School Districts
Education
• Incorporate traffic safety education into
school curriculums.
• Partner with TAMC and other Safe Routes
to Schools partners to provide bicycle and
pedestrian safety education and training at
every elementary school.
Encouragement
• Adopt a district-wide policy supporting
active transportation projects
and programs.
• Establish a Safe Routes to Schools contact
at the district level to act as the point
person for education, programs,
and events.
• Provide orientation for principals and
school staff on Safe Routes to Schools
programs and best practices, including
traffic management.
• Where a bus stop for one school is near
another school, relocate the bus stop or
adjust pick-up times to reduce congestion.
• Promote events that encourage active
transportation, such as Walk and Roll to
School Day.
• Use the TAMC Bicycle Secure program
to provide secure bike, scooter, and
skateboard parking at each school site.
• Consider the use of electric school buses.
Engagement
• Reassess crossing guard funding and
recruiting structures to allow at least one
crossing guard per school for both morning
arrival and afternoon dismissal times
or develop a volunteer crossing guard
program to recruit and motivate volunteers.
City of Gonzales:
Police, Recreation, and Public
Works Departments
Education
• Train police officers to teach traffic
safety, with a focus on driver safety, and
accurately report collisions involving
bicyclists or pedestrians.
• Incorporate bike and walk safety trainings
and helmet giveaways into City messaging,
after-school programs, and events.
Encouragement
• Support and promote bike and pedestrian
encouragement activities such as Bike
Month, Ciclovía, and Walk and Roll to
School Day.
School Sites
Education
• Distribute a traffic circulation plan and
bike and pedestrian safety information
to parents at the beginning of the school
year through all possible channels (email,
handouts, parent meetings, back to school
nights, etc.).
• Hold school safety assemblies at the
beginning of the school year to go over
safe walking, biking, and drop-off practices.
• Pass out bike maps, resource lists, and
bike cage information to students every fall,
and conduct annual bike safety clinics.
• Incorporate active transportation into social
and emotional learning curriculums.
• Incorporate Chalk Your Walk programs into
arts curriculums.
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 90
• Develop a curriculum for teaching students
about the climate impacts of transportation,
transportation infrastructure, and the
built environment.
• For high school students, promote bus
routes for school transportation, develop
carpool incentive programs, and offer bike
maintenance courses through a Regional
Occupation Center (ROP) program.
• For high school students, expand health
leadership groups to include active
transportation issues, such as student bike/
pedestrian counts, active transportation
projects, and Safe Routes to Schools
support for younger students.
• Provide information to school staffs about
active-transportation and carpooling
options, including electric bikes.
Encouragement
• Incorporate active transportation and
support for Walk and Roll to School Day
into existing school health policies.
• Designate an administrative staff member
at each school as the Safe Routes to
Schools contact.
• Work to achieve Blue Zones Project
school certification.
• Host biannual Walk and Roll to School
Day events.
• Develop walking and rolling school bus
programs with incentives for participation.
• Develop SchoolPool carpooling programs
with incentives for participation, including
priority parking spaces and drop-off lanes.
• Establish and encourage use of Park and
Walk/Ride locations.
• Promote and incentivize middle- and highschool bike clubs, mountain bike clubs, and skateboard clubs.
• Promote and incentivize family walking
and biking groups to encourage more eyes
on the street, potentially through existing
parent groups.
• Stagger school start times between grade
levels to disperse student arrival and
dismissal traffic.
• Stagger school start times for schools
within two blocks of each other.
• Adjust school delivery times to avoid dropoff periods. • Develop partnerships with arts programs to
install public art along routes to schools.
• Add active-transportation information to
school staff signatures.
• Pursue grant funding through the
Specialized Outride program to bring bikes
and bike education to middle schools.
Engagement
• When possible, have school staff or
volunteers help with traffic control in school
parking lots for 15 minutes before and
after school.
• Pursue the AAA School Safety Patrol
program to engage students in
transportation safety (Monterey Park
Elementary is a model).
Gonzales : Recommendations 91
Non-Profits and Monterey County Health Department
Education
• Develop an annual crossing guard training program.
• Develop programs and events to provide parents and guardians with traffic safety education, such as the following:
◦ Community traffic safety education events on weekends. ◦ Traffic safety messaging at established parent meetings and events, such as back-to-school nights and spring open houses.
◦ Locate traffic-safety education staff members at schools to talk to parents during drop-off.
◦ Work with parent leaders to develop parent-driven programs. ◦ Provide training and tips on using the school drop-off loop. • Provide driver safety training, targeting youths and seniors. Consider partnering with the Gonzales Police Department or insurance companies to provide discounts for participation.
Families and Volunteers at Bike and Walk to School Day
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 92
• Provide bike and pedestrian safety training through after-school programs, such as the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club.
• Provide pedestrian safety education and training to second graders, including classroom education and on-blacktop or neighborhood walking instruction.
• Provide bicycle safety education and training to fifth graders, including classroom education and on-bike safety rodeos taught by certified safety instructors.
• Develop a vertical education program with specific safety messaging for every grade level.
• Develop programs or events to provide family-focused bike- and walksafety trainings. • Pass out bike maps, resource lists, and bike cage information to students every fall, and conduct annual bike safety clinics. Work with Family Resource Centers to offer bike and pedestrian education and support. • Develop a curriculum for teaching students about the climate impacts of transportation, transportation infrastructure, and the built environment. • For high school students, promote bus routes for school transportation, develop carpool incentive programs, and offer bike maintenance courses through an ROP program.
• For high school students, expand health leadership groups to include active transportation issues, such as student bike/pedestrian counts, active transportation projects, and Safe Routes to Schools support for younger students.
• Support the Street Smarts traffic safety education campaign, including information on how to use new infrastructure like roundabouts and sharrows.
• Promote the City programs that allow citizens to report sidewalk hazards.
Gonzales : Recommendations 93
Encouragement
• Provide principals and school staff with
orientation on Safe Routes to Schools
programs and best practices.
• Develop year-round walking or rolling
school bus programs with incentives
for participation.
• Develop a walking/rolling school bus toolkit
and training presentation for
parent volunteers.
• Develop SchoolPool carpooling programs,
with incentives for participation such as
priority parking spaces and drop-off lanes.
• Develop a social media campaign focused
on students and school staff to encourage
more biking and walking.
• Consider a program to provide free bus
passes to students.
• Offer middle- and high-school bike clubs,
mountain bike clubs, scooter clubs, and
skateboard clubs.
• Coordinate family walking and biking
groups to encourage more eyes on
the street.
• Develop and promote earn-a-bike or bikeloan programs in which students earn a bike by riding frequently or maintaining
perfect attendance. Explore partnerships
with the Gonzales Police Department to
provide abandoned bikes to students.
• Organize helmet giveaway events for
students and families.
• Develop programs to install public art along
routes to schools.
• Consider a neighborhood grant program to
support programs such as walking
school buses.
Equity
• Include members of disadvantaged
communities as stakeholders and
consider language accessibility in program
development. Emphasize the relationship
between health and active transportation in
all program messaging.
• Provide bilingual materials and staff for
all programs.
• Conduct an audit of past policies that
have limited access to safe transportation
options and propose new policies to
address these inequities.
Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST)
Encouragement
• Consider a program to provide free bus
passes to students.
• Expand bus routes to serve middle and
high schools that are not currently served
by MST, including Gonzales High and
Fairview Middle.
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 94
Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance
Implementation and Reporting
The projects included in this plan will
be implemented over time as funding
becomes available. With limited funding,
the City of Gonzales must decide how to
prioritize the recommendations.
Some projects that are low cost
and have community support can
be incorporated into the City’s
maintenance programs and installed
using maintenance funds. For larger
projects, leveraging local funds with
additional grant funding will be critical.
There are also projects that will require
either private property acquisition or
coordination with Caltrans. Although these are high-cost projects that will take many years to fund, design, and construct, they are included in this plan as part of a long-term vision for the future of transportation in Gonzales.
The City of Gonzales has the opportunity to make bicycle and pedestrian improvements as part of ongoing road maintenance. The City is required to upgrade curb ramps to Americans with Disabilities Act standards during major road resurfacing projects. Many resurfacing projects provide chances to restripe roadways and install improvements such as high-visibility crosswalks, class IIB buffered bike lanes, green bike lane treatments, and class IV separated bikeways for a relatively low additional cost. Traffic signal maintenance and upgrades also provide opportunities to install countdown pedestrian signal heads, leading pedestrian-interval signal phasing, and video detection for cyclists. City staff will review the Safe Routes to Schools Plan project list when planning maintenance projects to look for ways to incorporate bike and pedestrian improvements. This allows for highly cost-effective implementation of the projects in this plan.
Outreach survey box for Gonzales Pilot Project
Gonzales : Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance 95 Installing bicycle and pedestrian improvements as part of regular maintenance is part of the “quick-build” approach to providing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, which allows jurisdictions to construct local facilities faster using lowcost materials. Materials such as paint, planters, and plastic posts are less expensive initially than new pavement or changes to curb alignments, but they have more substantial ongoing maintenance costs. Quick-build is best suited to temporary trial projects that can be adjusted in light of the success of the design and community feedback. More information on the quick-build approach can be found in the Quick-Build Guide developed by the California Bicycle Coalition and Alta Planning + Design.1
Projects from this plan can also be installed as future development occurs in Gonzales. This Safe Routes to Schools Plan provides a list of projects that can be used to mitigate land-use development impacts by reducing vehicle miles traveled. In 2013, California lawmakers approved Senate Bill 743, which considers vehicle miles traveled as a metric for determining impacts in transportation analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Jurisdictions are no longer required to use traffic congestion or level of service as a metric, although they can still enforce those through consistency with the agency’s General Plan. In addition, the traditional level-of-service metric may still be relevant to CEQA, as it relates to impacts on public services, including emergency response and transit. The state released guidelines in 2018 that recommended the use of vehicle miles traveled as the key metric for analyzing transportation impacts. The Safe Routes to Schools Plan is a resource that the city and developers can use for project ideas to improve biking and walking facilities and reduce vehicle miles traveled.
1 California Bicycle Coalition website, Quick Build Bikeway Networks. www.calbike.org/our_initiatives/quick-build-bikeway-networks-for-safer-streets.
Student art on planters during the Gonzales pilot project Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 96
This chapter includes a list of roadways that are high priorities for future improvements based on criteria aligned with the vision and goals of this plan.
Individual projects will be prioritized for funding through the Monterey County Regional Transportation Plan and the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). Reporting on project funding, design, and construction will occur through an update to the city council and the public during the annual CIP update process.
For projects within Caltrans rights of way, all improvements must be consistent with Highway Access Management Plans, and Caltrans maintenance agreements are required prior to new construction.
Encouragement events like Salinas’ Ciclovia support active transportation Gonzales : Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance 97 Corridor Prioritization
Key routes to school in Gonzales were ranked to help decisionmakers and City staff prioritize projects and identify the most competitive projects for various grant opportunities. Grant programs often prioritize larger-scale, corridor-wide improvements, and future grant applications are likely to focus on improvements to one or more streets in Gonzales rather than individual projects.
The corridors below (Table 5) were evaluated using four criteria aligned with the vision and goals of this plan and with common grant application criteria.
Equity scores are based on two sources: free or reduced price meal data, as an indicator of family income, and the Healthy Places Index map, which shows data on health indicators such as education, job opportunities, and clean air and water. Each corridor was assigned a number from 0 to 100 based on the criteria in Table 4.
Table 4: Criteria for Corridor Prioritization
Criterion Description Max Points
Safety
The following points are awarded for bicycle and pedestrian collisions in the last 10 years within 150 ft of the corridor, for a maximum of 30 points:
• 5 points per fatal or severe-injury collision.
• 1 point per other-visible-injury or complaint-of-pain collision. 30 Access to Key
Destinations
10 points for every school within 500 ft of the corridor and 5 points for every park, library, and recreation center, for a max of 25 points.
25 Equity 20 points if the project is located within an area designated as disadvantaged. 20
CommunityIdentified
Need
15 points if the project or location was identified by 10+ members of the community during project outreach.
10 points if the project or location was identified in one or more community planning documents.
25 TOTAL 100
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 98
Street Cross Street 1 Cross Street 2 Score
5th Street Alta Street Fanoe Road 100
Elko Street 5th Street 1st Street 70
Center Street 10th Street A Street 60
7th Street / Cielo Vista Alta Street Del Monte Drive 45 Belden Street 10th Street C Street 40
Longhorn Drive Hereford Drive Devon Way 25
Table 5: Prioritized Corridors List
Prioritized Corridor Lists
The table below shows the highest-priority corridors for Safe Routes to Schools improvements in the City of Gonzales. High-priority corridors are also shown below on Figure 23.
Figure 23. Gonzales High-Priority Corridors
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 100
Participatory Budgeting
Funded Projects
The Gonzales steering committee led a participatory budgeting process in which community members decided democratically how to spend part of the public budget.
TAMC allocated $250,000 per city to implement projects from the Safe Routes to Schools Plan, and steering committees developed a process for community members to vote on which projects should be funded.
The Gonzales election was held in April–May 2024. People over the age of 16 who lived or worked in Gonzales were eligible to vote, and voting was available online and at six sites throughout the city. In total, 492 ballots were received that identified two projects as the highest priorities for community members. Steering Committee members presented the results to the Gonzales City Council in June 2024 and received approval in August 2024. Projects funded through participatory budgeting will begin implementation as soon as 2025. The City of Gonzales will construct as many recommendations as is feasible given current construction costs.
Table 6: Participatory Budgeting Funded Projects
School Location Project Description
All 5th Street at Hwy 101
North Entrance
Study options to install roundabout, study quick-build
curb extensions, and install high-visibility crosswalks and signage.
All 5th Street at Hwy 101
South Entrance
Study options to install roundabout, study quick-build
curb extensions, and install high-visibility crosswalks and signage.
All 5th Street at Rincon Road
Install curb extensions to move crosswalk closer
to center line on 5th Street. Install high-visibility
crosswalks on north and south legs of intersection.
Relocate stop bar to prevent cars from encroaching
on crosswalk.
Gonzales : Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance 101 Funding Sources
The following table lists grant and program-funding sources that might be used to implement the projects identified in this plan. Most state and federal funding sources require local matching funds.
Funding Source Capital
Improvements
Evaluation &
Planning
Education,
Encouragement
& Enforcement
Programs
Maintenance
Local
Measure X: Regional
Sales Tax X X X X
Transportation
Development Act X X X X
City General Funds X X X X
City Gas Tax Revenues X X X X
Foundations X X X
Businesses and
Corporations X X
Regional Surface
Transportation Program:
Competitive Funds
X X X X
Regional Surface
Transportation Program:
Formula Funds
X X X X
Developer Impact Fees X
Table 7: Funding Sources for Active Transportation
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 102
Funding Source Capital
Improvements
Evaluation &
Planning
Education,
Encouragement
& Enforcement
Programs
Maintenance
State
Active Transportation
Program X X X
California Office of Traffic
Safety X
AB 2766 X X X
State Highway Operations
and Protection Program
(SHOPP)
X X
State Transportation
Improvement Program
(STIP)
X
Federal
Surface Transportation
Block Grant/Regional
Surface Transportation
Program Exchange
(STBG/RSTPX)
X X X
Highway Safety
Improvement Program X X
Rebuilding American
Infrastructure with
Sustainability and Equity
(RAISE) Program
X
Safe Streets 4 All Program X
American Rescue Plan Act X X X X
Table 7: Funding Sources for Active Transportation (continued) Gonzales : Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance 103 Measure X
To address the ongoing shortfall in transportation funding, Monterey County voters approved Measure X in 2016. Measure X establishes a 3/8-percent sales tax that will provide approximately $20 million annually for local transportation projects over the next thirty years. Sixty percent of the funds are distributed by formula to cities and the County of Monterey for road maintenance, repair, and safety projects. This funding, together with funding in the Pedestrian and Bike Safety and Mobility category, can be used for Safe Routes to Schools projects.1 1 Transportation Agency for Monterey County. Measure X. www.tamcmonterey.org/measure-x.
Figure 24. Measure X Expenditure Categories
Source: Transportation Agency for Monterey County
60% 27%
13%
Local Road Projects
Regional Road Projects
Mobility for All
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 104
Maintenance
The need for maintenance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities is often reported by residents walking and bicycling on local roadways. There are several ways to report maintenance issues in and around the City of Gonzales:
• Maintenance issues in Gonzales can be reported through the City of Gonzales website: gonzalesca.gov/service-request-form.
• TAMC maintains the Bicycle Service Request program, a webpage where any issue related to bicycle safety in Monterey County can be reported:
www.tamcmonterey.org/bike-service-request-form. Reports are forwarded to the appropriate jurisdiction for action.
• Maintenance issues on state highways can be reported to Caltrans:
csr.dot.ca.gov.
The City of Gonzales is responsible for maintaining pavement on roads that have been accepted for maintenance by the City. The City also maintains signage, signals, striping, guardrails, and other traffic-safety devices; walls and other retaining structures; and drainage facilities serving the roadway.
The City of Gonzales currently employs the following maintenance policies and procedures to keep bicycle and pedestrian facilities in good repair:
• Bike lanes that are contiguous with a City-maintained roadway are maintained as part of the roadway. Tri-City Disposal, under their franchise agreement with the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority, is contracted to sweep streets and bike lanes once a week.
• According to the California Streets and Highways Code Section 5610, adjacent property owners are responsible for the maintenance of sidewalks along the frontage of their properties.
• According to the Streets and Highways Code, a set amount of maintenance funding is provided by the gas tax, and the City is charged with maintaining roadways as well as those funds allow. There is no specific standard to which a roadway must be maintained. Ideally, roads are resealed every five to ten years to keep the pavement in good condition. The City works to maximize the funding it receives to provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of road users.