Key Objections to the Downtown Traffic Rerouting Proposal
1. Inadequate and Outdated Traffic Analysis – Cannot Proceed Without a Credible, Current Traffic Study
• A core objective of the proposal was to evaluate traffic impacts, yet no comprehensive traffic study has been conducted since 2019. • While the proposal asserts that traffic considerations were included, comments from the Sebastopol Times (ST) review indicate that the analysis was high-level only and did not account for critical factors such as two-way traffic operations with left turns and increased cross walks at mid block. • Without a detailed, current traffic study, the traffic impacts of the proposal remain uncertain.
2. Significant Parking Loss Is Being Minimized and Obscured • Although not explicitly stated, the proposal appears to eliminate approximately 55 parking spaces in the plaza, with an additional 25 spaces designated for food trucks.
• Alternatives for traffic flow that claim to reduce parking by only 10–15 spaces associated with installing a crosswalk mid-block on Main downtown. • It appears that as much as 20% of all downtown parking would be eliminated by these plans
3. Regional Traffic Conditions Are Ignored Rather Than Integrated • The Planning Commission goals for this project specifically state that regional traffic initiatives must be evaluated for their potential impact on traffic.
• These initiatives are not clearly identified or evaluated. • If any regional projects have been completed or are underway that could reduce traffic entering town, that information should be explicitly incorporated into the analysis.
• Without this context, the proposal does not meet the stated objective to demonstrate how broader regional efforts may mitigate local impacts.
4. Impacts on Bodega Avenue Not Evaluated
• The proposal focuses primarily on one-way versus two-way traffic patterns but does not meaningfully address impacts on Bodega Avenue. • Currently, there is a balance between moving more traffic on Bodega and on Petaluma Avenue and North Main Street driven by how long each light is left green.
• It is unclear how the proposed changes would alter this tradeoff or whether congestion would worsen on Bodega as a result.
5. Financial Risks of Assuming Control of North Main Street • One slide proposes that the City would take ownership of North Main Street from Caltrans through an unexplained mechanism.
• Given that the City currently lacks approximately $20 million needed for existing street repairs, it is unclear how ongoing maintenance and future repairs for North Main Street would be funded if ownership were transferred.
This represents a significant and unresolved fiscal concern.
6. Landscaping Commitments Exceed the City’s Capacity to Maintain Them • The proposal includes extensive new planters, streetscape improvements, and enhanced plaza gardens.
• However, the City has not funded landscaping around City buildings for the past three to four years.
• The proposal does not disclose the projected costs of installing and maintaining these landscaped areas, nor does it explain how maintenance would be minimized.
• Questions also remain about irrigation, particularly given that residents are being encouraged to replace lawns with gravel to conserve water. It is unclear how residents will perceive the contrast of heavily watered downtown landscaping
• How would this be maintained given the current staffing levels of approximately 0.5 FTE for all City buildings.
• Was the financial crisis considered as a constraint that needed to be addressed in this plan?
7. What is this going to cost.
• What is the cost just to do plans and engineering.
• What is the estimated cost of the various elements.
• How will this be funded.
• If you can’t get full grant funding at one time is the project dead?
8. What will construction impact residents buisiness and commuters and for how long ?
• How will traffic be accommodated during Main Steet Construction. • Routing all southbound traffic onto Petaluma Road during the day is a disaster for everyone.
9. Rushed Timing Undermines Good Governance
• The proposal is coming before Council with a deadline of 4/26. Final funding is apparently tied to completion before that date? Why do monumental decisions always come at the last minute?
• This coincides with the City’s busiest period due to budget development. • Much time was wasted, given that it took approximately eight months to begin work on this analysis after the grant was given.