The continuing search for effective traffic control and flow…
Changes urged in central city's traffic flow
By Tony Bizjak - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Thursday, December 14, 2006
Sacramento city officials are proposing reducing 19th and 21st streets from three lanes to two lanes through midtown to make them safer for pedestrians and cyclists and to reduce traffic impacts on residences.
City staff will seek community reaction to the proposed change and several other central city street conversions from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today at the Sacramento Convention Center, Room 203.
The plan, under discussion for several years, is expected to be presented to the City Council in late February for approval.
The package proposes five changes. The most significant involves eliminating one lane from 19th and 21st streets north of Broadway and adding bike lanes on those streets. Both 19th and 21st streets would remain one-way.
"Not only do we get an important north-south bike route, but we'll see improved conditions for pedestrians, reduced speeds and reduced volumes," said Hector Barron, a supervising engineer for the city.
He acknowledged the change will have negative impacts as well.
"We'll see a minor shift in traffic to other streets, and traffic impacts at some intersections," he said. "It's about balance and trade-offs."
Officials also propose to switch N Street from one-way to two-way between 16th and 28th streets. Project staffers also considered switching L, P and Q streets to two-way, Barron said, but decided not to because those streets are key bus routes.
