A wonderful idea, good for everyone involved.
Woodland to Davis via bike road?
By Hudson Sangree - hsangree@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PST Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Each week, hundreds of bicyclists ride through the farmland of Yolo County on rural byways that connect the cities of Woodland and Davis.
Some bike for pleasure. Others commute to work or school. All share the danger of being hit by cars and trucks that blow past them at highway speeds on narrow county roads.
In October that danger became a reality when 60-year-old Woodland bicyclist Francisco "Willie" Lopez was struck and killed by a car on County Road 99 during his daily ride to work at UC Davis.
In the wake of Lopez's death, the county plans to widen sections of some routes favored by cyclists. At the same time, proposals are emerging to create a route only for bicycles and electric vehicles from Davis to Woodland.
A Roseville engineering firm has proposed a paved thoroughfare connecting East Street in Woodland with F Street in Davis via a railroad right of way.
Meanwhile, county Supervisor Matt Rexroad is discussing a plan to extend County Road 101 and limit access to bicycles, slow-moving electric vehicles and, maybe, farm equipment.
"I'm talking about a dedicated bicycle trail, a non-car option," Rexroad said Monday.
Rexroad sees the pathway as a potential economic benefit to both cities and a way to encourage people to bike the distance, about seven miles, between them.
