suggestions for traffic improvement

With all the traffic changes on the way, I thought I would start a thread with everyone's suggestions for improving traffic. Here's my 2 cents:

1) Lose the 2 left turn lanes on to Folsom-Auburn from Greenback. Make 1 of them a through lane to the Rainbow Bridge so traffic doesn't back up as much there. Only 1 left-turn lane is needed.

2) Post a sign at Greenback/Folsom-Auburn at the "free" right turn that states there is NO STOPPING at this turn. A free right turn is just that. Motorists have their own lanes to merge in to oncoming traffic, that is why it is there. People don't know what a free right turn is and totally stop there (I have no idea why) until traffic clears. It causes a mess behind them!

3) extend the left turn lane on the Lake Natoma bridge that turns on to Greenback. Right now it stops and there's a big sign behind it. Move that sign and the left turn lane back. That would help a lot during rush hour.

I agree with #1. I have seen people already doing this. They don't merge into the right lane until too late so they stay in the left turn lane and go straight.

I also recommend extending the right turn lane going from Greenback to Lake Natoma Crossing. This will shorten the lane for those going straight.

all would be good suggestions... I think anything to get more people off the Rainbow Bridge is a good thing.

Funny you say that about people who just stop in the middle of a free right turn. Though I have to say a bit of education has to be done about that. I was performing a free right turn at Prairie City & Iron Point (in my own lane), and some yahoo in a Suburban decided she was going to turn right in to the Safeway lot. She was yelling at me saying I had a red light, yada yada... I believe I was in the clear - I had my own lane and she changed lanes in the middle of an intersection. Luckily we never had an accident but I'm pretty sure she would have been at fault.

If there are any police officers who perouse this board, I'm interested in your take.

This one is being considered presently, along with a lot of other ones for I believe a 60 day period. I will try and get the info and put it here.

1) Lose the 2 left turn lanes on to Folsom-Auburn from Greenback. Make 1 of them a through lane to the Rainbow Bridge so traffic doesn't back up as much there. Only 1 left-turn lane is needed.

Cal

From the Folsom Telegraph dated 9 July 2003


City formulates plan to improve traffic flow
By Jason Probst

While residents and commuters continue to grapple with the closing of Folsom Dam Road, the city's Public Works Department has formulated a plan they claim will improve safety and capacity at Rainbow Bridge and in the Historic District’s residential neighborhood.
The plan presented last week makes adjustments to traffic lanes in the Rainbow Bridge area and takes strong steps toward redirecting vehicle flow out of the Historic District back onto Natoma Street.
“There are other neighborhoods impacted by this,” said Mark Rackovan, Folsom’s senior civil engineer/traffic. “It's just the first of many steps.”
The plan will be presented to the City Council on July 8, Rackovan said.

The plan addresses increased traffic flow in the neighborhood by adding a diagonal diverter at the intersection of Scott and Sutter Streets and closes the intersections of Figueroa and Sutter and Mormon and Sutter with barriers.

Signs indicating that access to Rainbow Bridge is blocked will also be posted on Natoma Street to prevent cut-through traffic. Cumulatively, these actions will make Rainbow Bridge and Greenback Lane non-accessible from the Historic District neighborhood.

Major streets heading onto Rainbow Bridge will also see modifications aimed at improving traffic flow. Existing lanes on Greenback Lane and Folsom-Auburn Road will be modified to improve the flow of increased traffic at the intersection of Folsom-Auburn Road and Greenback.

“We will be turning one of the eastbound Greenback turn lanes into a through lane,” Rackovan said. “It's a no-brainer because there’s not enough traffic to fill those left turn lanes (to Folsom-Auburn Road), but a ton trying to go through to Rainbow Bridge.”

Approximately 30 residents attended the presentation, many of whom said the Historic District neighborhood has been severely impacted by the traffic overflow into their area. They claimed motorists are running stop signs and speeding through alleyways, particularly during peak traffic periods.
“We knew people were really speeding down the alleys,” Rackovan added. “If it was simply a cut-through solution, without the speeding and other problems, maybe we wouldn’t have been so aggressive in cutting off the traffic. That’s what led us to the conclusion the solution is to cut them off from Rainbow Bridge. You want to be reasonably certain you are not pushing one neighborhood’s problem onto someone else. We can say with fairly good certainty we aren’t moving the problem onto someone else’s area. We are just putting the burden back on the other streets.”
City officials explained that it usually takes about two weeks for this type of action to completely eliminate surplus traffic.
“By law we can't leave (the access barriers) there permanently. In order for them to be permanent closures we would have to go through a CEQA (approval) process,” Rackovan explained. “All we are asking is to try them out on a temporary basis, and collect data and public input on how they work. We are talking 60 days, tops, to find out the consequences of these changes on this neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods.”

The intersections you mentioned as having a free right turn - no, no, no, those aren't free right turns. There is no such thing as a free right turn on a red light unless it is posted as such. The lanes you're referring to are "designated right turn lanes" and have solid stripes to prohibit lane changes into or out of them from adjoining lanes.

If these lanes were intended for traffic to proceed without stopping they would be posted with signs saying specifically that, and since they don't, traffic must obey the rules of the road that apply to red lights, thus, one must stop on a red light.

QUOTE

The intersections you mentioned as having a free right turn - no, no, no, those aren't free right turns. There is no such thing as a free right turn on a red light unless it is posted as such.

You are incorrect. A coworker of mine is an ex-police officer and he said it should be treated as a "yield". The people going through the intersection have right of way but the free right turn means you treat it as a yield sign.

Perhaps they should install a yield sign at that intersection to clear that up!

Okay, then I guess we're both right - we agree that the driver turning right does not have the absolute right of way in these situations. Like I said, no free right turns..............one does have to yield to through traffic.

Just use the "California Stop". Unless there is one of those island thingies for turning right you absolutely have to stop first before turning on a red in California. Not that I ever do because I like the California stop but doesn't mean you won't get a ticket. I tried to explain that rule to a police officer once but he didn't buy it.

I don't think "traffic calming" is the answer with the historic district. Look at Sacramento - it used to be so easy to get in and out of midtown but now it's a freaking mess.

have these traffic improvements been placed in the historic district yet? Anybody notice a difference yet if it has?

they will be in place soon. I hope it works. I hate traffic calming in Midtown, but in Historic Folsom I think it's appropriate. It should not be used as a thoroughfare... I feel bad for residents who have to deal with the trash, speeding, etc.

I think the trash is particularly unfortunate. Anyone who has the laziness to throw cups, cigarettes, etc in to the street should be ashamed of themselves. I never realized it even happened until the Telegraph article... it's just too bad.

We need a new bridge!

Traffic calming isn't intended to help get people in and out of mid-town, or Folsom's historic district. It's intended to return neighborhood streets to the people who live there from the commuters who have usurped them. In midtown, it has generally succeeded at achieving that goal. Those who complain loudly about it are long-distance commuters for whom travel through mid-town has become more difficult, some shop owners, and people who live on adjacent "un-calmed" neighborhood streets. Will it "work" for those who live on Sutter, Scott, Coloma, Figueroa, Mormon, Bridge, etc.? You bet it will! Will it improve commuter traffic on Natoma, Riley, Auburn-Folsom and Rainbow Bridge? Maybe. But people in the historic district will have their streets back, and me thinks that's a good thing.

The traffic calming in the historical neighborhood is in place. I found this the hard way yesterday when I was coming over the bridge and tried to go on Scott to get to the library. I wound up having to go onto Sutter street and turning left onto Riley.

They also lenghtened the left turn lane from Riley to Natoma St.

It was a MESS. It took me 20 minutes to get from the old high school over the bridge. *throws stones at traffic barricades*

I think for the residents that have to deal with the traffic, tough. It's a friggin' logjam over there. We have to do something. I think if you happen to live on these streets, it's the price you knew you had to pay being so close to old Folsom.

Traffic Calming was not a good idea. A noble effort, but it's not going to work. I'm willing to give it a month or so to see how commuters react to it but so far it's done more harm than good.