32 replies to this topic

[tessieca]

I think what we need are more traffic lights! For those of you who haven't guessed, that's sarcasm. This city seems to want to put up lights about every 100 yards-1/4 mile on the major thoroughfares. See, for example, the lights on Folsom Blvd. at Blue Ravine, then Woodmere, then Glenn. Or, try the Halliburton, Hallidon, Iron Point obstacle course on Oak Avenue. Next, travel the MacAdoo and Grovenor (sp?) lights on Iron Point, but keep in mind that another may be placed in between. Further on Iron Point, you can maneuver the Prairie City, Intel, Intel lights before you get too close to the planned light on Ingersoll, which is followed by factory outlets and Folsom Blvd. Now, drive Blue Ravine, stopping at the new Auto Plaza light, then the other Auto Plaza/Natoma Station light, then Folsom Blvd.

Aren't these supposed to be the roads that keep traffic moving through the city and off the local roads? That would help traffic calming in neighborhoods. As it is, travel is often faster on side roads than on the main streets. AND, each of these lights seems to have those one-car sensors that will stop the entire main thoroughfare for one car to pass through immediately.

[DalOwnerX3]

My feeling are a bit mixed with regard to the stop lights. The new stop lights on Oak Ave. between Riley and Iron Point are much better than the stop signs. With the stop signs, I have to stop. But with the lights, I have a better chance of it being green.

[Terry]

Traffic calming for old town (and for any other part of the city for that matter) is not as a result of commuters trying to get from one place to another, but the METHODS by which they do this. To fault the old town residents for living where they do - well, that's crazy. There would not be this issue if commuters/vehicles would obey traffic laws, keep their litter within their vehicles, and have some courtesy for other driviers, pedestrians, and the neighborhoods in which they travel. I'm sorry if this offends anyone. There's a neighborhood street near me which turns into a thoroughfare for commuters every morning and night and I make absolutely no apologies for traveling 25 miles per hour (the posted limit) when I'm on it. Obnoxious drivers have passed me over double yellows, passed me at a stop sign and flashed me with their headlights. I ignore them, because other than pulling into someone's driveway, there is nowhere else for me to go, and I'm doing the limit, and this is a street on which families live for crying out loud.

Before anyone faults the neighborhoods for causing the traffic problem, you need to look at your own driving habits and patterns. Would you want this occuring in your neighborhood? There are multiple ways to get from one place to another in Folsom, if we all did it with a little more courtesy, we would find ourselves in this situation. I don't feel sorry for anyone but the neighborhoods who have had to endure this for so long.

[shaggy]

Hey, Gog Bless you for going the posted speed limit, I'm glad you do. I'm not saying there aren't idiots speeding and littering - I'm just saying that police should be patrolling these areas if that's the problem at hand. You can't just shut down access to the streets so people won't drive on them.

[dlutz]

I've got an odd little idea that wouldn't cost much and would fix the problem almost immediately.

Open the Dam Road!

Apart from what appears to be a political ploy to get the feds to fund the new bridge (it's odd how suddenly we're getting federal approval so quickly now) it still seems unlikely that Terrorists would target Folsom over Hoover Dam, which is still open albiet with much tighter security.

Or we could at least do what Shasta Dam is doing by issueing pre-approved permits to cross. (see the link below)

http://www.usbr.gov/...2/MP-02-034.pdf

It seems to me that the politicians again are using us for their political agenda's. Simply inconvenience thousands of people, ruin neighborhoods, spread some fear into the mix, and viola! You get your pet project approved.

Sorry for the tirade, but I feel for the people who live in old town who want their streets back and for the commuters like myself. Open up the Dam than build the bridge.

Thanks, I feel better now.

[john]

I don't think the Dam road closure is a political ploy, although we do need a new bridge. As soon as the new bridge is here, the problem will be solved. Until then, there will be problems. Whether it's traffic calming or jammed residential streets, life is going to suck for a few years.

Although I *really* like that idea of applying for a permit to get over the dam road (for the time being). They could even do random searches and stuff, all the money from the permits (a nominal fee) would go towards the funding of it. I'm sure anyone who relied on that road to get to/from El Dorado Hills would pay for it.

[tony]

A question for the Scott-Sutter-Coloma short cut devotees out there: have you ever tried the alternatives? Natoma to Folsom Blvd. is usually at least as fast as Rainbow Bridge. Or Glenn to Folsom blvd.? Or Blue Ravine to Folsom Blvd.? Depending on the time of day, although slightly longer, these, or some combination of these and other streets like Sibley (not the residential part!) are frequently much faster than the "short cut", and don't create neighborhood nightmares (with the possible exception of a short stretch of Natoma St.). This is especially true if you are one of the commuters going from Placer to El Dorado County. If they haven't already (I've been out of town for a couple of days), things should get better as less people have the experience that "DalOwnerX3" had (finding themselves making a left off of Sutter back onto Riley after trying the short cut), which resulted in stoppping Riley traffic twice: once to get off opf Riley, and once to get back on. Once people figure it out, Riley traffic will move much more efficiently. Keep in mind that the real bottlenecks are Rainbow Bridge and the Auburn-Folsom Rd. intersection. Traffic calming in the Historic District doens't change the number of cars going through those bottlenecks; it just changes the routes they use to get to them.

[apeman]

I'm a shortcut user - well was anyway. I always felt sorry for the residents but did it anyway. I'm glad they closed it for those poor people that lived there and now I will find the new quickest route. Haven't figured it out yet. People will go the shortest quickest distance and sometimes the authorities have to step in to remedy it. I have no problem with that.

The Folsom dam closing is obviously political. If you believe it isn't then ask yourself again in the fall when the water level is drawn down to the point where it is not a hazard and yet the dam will still be closed. Those darn terrorists are making my life difficult and we need to hunt them all down! Are you sure it's the terrorists making your life difficult? We spend a billion a day making Iraq "safe" and getting 36 million to partially fund a long overdue bridge takes an act of God.

How tough would it be to make the dam safe? Well you'd have to keep trucks off so for 50 grand you build a barrier at each end that only cars could fit under. A few guards and there you have it. It's not brain surgery - it's politics!

[DalOwnerX3]

In going from the Greenback to Natoma street, I tried taking the Lake Natoma Crossing to Natoma street route and it seemed longer than going over Rainbow Bridge and left on Scott.

The problem is that you really can't take advantage of turning right onto Folsom Blvd because the right turn lane doesn't appear until you're almost at the light. As a result, I turn right about the same time as everybody else is going across Rainbow Bridge. Maybe if the extend the right turn lane, I can save more time by not having to wait for multiple light changes.

BTW - I moved into Lexington Hills from Willow Creek last year. So my need to take the short cut has diminished drastically. The ironic part is that we were seriously considering moving into Briggs Ranch because it would be a quick jaunt across the Folsom Dam road to get across the river.

[BodenMaddox]

All I know is that I am getting tired of a 25 minute commute now lasting 42 minutes on a good day or 50 on a bad day. I need a bridge or the dam open again! :-(

[Folsom Phillip]

I'm not a fan of the traffic calming. The impact of it is far greater to commuters than a few dozen homeowners... contrary to what they may say, they knew the area they were moving in to when they purchased their home. I myself live near a busy street and I find it irritating at times, but again... I made the decision to move there. If you don't put any thought in to traffic when you purchase your home, well... that's your fault.

I'm not saying it's OK to speed through these areas, I am saying it should be OK to drive through them. They are roads, that is what they are intended for.

[Candy Apple]

Most of the home owners living near where traffic has been diverted in Old Folsom, have lived there long before the new bridge and many of the street changes came.

The way traffic would stack up on Sutter and Coloma coming from Natoma to Scott St. must have caused a lot of exhaust fumes to come in their windows and doors.

I miss the convenience there but can understand how they feel. I don't know about traffic diversion on newer streets.

[aleighca]

I agree with two of your suggestions -But the suggestion about the "free" right hand turn onto Auburn Folsom is wrong - That is a "merging" turn which means they do need to stop and wait for a clearance to enter the street - If I am sitting at that red light for 10 minutes waiting to cross over Greenback, I'm damn well not going to stop to let people in once I cross the intersection. There are going to be times where those cars turning onto Auburn-Folsom are going to need to stop and wait to enter the flow of traffic.

[swede]

Till you live in Old Towns traffic mess please do not judge home is a place for peace and serenity hard to get when traffic is non-stop I feel the city needs to make our streets resident friedly not commuter friendly heard a great idea at last traffic saftey meeting close East Natoma Street at Green Valley and Blue Ravine make commuters use Blue Ravine too one of the designed streets East Bidwell, Riely, and hopefully they would just continue to Folsom Blv. The ones of us that live in the unbarricaded part of Old Town could start seeing some relieve. Natoma, Sibely and Bidwell Streets are being hammered because of the diverters again make Old Town resident friendly not commuter friendly

[Folsom Phillip]

swede, I disagree. I agree that if you live in Old Folsom it's probably a mess... that is unfortunate. However thousands of commuters and businesses are bearing the brunt of this impact. The obvious solution would be to open up the dam road again but I'm not sure that is a viable solution. East Bidwell backs up way too much now... I'm in favor of other traffic measures to alleviate the situation, but flat out closing down streets is not an attractive one. I feel very bad for the Sutter Street merchants who are feeling the sting from this.