Resilient Infrastructure​

Summary of objective implementation status (achievements or progress over last year; significant delays or issues, etc.)

SPI has four active projects which meet the objective of investing $5 million by 2024 for new pedestrian and bicycle facilities:

• Arnold Drive Bike Lanes, C18121 – The project involves shoulder widening to add bike lanes on Arnold Drive between Country Club Lane and Madrone Road. This project will provide just under 2 miles of new bike lanes in the Sonoma area. The project has recently completed the preliminary design and environmental phase, with the approval of a Mitigated Negative Declaration by the Board in October 2024. Currently in the right-of-way phase, the project is expected to be constructed in 2025-26.
• Mark West Springs Sidewalk C21303 – The Mark West Springs Sidewalk project was completed in early 2024. The project involved new sidewalk on both sides of Mark West Springs Road between Old Redwood Highway and Ursuline Drive. This provides one-half mile of new sidewalk serving the Larkfield /Wikiup community in northeast Santa Rosa area.
• Crocker Road Bridge Sidewalk Addition C21903 – The project includes the addition of a wide sidewalk on the north side of the bridge, providing a much-needed pedestrian path for the Cloverdale area community. This project has substantially completed construction.
• Initiated bike and pedestrian improvements in the Town of Forestville including completion of 65% plans and application for permitting Highway 116 pedestrian/roadway improvements (Project C22912).
• Received a Go Sonoma grant from Sonoma County Transportation Authority in 2023 for bike and pedestrian improvements along Mirabel and Highway 116.

Key Milestone Update

The measurement metric for the three capital projects will be an approved construction contract award from the Board and the completion of the bike lanes and sidewalks.

• Arnold Drive Bike Lanes – Board approval of design contract July 13, 2021. Board approval of the environmental document in October 2024.
• Mark West Springs Sidewalk – Board approval of funding agreement with SCTA November 11, 2022, with construction completed in 2024.
• Crocker Road Bridge Sidewalk Addition – Design, Environmental and right of way phases are complete, expecting E-76 from Caltrans for Construction phase, construction expected to be completed in FY 2024-25. Construction substantially complete.

Coordination and Partnership Update

• The Arnold Drive Bike Lane Project will begin community outreach efforts in the Spring of 2023.
• The Arnold Drive Bike Lane project has overlap with the Climate Action and Resiliency Strategic Plan Pillar, through SPI’s Bikeable Sonoma County project. The Board allocated $500,000 in Climate Resiliency funding on Oct 25, 2022for the project.
• The Mark West Springs Sidewalk project is the result of community coordination in the aftermath of the 2017 fires.
• SPI will coordinate with the City of Cloverdale to improve infrastructure and connectivity with the new sidewalks to be constructed on Crocker Road Bridge.
• Grant funding through SCTA for Mirabel and Highway 116 improvements.

Community, equity and climate update

The capital projects are distributed around Sonoma County in the east, north and central portions of the County creating geographic equity of services. The design phase of these projects includes public engagement through public meetings and other community outreach efforts. The capital projects are expected to provide the following benefits to their communities:

• Additional bike lanes on Arnold Drive will provide an alternative mode of transportation in disadvantaged neighborhoods within the Sonoma Valley area.
• Sidewalks on both sides of Mark West Springs Road will provide Riebli Elementary School and fire impacted neighborhoods in the Mark West area with a safe pedestrian pathway to local retail shops and services.
• The added sidewalk on the Crocker Road Bridge will provide a pedestrian link between disadvantaged neighborhoods east of Highway 101 and downtown Cloverdale shops and businesses. In addition, the improvements will provide safe access to the Russian River for Cloverdale residents living west of Highway 101.

By adding to the existing network of bicycle and pedestrian pathways, SPI is creating a more expansive transportation grid for county residents and visitors. For lower income populations, bicycle and pedestrian routes offer a viable alternative to owning and operating a passenger vehicle, and for the community at large safe bicycle and pedestrian facilities, provide a variety of advantages including reduction of carbon emissions and health benefits associated with regular exercise.

The road maintenance guidelines and resulting activities will benefit all communities in Sonoma County, creating geographic equity of services and providing viable alternate modes of transportation.

Funding narrative (If this objective received Strategic Plan funding in year 1 or year 2, please provide a status of expenditures to date.)

Funding for pedestrian and bicycle facilities comes from multiple sources including:

• Traditional Roads funding sources including allocations from State Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) and Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Act (SB1).
• Grants from external agencies such as SCTA (Measure M Funds), and FHWA.
• One-time allocations of County funding from the Board of Supervisors.

Arnold Drive Bike Lanes

The project cost is estimated at $6 million and includes tree removal, environmental permitting for lengthening drainage structures, stormwater treatment, right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation. SCTA’s Measure M one-time funding in the amount of $2,350,000 is programmed and Climate Resiliency funding of $500,000 was secured. We are looking for the remaining $3,150,000 in future Federal funding or SCTA’s future Go Sonoma program or other funding sources for construction funds in 2025-26.

Mark West Springs Sidewalk

Project cost is estimated at $3.4M and including $1M of one-time Measure M funds through a cooperative funding agreement with SCTA, $1.9M of PG&E Tier 2 Settlement funds and reprogramming of $450K of District 4’s PPP funds. Any additional costs will be funded with SPI’s annual allocation of SB1 funding.

Crocker Road Bridge Sidewalk Addition

The estimated project cost of $4 Million includes one-time Federal Bridge funding and local match of 11.47% in the amount of $458,800. Funding for this local match will come from traditional Roads funding sources including allocations from State Highway Users Tax Account (HUTA) and Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Act (SB1).