Sebastopol Traffic Solutions:

[Michael Anthony]

This thread is opened with the hope that some viable solutions to Sebastopol's traffic problem will be presented and discussed here.

Since the idea of a Highway 116, Llano Road to Occidental Road bypass is always met with such opposition from the "Lagoon Squad," there exists another plan that is seldom spoke of or advanced. That plan is for the retirement of the Highway 116 west, California state highway designation from Cotati to Guerneville.

The latter would be accomplished by re-designating and re-directing a new Highway 116 west route further north on Highway 101 to the River Road exit and returning the old Highway 116 from Cotati to Guerneville back to Sonoma County and our local city's control. River Road would then become the new Highway 116 west maintained by Caltrans and the old Highway 116 would then be maintained by Sonoma County in unincorporated areas, and by local cities where the road runs through their jurisdiction. A road swap if you will.

In order to prevent persons from travelling the old Highway 116 route to the Forestville / Guerneville area as usual, many of the traffic calming proposals brought forward in past years could be implemented because the road would then be under local control and free from Caltrans' restrictions. In example; roundabouts, more traffic lights, two-way streets, slower speed limits, more pedestrian crosswalks, diagonal parking, reduced lane size, large truck prohibition, more bicycle right of way, etc. There could even be a rail system running between the Cotati Smart Train Station and Graton.

American Indian tradition holds that we must plan ahead for seven generations which requires great vision. What I have learned from serving our community for 22 years is that Sebastopol and west county is comprised of many such visionaries.

[authenticeye]

I agree with Michael's perspective. I feel there must be a viable solution that can address the traffic flow through West County without having to take another ten years to develop [i.e. the many suggested bypasses over the years].
Adjusting signage and allowing the smaller cities to once again have control of their Main Streets is bound to only create happier citizens all around.
It would be nice if a CalTrans representative held a community forum with West County and took this and other feedback for consideration. As well for CalTrans to acknowledge that the current placement of Highway 116 puts Sebastopol in a chokehold that restricts the town from implementing many of the great adjustments the townspeople desire to see, and begin making some effective changes.

This thread is opened with the hope that some viable solutions to Sebastopol's traffic problem will be presented and discussed here...

[markwjam]

re: traffic...
there are a lot of us who live in Sebastopol, and have to go to Santa Rosa and elsewhere to make a living...it's difficult work-wise breaking into Sebastopol or elsewhere in West County ... I'm just offering that observation. many of us need to travel....I have no solutions to improving the local economy, or solving the traffic problem..

This thread is opened with the hope that some viable solutions...

[spam1]

Beyond destroying the native fishery and the basketry gathering grounds for Native Americans, it allowed population growth. That was more than forty years ago and we are living out its consequences. Unfortunate Sonoma County!

You forgot "stopped the nearly yearly flooding of Guerneville" and "providing water for the current residents". Nearly every city grows until it reaches a level of misery where an equal number of people move out as move in. Sebastopol has achieved this through limited housing which means only rich white ex-hippies can afford to live there (try living in Sebastopol on even the median wage...plenty miserable, so you move to Roseland or Rohnert Park).

Cities add infrastructure to alleviate current misery and that invites more people to move there. If the 400,000 people living in Sonoma County didn't live here, they wouldn't just evaporate, they would move to some other city. In your "castle" mindset that's OK (you have your castle, so it's OK if everyone else is in misery) you don't really provide a solution to the problem of "too many people". And likely, 40,000 of those 400,000 entered the country and city in violation our immigration laws (I think 10% is roughly the correct number). While many people agree these immigrants are justified to do this, they still have to live somewhere, drink something, and have their poop go some place.

What's your solution to that problem?