Pocket Beat

Gloria, which doubles back. In between are connective tissues of bike trails and domiciles dominated by driveways and

intersections, cyclists meet cars. When the Sacramento River parkway levee opens to bike traffi c, a promise made to residents almost 50 years ago will be honored. Meantime, street improvements can help bikes and pedestrians reach the levee. “Our streets should refl ect how people get around today,” Jennings says. “People ride bikes and scooters. They walk. The street layouts should encourage those activities.” The city’s consultant, Fehr & Peers, is a leader in transportation engineering and architecture. It specializes in “active transportation,” which uses traffi c designs to nudge people away from cars and into neighborhood environments by foot or bicycle. The consultants will dig into Pocket transportation habits and gather data on everything from bus stops and sidewalks to crash locations. They will Traffi c bridge to Riverside fi gure out where people go. The study Boulevard in the Pocket. will examine traffi c around schools and Photo by Aniko Kiezel the community’s fi ve main shopping centers. TRAFFIC ALERT As key corridors are identifi ed, solutions will come forward. Can certain streets be narrowed? Can bike paths be moved and connected? Here’s where the community comes in. Jennings says the consultants must listen to the neighbors. Six listening CITY WANTS TO FIX HOW POCKET MOVES sessions and two community meetings are planned. A website collects

Turns out City Hall cares about from Riverside Boulevard to Pocket garages. That’s what people wanted 40 public-works/transportation/planningmotorists who fl y down the Road and points in between. years ago. Judging by the steady rise in projects/pocket-greenhaven. Florin Road West ramp from The consultant charges $485,543. Pocket home sales prices, it’s what they “The coronavirus has slowed us Interstate 5 and speed through the The contract runs through next June. still want. down, but this must be a communitywide intersection at Greenhaven Drive. Coronavirus lockdowns have slowed the But the enlightenment of 1970s based plan,” Jennings says. There are high-level concerns about project. But with luck, the results will suburban design creates problems in Next year, the consultants will access to schools such as Martin Luther be transformative. 2020. Wide streets encourage speeding. gather data and ideas and tell the city King Jr. K-8, which lacks easy access to “This community was designed for The city has tried various tricks to slow how to improve traffi c in Pocket and bike trails and forces kids to cross Rush cars,” Jennings says. “In the decades cars, from speed bumps to stop signs Greenhaven. They will estimate the River Drive. that have passed, people have changed, to motorcycle cops. But wide Pocket cost. That’s when commitments will

After years of promising to improve but the design hasn’t. It’s still all about streets inevitably invite squealing tires really be tested. traffi c conditions and connectivity cars.” and roaring tailpipes. in Greenhaven and Pocket, the City Cars were king when the Pocket’s “There are people who don’t respect R.E. Graswich can be reached at Council has decided to act. Prodded Portuguese farm fi elds were subdivided the community. They think it’s OK to regraswich@icloud.com. Previous by Councilmember Rick Jennings, the between the late 1960s and 1980s. go 60 mph down Pocket and Riverside,” columns can be found and shared at the city hired a consultant to examine the Engineers designed wide and winding Jennings says. all-new InsideSacramento.com. Follow community’s unique traffi c culture— roads that fl ow with circular logic. There are other problems. Bike us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: the architecture, landscapes and Rush River gives way to Windbridge. trails don’t all connect. At key @insidesacramento. n engineering that allow people to move Greenhaven converges with Florin and

RG smaller streets. Pathways follow the canals and greenbelt. Pedestrian and bike bridges vault the busiest streets. The community layout lacks the dull OUR STREETS SHOULD REFLECT HOW PEOPLE GET AROUND TODAY. PEOPLE RIDE BIKES AND SCOOTERS. THEY WALK. THE symmetry of the Downtown grid. The meandering roads provide contrast to STREET LAYOUTS SHOULD ENCOURAGE By R.E. Graswich the look-alike suburban ranch homes THOSE ACTIVITIES.

Pocket Beat that fi ll Pocket’s interior streets: feedback: www.cityofsacramento.org/