The proposed Apple Blossom Trail, marked by the green dotted line, would allow cyclists and pedestrians to traverse Sebastopol from east to west without using main roadways. (Sonoma County Transportation Authority) Sonoma County’s effort to create a blueprint for making cities more bike and pedestrian friendly seems to be getting a flat tire in Sebastopol, where city leaders are prioritizing a proposed “Apple Blossom Trail” over 85 other projects the county is suggesting.
The roughly 2.5-mile-long trail — for years talked about as a pie-in-the-sky idea — was front and center during Tuesday night’s discussion over the city’s “active transportation plan.”
The city’s plan is part of a countywide effort by the Sonoma County Transportation Authority to help Sonoma County cities encourage residents to ditch the car for the bike, bus, SMART Train or good pair of shoes. The deadline for finalizing every city’s plan is the end of February, per a funding agreement with Caltrans.
Sebastopol’s county-recommended plan lists 85 projects, including buffered bike lanes, separated bike lanes and bike boulevards. Bike boulevards turn neighborhood roads with typically low traffic into streets where cars share space with bikes. How to make your voice heard
Interested in weighing in on the future of Sebastopol’s bike and pedestrian paths?
The Sonoma County Transportation Authority is seeking feedback on the draft Active Transportation Plan for the city through Nov. 30.
Sebastopol’s draft active transportation can be found online and comments may be made at the transportation authority’s website at fp.mysocialpinpoint.com/sonoma-county-atp. But the majority of the […]
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