The NEWS index
Some items from The Rio Linda Elverta News, March 2, 2006:
Dry Creek Road Gridlock?
Water District appoints new Board Member
Published in Rio Linda Elverta News March 2, 2006 - Scroll for other articles
Dry Creek Road Gridlock?Thanks to Elverta Development
by Jay O'Brien
The Elverta Specific Plan (ESP) development intends to add 4,950 dwelling units to our community. With two autos per residence, that's nearly 10,000 vehicles. In addition, the Placer Vineyards development in Placer County will connect to the extension of 16th Street north of Elverta Road to be completed by the ESP development, adding even more vehicles to the mix.
Three of the four alternative proposals to accommodate the southbound automobile traffic funnel all those vehicles into Rio Linda and Sacramento via Dry Creek Road.
The three alternatives that would dump the auto traffic into Dry Creek Road are variations of the connection between 16th Street at U Street and Dry Creek Road. As shown on the accompanying map, traffic would flow into Dry Creek Road either at the existing intersection with Q Street, into Dry Creek Road from O Street, or merge into Dry Creek Road south of O Street. These are alternatives 1, 3 and 4 on the map.
Alternative 2, however, previously endorsed by the Rio Linda Elverta Community Planning Advisory Council (CPAC), would extend 16th Street across both channels of Dry Creek, connecting with 16th Street at Elkhorn Boulevard and becoming Raley Boulevard when it reaches the City of Sacramento. Raley Boulevard's interchange with Interstate 80 would then provide freeway access to the expected thousands of Elverta Specific Plan and Placer Vineyards residents. The alternative 2 concept was originally proposed by County Transportation Planner Steve Hetland during the early planning days of the ESP.
Thus, the potential of widening Dry Creek Road that could wipe out front yards, wells and septic systems, cause traffic gridlock and school crossing interference, is still very much on the table.
Rio Linda's flooding expert, long-time resident Erwin Hayer, filed his comments with Sacramento County on the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR) for the project, meeting the County's filing deadline of February 22nd. Hayer, who serves as Flood Committee Chairman for the Chamber of Commerce, for the Recreation and Park District, and served as Flood Chairman for CPAC, begins his comments to the County by stating, "Why Sixteenth Street traffic should NOT be rerouted to Dry Creek Road."
Hayer explains that every morning and afternoon Dry Creek Road between Elkhorn Boulevard and G Street is at gridlock; this is now an everyday occurrence. He predicts that "by moving Sixteenth Street and Elverta Villages traffic on to Dry Creek Road, conditions will get worse."
Four schools, namely Rio Linda Senior High, Rio Linda Junior High, Dry Creek Elementary and Dry Creek West Special Education are accessed from Dry Creek Road between Elkhorn Boulevard and G Street. Dry Creek Elementary has many children from kindergarten through the sixth grade crossing Dry Creek Road at G Street every school day in the morning and afternoon from the Western Acres and Bell Acqua Subdivisions. Hayer says, "The increase in vehicle traffic at this intersection by rerouting Sixteenth Street vehicle traffic to Dry Creek Road will cause an increased risk for the children attending the Dry Creek Schools."
Hayer continues, "Most if not all of the homes (on Dry Creek Road) north of Elkhorn Boulevard have wells and septic sewer systems. The homes between O and U Streets on Dry creek Road could lose almost all of their front yards if a four-lane road with a divider planter strip were to be installed as identified in the Placer Vineyards Draft Environmental Report. This could require their wells or septic systems to be relocated or the installation of Community Service District 1 sewer lines and/or Rio Linda/Elverta Community Water District mains to be replacing the septic systems and/or wells."
The total number of driveways on Dry Creek Road that would be affected by widening the street is around 150. However, the number of driveways that would be affected on Sixteenth Street, if it was improved to handle the traffic, is less than one hundred.
Hayer's comments request that Alternatives 1, 3 and 4 be eliminated from consideration and Sixteenth Street Alternative 2 be adopted. He says this would keep Dry Creek Road as a local transportation corridor and not increase the traffic past the four schools.
The full text of Erwin Hayer's comments to the County is on line, along with an aerial photo/map from the RDEIR showing the four alternatives. It also shows which private properties would be taken from their owners by the County to implement the various alternatives. To review Hayer's comments and the map, access this article at http://rlenews.com and follow the link. (See below)
To recap, the potential of widening Dry Creek Road that could wipe out front yards, wells and septic systems, not to mention the possibility of traffic gridlock and risk to the school children, is still very much there. The County will decide. We who are concerned about Dry Creek Road and the schools, and that should be ALL of us, can't let our guard down.
We need to be sure that County Supervisor Roger Dickinson understands that the traffic from the north should come down 16th Street to Raley Boulevard, not via Dry Creek Road.
Graphic by Erwin Hayer
Reference links:
Erwin Hayer's comments on the Elverta Specific Plan Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report (RDEIR)
http://riolinda.info/traffic/eehespcomments.html
Erwin Hayer's aerial photo/map compilation from the RDEIR showing the alternatives
http://riolinda.info/traffic/esp16st.html
Vicinity map showing Elverta Specific Plan area and Placer Vinyards
http://riolinda.info/traffic/espvicinity.html
The current Sacramento County Transportation Plan Map, dated 12/15/93, showing Raley Boulevard-Sixteenth Street moving over to Dry Creek Road just north of the city limits and moving back to Sixteenth Street at Elverta Road.
http://www.saccounty.net/general-plan/docs/pdf/GP-Maps/Transportation-Diagram.pdf
Erwin Hayer's scan of the transportation plan map from the Rio Linda and Elverta Community Plan FEIR, September 1997, Volume 1, page 131C
http://rlenews.com/06/RLEcp-pg131C.jpg
Rio Linda News January 1, 1998 - County to widen Dry Creek Road?
http://rlenews.com/98/980101.html
Rio Linda News November 27, 2003 - Planning Commission Questions Traffic Cost of Elverta Specific Plan
http://rlenews.com/03/031127.html
Rio Linda News December 11, 2003 - Specific Plan Compromise Unveiled - Planning Commission Still Concerned About Traffic
http://rlenews.com/03/031211a.html
Rio Linda News December 23, 2004 - Luxury Apartments on Dry Creek Road?
http://rlenews.com/04/041223.html#cpac
Rio Linda News May 19, 2005 - CPAC nixes Dry Creek apartment complex
http://rlenews.com/05/050519.html
Later article on this subject:
Rio Linda News March 16, 2006 - Dry Creek Road Gridlock? Another Viewpoint
http://rlenews.com/06/060316.html
Published in Rio Linda Elverta News March 2, 2006 - Scroll for other articles
Water District appoints new Board Member
Newly appointed Water Board Member Fred Jones (left) is sworn in by
District Manager Dave Andres (right) as Board Member Hal Morris (center)
looks on with members of the audience.
Jones was selected over four other candidates, Mel Griffin, Robert Blanchard, Zack Arbios, and Michelle Phelps.
Jones, who retired from Pacific Telephone after 27 years, is the area manager for Western Corrections, Inc. He has lived in Rio Linda for over 25 years. He said that he believes in local government control and community involvement, where the local people choose their direction. He has served as an advisor for the Rio Linda Elementary School District.
All the candidates were applauded and thanked by the Board for submitting their applications.
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