Freeway Interchange to be Discussed at Tonight's Council Meeting

On Monday, the Petaluma city council will get a chance to hear from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority on its plan to reconfigure the Petaluma Boulevard South interchange at Highway 101.

The redesign is part of the Marin Sonoma Narrow Project, approved in 2009, which will add two lanes to Highway 1010, from Highway 37 in Novato to the Old Redwood Highway in Petaluma in hopes of alleviating traffic on the busy stretch of road.

Under the proposed design, cars exiting off Petaluma Boulevard South, would have to pass through four traffic lights if they are headed south and three traffic lights if they are headed north, which some say will result in congestion and increased emissions.

“There were no traffic calculations in the EIR (environmental impact report) for the delays or gridlock for this plan, no less for air quality problems as stacked cars and trucks go uphill on long ramps, waiting for numerous traffic lights to change,” said David Keller, president of Petaluma River Council, an envrionmental group. He said the proposed design will result in long delays for commuters, especially during rush hour.

Instead Keller wants CalTrans to redesign the interchange to make it more appropriate for the city’s gateway, one that minimizes traffic and commuter delays. One example is a split interchange that would sends southbound traffic through an underpass to the west side of the freeway and frontage roads, while leaving the northbound traffic at grade on the east side of the freeway.  

 “We'd like them to return to the drawing boards with a 50-70 year design that suits and takes advantage of our topography and landscape,” he said.

Construction is planned for July 2012 and Sonoma County Transportation Authority officials have said they are taking into account the impact on the environment, but would lose some $35 million in state funding if they do a redesign.