Worst Intersections in Petaluma? The City Explains

On Monday, Petaluma Patch asked readers about their least favorite intersections. After receiving more than a dozen answers, we took your concerns to Petaluma’s Traffic Division to see what they are doing to alleviate congestion at some of the city’s hotspots.

Lakeville and D Street

This intersection has been identified as having “operational issues”, meaning that it can’t accommodate any more cars without doing improvements, according to City of Petaluma traffic engineer Curt Bates. But it also can’t be expanded because there are railroad tracks on one side and the historic Burdell building on the other, which can’t be torn down.

However, Bates and his team are aware of the high volume of traffic along Lakeville and this May completed a signal-timing project to coordinate all 12 lights on the busy street from Frates Road to Petaluma Boulevard. The new system will synchronize all lights for all westbound cars during morning commute and for eastbound traffic in the evening rush hour.

“People going in the opposite direction may have to stop and wait a little longer than they are used to, but there is an overwhelming benefit for everybody else that uses Lakeville,” Bates said.

The change has already cut down waiting times at numerous intersections along Lakeville, said city of Petaluma traffic engineer, Gian Aggarwal, and will save drivers money on fuel consumption as well as reduce emissions.

Caulfield Lane and Ely Boulevard

Numerous readers complained about cars just blowing through this intersection and asked what the city was doing to address safety here. According to Bates, the spot has been identified for needing as either a roundabout or a traffic signal, which will be funded by impact fees from future development projects such as the new Target or the proposed Lowe’s at McDowell and Rainier.

The traffic division will assess which intersections need a traffic signal, based on traffic volume and the number of accidents, Bates said. It will then make a recommendation to the city council. But the intersection has received attention and is a priority, he said.

Roundabout on Petaluma Boulevard South near the KB Homes development

Some 300 new homes are being built in this area, which prompted a roundabout, Bates said. The city did not want a traffic signal at the location because it’s one of gateways to Petaluma and a roundabout is just "more aesthetically pleasing,” he said.

Instead the roundabout will be landscaped with trees, shrubs and other vegetation which the city hopes will be more attractive and help reduce water runoff into the Petaluma River. Roundabouts are also cheaper to maintain and don’t have the electricity costs associated with traffic lights.

But why is the roundabout built on a curve and that goes from one lane into two? Bates says that the curve has been put into the street on purpose to get people to slow down.

“Speeding on Petaluma Boulevard South is a big problem and it was put in for safety purposes,” Bates said. There will be a bus stop put in outside the new homes and much more pedestrian traffic than now. The hope is that the roundabouts will encourage people to pay more attention and hit the breaks.

Lakeville Highway and Casa Grande Road

This intersection falls under the new signal-timing project implemented in May (see above) that coordinates 12 traffic lights on the street, but that’s only if you are headed westbound in the mornings or eastbound in the evenings. The rest of the times, the traffic signal operates as before. But says, Aggarwal, the city traffic engineer, you will never wait longer than two minutes.

“People may have the perception that they’ve been waiting for a long, long time,” he said. “But there is no signal that is red for more than 120 seconds.” If you disagree, bring a timer next time you drive by and let us know the results.

Petaluma Boulevard North from Old Redwood Highway into town.

"Old Redwood Highway, as this stretch used to be called, was once an efficient regional artery," wrote Patch reader Bill Fishman. "Poor traffic design...has turned it into a little slice of San Jose during the morning and evening commutes." 

The city is aware of the problem and looking for additional grants to improve traffic flow in this area, said Gian Aggarwal. Part of the complicating factor in this stretch of road is that parts of it are actually in the county.

"It's jurisdictional issue," Aggarwal says. However, if the city procures a grant for this thoroughfare, it would work with the county to time lights better, he says.

But it all comes down to having enough money and right now, there aren't enough resources for traffic calming here. However, the city does have a good track record of procuring transportation grants: it's gotten at least five in the past two years.

Future projects

Traffic engineers will begin assessing traffic conditions on East Washington Street starting next month to see how to better time signals as well as at McDowell Boulevard and Sonoma Mountain Boulevard.