Additional information added below.
Today I wandered around the edges of Sac State, looking at some of the access points. But the worst of the worst is this slip lane from 65th Street northbound to Folsom Blvd eastbound. More on access soon.
Is there a stop sign? No. Is there a signal to stop motor vehicle drivers when the crosswalk is being used, or the bike lane on Folsom? No. Is there a yield to pedestrians sign? No. Is there paint on the ground? Yes. It is well known, among traffic engineers, if no one else, that the word ‘yield’ painted on the ground slows drivers to a safe speed. This is bullshit.
The city recently did ADA ramp work on this corner. They could have fixed the issue, but did not.
This is the kind of transportation infrastructure the City of Sacramento builds to preference the convenience and time-saving of drivers over the lives of people walking and bicycling. This is criminal negligence. The next time someone is killed or injured here, I would be happy to testify that the city was aware of this hazard and chose not to do anything about it. Criminal negligence, as I said.
Additional Information
- Slip Lanes Would Never Exist if We Prioritized Safety Over Speed
- The Trouble With Slip Lanes
- Cities Are Replacing Dangerous Slip Lanes With Space for People
- Improved Right-Turn Slip-Lane Design (this points out that slip lanes can be made somewhat safer, when no other options exist, but it is rare that other options do not exist; the slip lane in question does not meet any of the recommendations)
Solutions
- Install stop signs at every slip lane.
- Do NOT install signalization since this is an expensive alternative and would be wasted when the slip lane is removed.
- Place a prohibition on slip lanes in city code except under rare and defined circumstances. This would be where the crossing roadway presents an angle less than 75 degrees, a sharper than right angle turn. This skewed intersection does not quite meet that criteria, but even if it did, the slip lane as constructed is hazardous.
- Develop a program to close all slip lanes in the city within one year.
- Develop a program to replace the closed slip lanes with sidewalks, planting strips, or other useful infrastructure within five years.
Getting Around Sacramento 