Posts related to the work zone guidelines are linked via category ‘Work Zones‘ within City of Sacramento category. Posts about construction project issues, previous to and after the release of the draft guidelines, of which there are a huge number, are linked via tag ‘construction zone‘ within Active Transportation category.

I walked a long section of Broadway today, and came across two construction projects that close sidewalks without proper and safe signing and barricades.

‘Dental Clinic Remodel’

I put this one in quotes because it is a building that has been abandoned for years, but is apparently now under construction. Construction for this half-block building on the north side of Broadway between 23rd and 22nd Streets has closed sidewalks on both 23rd and 22nd. For 23rd, there is some signing, but also a non-detectable chainlink fence and trips hazard folding barricade. As with many other construction projects, a sign on hand, the bicycle/pedestrian detour sign (MUTCD M4-9a), was used though it is not required or appropriate. The sidewalk closed ahead cross here (MUTCD R9-11) is a valid sign, but the wrong location. The sidewalk is closed HERE, not ahead, so the correct sign is sidewalk closed cross here (MUTCD R9-11a).

At the corner of Broadway and 22nd Street, there is no sign at all, and the same non-detectable chainlink fence used as a barricade.

I did not check on the north side of these sidewalk closures, but I would assume the signing and detectability is the same or worse.

On Broadway Affordable Apartments

I’ll repeat again, just to be sure, I am absolutely in support of more housing, and especially more affordable housing. It is unfortunate, though, that these construction projects make it unsafe to walk and roll.

Approaching this construction project on the north side of Broadway, at 20th Street, there is a sidewalk closed ahead cross here sign. The text is correct, but the sign is not, it is not the correct MUTCD R9-11. It is cardboard and will melt in the rain. It would not be seen by someone walking south on 20th Street.

After crossing the railroad/light rail tracks, the signing and fencing is confusing. The sidewalk closed sign is not actually where the sidewalk is closed. I guess this small piece of sidewalk was left open for the bus stop, but for someone not accessing the bus stop, it is confusing. Just for good measure, the railroad crossing signal and the light post beyond narrow the usable sidewalk width to less than PROWAG required minimum of 48 inches, though this is an old problem, nothing to do with the construction.

Continuing on the sidewalk, you see this nonsensical sign. The arrows point to the closed section. The next street is 19th Street, 20th Street is behind. What is this sign trying to communicate? Is a joke on the part of the construction company? And as before, chainlink fence is not an ADA detectable barricade.

Whether you backtracked all the way to 20th Street, or just walked around the closed section, the intersection of Broadway and 19th has additional problems. For the crossing of Broadway on the east leg of the intersection, there is a sidewalk closed ahead sign cross here sign (MUTCD R9-11), but it is placed where it would not be visible to someone walking along Broadway. Since not only the sidewalk but the crosswalk is closed, there should be a detectable barricade blocking the crosswalk. A sign is not sufficient. The pedestrian signal should be covered to prevent confusion, but it is not.

On the north leg of the intersection, there is a sidewalk closed ahead cross here sign, but placed in the sidewalk path of travel and therefore a tripping hazard. The crosswalk is closed in addition to the sidewalk, but there is no detectable barricade on the northwest corner. There is a no ped crossing sign (MUTCD R9-3a) on the far side, but this is an inappropriate sign for this location, as this is for permanently closed crossings, not for temporary traffic control. Again, a sign on hand was used rather than the appropriate sign. The pedestrian signal should be covered to prevent confusion, but it is not.

If you are getting tired of these work zone violation posts, I am getting tired of posting them, but mostly I am tired of the city shirking its responsibility, under law, to maintain a safe passage for walkers through or around construction projects. The city could ensure that these construction projects are signed and barricaded consistent with PROWAG (the law) and MUTCD (the guidelines), but has decided to not.

If this bothers you like it bothers me, please contact your city council member to complain. Though I submit 311 complaints on many of these violations, it generally takes several submissions before they are corrected, and at least half are never corrected at all. Though I will continue to submit 311 reports, I’m under no illusion that these have any significant effect on city staff. If city council does not hold staff (the city manager) to account, this will continue, despite the new work zone guidance being developed.

Argh!