I participated in Slow Down Sacramento’s Traffic Safety Forum on March 2. I participated in the session looking at specific locations that need safety improvements, with two individuals interested in the North Natomas area, specifically the locations where the Jackrabbit Trail, a multi-use path, crosses streets. We focused on the crossing of Truxel Road at Natomas Crossing Drive. I intend to write more about the forum in a future post.

Jackrabbit Trail is not just a recreational trail, it is also the main route between North Natomas and downtown Sacramento, which is why North Natomas Jibe has been active in promoting the trail and working with the city to complete the trail. There are still gaps, but it is heavily used, and I have used it a number of times when I was doing bicyclist education in North Natomas. The UEDA trail is also a north-south route, but it is far to the east, serving an industrial area and along a levee, rather than serving residents and businesses.

Summary

• The crossing of Truxel Drive by the Jackrabbit Trail is poorly designed and hazardous for bicyclists and walkers.
• The crosswalk should have an exclusive phase, without motor vehicle movement, to protect walkers and bicyclists using the crosswalk.
• The crosswalk should be painted in a high-visibility pattern rather than the low visibility parallel lines.
• The ends of the path should be aligned with a multi-use crossing just south of the existing crosswalk, and perpendicular to Truxel Road.

Details

Here is what it looks like, from Google. Note that the crosswalk, which bicyclists use, is faded and broken, reducing both visibility for drivers and respect from drivers. It is not a high visibility crosswalk.

Truxel Road at this location is 11 lanes wide (142 feet, with lane widths 11 to 13 feet), both northbound and southbound. Natomas Crossing Drive is 5 lanes wide (72 feet). The opposite roadway, which I am uncertain whether is a driveway or street, but looks like a street, is 3 lanes wide. The super-wide roadway induces super-high speeds, with 55 mph common. There are no posted speed limit signs on Truxel Road anywhere close to this location, so it is uncertain what the post speed is. Natomas Crossing Drive has a posted speed limit of 30 mph. Natomas Crossing Driver leads into a medium sized, primarily residential neighborhood, so the three lanes approaching Truxel Road are unnecessary.

For a bicyclist or walker crossing Truxel Road, this is what it looks like: a very long crossing over a very wide and high-speed roadway, with a faded and low visibility crosswalk. One hundred and forty-two feet!

Taking a closer look at the interaction of Jackrabbit Trail with Truxel Road, the west side first. Jackrabbit Trail is separated from Truxel Road at this point. It terminates on the sidewalk on the south side of Natomas Crossing Drive. The double right-hand turn lane from Natomas Crossing Drive discourages visibility of walkers and bicyclists using the crosswalk over Natomas Crossing Drive. It has been observed that many drivers turn against the red light without stopping, and the green signal for this direction is at the same time as the pedestrian signal, almost guaranteeing that there will be conflicts between walkers and bicyclists, and drivers.

Here is what the end of the trail and the sidewalk looks like for one approaching from the south. For bicyclists, there is a very awkward turn east on a narrow sidewalk and a curved sidewalk path to the crossing of Truxel Road. Many bicyclists cannot navigate these sharp turns and have to dismount and walk.

Note the Natomas Crossing sign (next photo) that occupies the corner. I do not know property ownership here, but I suspect the sign is on public property. The sign prevents the trail from aligning with the crosswalk.

Taking a closer look at the interaction of Jackrabbit Trail with Truxel Road, the east side. Note that the trail points out into the intersection, not toward the crosswalk.

This is what it looks like heading northbound on Jackrabbit Trail after crossing Truxel Road. The reason the trail veers into the intersection is the signal pole that forces the trail away from alignment with the crosswalk.

Looking westward toward the crosswalk. It is not possible to stay within the crosswalk while riding a bike.

Potential Solutions

Exclusive Phase: Due to the very long crossing distance, and the likelihood of drivers turning across the path of walkers and bicyclists in the crosswalk, the signal system should be changed to offer an exclusive phase to Jackrabbit Trail users crossing Truxel. An exclusive phase is one in which no motor vehicles are crossing the crosswalk while it is being used by active transportation people. In order to ensure that right-turning vehicles from Natomas Crossing Drive do not turn on red or during the exclusive phase, a regular no-turn-on-red (MUTCD R10-11 or R10-11a), or a blank out sign for no right on red must be used. The blank-out sign is illuminated only when right turns are prohibited, and is black or blank when right turns are not prohibited. These signs are shown below.

High Visibility Crosswalk: The parallel line crosswalk is faded in several places due to tire wear and utility work. It should be replaced with a high-visibility crosswalk. This is particularly important due to the long crossing distance, high speed traffic on Truxel Road, and the presence of bicycles in the crosswalk, which some drivers do not expect. The city uses a split bar crosswalk (photo below) in high pedestrian areas, but a solid bar may be appropriate here.

Realign Jackrabbit Trail ends at Truxel Road: The Jackrabbit Trail on the west side of the intersection (northbound) should be realigned to be perpendicular to Truxel Road, so that there is an easy and direction connection to the crossing. It may be that the trail could pass south of the Natomas Crossing sign, but it may be that the sign will need to be moved. The east side of the intersection (southbound) should also be realigned to be perpendicular. It may be that the trail could pass south of the traffic signal pole, or it may be that the pole will need to be moved.

Provide a distinct bicycle path crossing: Rather than sharing the crosswalk with people walking, bicyclists should have a distinct path of travel, south of but adjacent to the crosswalk. The bikeway would be two-way, just as is the Jackrabbit Trail. A diagram is below. Normally, marked bikeways are on the intersection side of the crosswalk, but since this is a multi-use path, not on the street, the bikeway should be on the side away from the intersection.

Change Natomas Crossing Drive to one right turn lane: The double right turn lane (right-hand dedicated and middle optional) is unsafe and excessive for this roadway. The middle lane should be straight-through only, leaving only one right-turn lane. The three-lane flare on Natomas Crossing Drive approaching the intersection is probably not needed; two lanes would be sufficient, and would allow placement of a regular bike lane, which is otherwise absent from half of that block approaching the intersection.