Commentary: On the Verano/Hwy 12 intersection

In response to several accidents, injuries and fatalities, community concern over bicycle and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Highway 12 and Verano Avenue has escalated rapidly over the last few years. At the Springs Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) meeting on April 12, community members gathered to express their ongoing frustrations and demand change. I want to thank the Springs MAC for their continuous advocacy, letter writing, and organizing to keep the issue front and center for the Sonoma County, City of Sonoma, Sonoma County Transportation Authority and Caltrans.

Caltrans has committed to installing a dedicated left turn lane from Verano west turning south on Highway 12, as well as to change the signalization at the intersection. The timeline for these changes, however, is two years, which I find unacceptable, especially as members of our community continue to suffer injuries and fatalities at this intersection.

Caltrans claims they do not have the necessary funding at this time, and indeed, the State of California is looking at a major budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year. Thankfully, the city of Sonoma has already committed some funding to install lighting at the intersection, but we really need Caltrans to jump-start these additional changes and find funding for pedestrian safety at this intersection, and soon.

I myself have been accused of not addressing the issue correctly or with the appropriate urgency. Earlier this year, I asked the county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works (now Sonoma County Public Infrastructure, or SoCo Pi), to install buckets at either end of the crosswalk to hold “see me” flags, a concept I had first observed in Salt Lake City wherein pedestrians carry orange flags with them as the cross the street for extra visibility. While some observed it as a “quick fix” that did not address the larger issue, I saw it as a necessary interim measure that I had the power to enact, and not as the end all, be all. Unfortunately, our “see me” flags frequently went missing, and SoCo Pi made the decision to discontinue them. We can bring back “see me” flags with community assistance, and I am supportive of continuing this effort to help increase pedestrian visibility, but I agree that the flags alone are not sufficient and that Caltrans must speed up the timeline for its improvements.

There are reasons I can speculate on as to why the Sonoma Valley does not receive the attention or sense of urgency one might expect from the state. We have a relatively small population, are geographically isolated within the county of Sonoma, and are considered an affluent community. However, these assumptions ignore many of the conditions that residents of the Valley know of their day-to-day lives: the Valley is a tourist destination that experiences immense traffic far in excess of its population, is hugely dependent on the narrow Highway 12 corridor, and is home to many disadvantaged communities, particularly in the Springs, with inadequate public transportation options or bike and pedestrian connections to the parks, stores, schools, and workplaces along the corridor.

Going forward, any solution will have to be inherently collaborative. As I have alluded to already, the intersection, on the edge of the city of Sonoma and the unincorporated Springs area of the county, falls along a state highway, meaning we have four levels of government – city, county, regional and state – all hearing from the public and all working together. Recently, I met with Sonoma Mayor Sandra Lowe, as well as representatives from State Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry’s offices to forge collaboration amongst the elected officials across these levels, and particularly to ask our state representatives to put greater pressure on Caltrans to speed up the work on the commitments they have made. And I thank Sonoma County Transportation Authority for convening the working group from SCTA, SoCoPi, City of Sonoma and CalTrans to work on short-term options.

However, the community is tired of discussing, tired of pleading, and tired of the fear they experience as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians at this intersection. That said, this is the work we often must do to make our voices heard. In June, Caltrans will be providing a brief update at the Springs MAC in person meeting happening Wednesday June 14 at 6:30 p.m. at the Sonoma Valley Unified District board room on Railroad Avenue. They will also be hosting a public meeting on June 21, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at El Verano Elementary School.

I encourage you to attend and engage respectfully at either of these meetings. Visit Caltrans’ website for the Verano Avenue and Highway 12 intersection for more information.

Susan Gorin represents Sonoma Valley as the first district supervisor.