A Press Democrat Blog

Road Warrior

Trying to make sense out of getting around

Look at what’s ahead for Airport Blvd.

Thursday, at 5:44 by

Real construction work won’t begin until June 3 on the new Airport Boulevard interchange off Highway 101 north of Santa Rosa, but Caltrans has released images of the design and the proposed detours. Take a look at what is planned for the project that will be with us until late 2014, when the newly designed Airport Boulevard exit will include a new five-lane bridge across Highway 101, a sidewalk for pedestrians and Class II bike lanes. The Fulton Road exit… Read More »

Mailbag: ‘Children’ in crosswalks, annoying blue headlights and emergency vehicles without sirens

Monday, at 6:37 by

How do you define “children” in school zones? Are those harsh blue headlights legal? When must emergency vehicles use their sirens? The answers to these reader questions follow. When are “children” present? I frequently drive Fulton Road past Piner High School. There is signage that says it’s a 25 mph zone when “Children Are Present.” My question is, since most upper class high school students are adult sized, how can you tell when children are present as opposed to ordinary… Read More »

Santa Rosa’s 25 dangerous intersections

Thursday, at 3:36 by

Planning to drive through the intersection of Stony Point and Sebastopol roads in Santa Rosa? Better be careful. It again ranks No. 1 in the city for highest number of reported collisions. The Roseland-area intersection racked up 16 collisions last year, twice that of 2011 when it tied for sixth place but down from 20 in 2010 and 19 in 2009 when it ranked No. 1 for both years. 2011′s No. 1 — Highway 12 at Mission Boulevard — fell… Read More »

Highway 12 intersection targeted by SRPD

Friday, at 4:37 by

Santa Rosa motorcycle police officers this coming week will monitor one of the city’s most collision-prone intersections — Fulton Road at Highway 12, which last year was tied for seventh worst with seven collisions. As part of a weekly, Monday through Sunday, special enforcement program, Officer Jeff Adams says officers particularly will be looking for drivers not wearing seat belts, who are illegally using cellphones, are speeding, running red lights or committing lane violations. Each week, the officers pick one… Read More »

Mailbag: Crosswalk warning, or a target?

Sunday, at 8:15 by

Here’s a question from a reader: I’ve noticed these signs popping up all over the place in the middle of crosswalks. They are narrow tall signs mounted to the street that say yield to pedestrians. One spot I have noticed them is at the crosswalk at Old Redwood Hwy at Lark Center Drive in front of the Larkfield Shopping Center. These signs are usually out of the way but at this crosswalk they are effectively in the middle of the… Read More »

County lists roads to be repaired, repaved in spring, summer

Thursday, at 11:08 by

  About 50 miles of Sonoma County-maintained roads are on track to get some type of major repairs next spring and summer. The roads include 14 that got the headlines last week when the county Board of Supervisors approved $6.5 million for that work, but there are several more, including some that have needed help for years. One example is Old Redwood Highway from Petaluma to Cotati. Here’s the full list from the county roads department and what work will… Read More »

Sound Off: Bicycling and surviving road construction

Friday, at 6:33 by

A collection of comments from Road Warrior readers: Bicycling and surviving road construction I live in Larkfield where Sutter is working on the new hospital. They blocked up Old River Road for months in a narrow configuration that put bicycles directly into traffic with cars and trucks exiting the freeway. The good news is that they’ve finally removed the barriers but neither my husband nor I wanted to be on our bicycles along that route while it was such a… Read More »

Highway 12 intersection targeted by SRPD

Saturday, at 5:15 by

Santa Rosa motorcycle police officers this coming week will monitor one of the city’s seventh most dangerous intersections — Fulton Road at Highway 12, which last year had 7 collisions. As part of a weekly, Monday through Sunday, special enforcement program, Officer Jeff Adams says officers particularly will be looking for drivers not wearing seat belts, who are illegally using cellphones, are speeding, running red lights or committing lane violations. Each week, the officers pick one of the city’s top… Read More »

Minor traffic delays this week on Fulton Road

Monday, at 1:57 by

Minor traffic delays are expected  for a few days this week  on Fulton Road as a Sonoma County roads crew fills cracks in the pavement. The work will be 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday from the Santa Rosa city limits toward Highway 101. One-way traffic controls will be in effect. ———– Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter via @PDRoadWarrior

Santa Rosa’s 25 most dangerous intersections

Monday, at 9:00 by

Here are Santa Rosa’s most dangerous intersections, based on the number of collisions at each in 2011 as reported by the Santa Rosa Police Department. Each week during the year, Santa Rosa motorcycle officers typically spend part of their day at one of these intersections, looking for traffic violators, with the idea of trying to make them safer. No. 1 Highway 12 at Mission Boulevard, with 18 collisions in 2011. In 2010, this intersection ranked second with 17 collisions. To… Read More »