It’s time for the Road Warrior’s fourth annual contest for readers to vote for the worst road in Sonoma County.
Vote by leaving a comment below telling us what that worst road is, or a particular stretch of that road, and explain why it’s so bad. It’s fine to list more than one, but only the first one named will be counted. Please vote only once. No ballot stuffing.
All roads are eligible, except for Keiser Avenue, Lichau Road and Irwin Lane, which were previous winners — or losers.
You have a week or so to vote, and then we’ll report the winner and runners-up. And we’ll call the city/county road department in charge of the worst road to check to see what it plans to do about it.
To read about last year’s worst roads, CLICK HERE.
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Sonoma Mountain Road should be #1 on your Worst Roads list for the following reasons.
#1: It has more “repaired” pot hole pavement, than it does original pavement.
#2: The original pavement looks and feels like a “repaired” pot hole.
#3: My SUV thinks it is off-roading every time I drive on this third world goat path.
#4: Actually, this road is worse than a third world goat path.
#5: Sonoma Mountain Road is a designated “Scenic Corridor” by PRMD. If the residents have to keep up their places to conform to “Scenic Corridor” standards, shouldn’t the road also be kept to the same standard? It’s impossible to enjoy the “Scenic Corridor” because the road is so bad. You have to keep 100% of your attention on the road, otherwise you will lose a wheel in a pot hole and become part of the “Scenic Corridor.”
Sonoma Mountain Road, which I travel multiple times daily, is horrendous. I have been to several third-world countries in the past year and their roads are not as treacherous!
Sonoma Moutain Road
Just got alignment and balance on new vehicle plus new tires. This road is the most used road for my Jeep…Jeep can’t even handle this mess.
Definitely Sonoma Mountain Road, between Pressely and Warm Springs
Sonoma Mountain Road between Santa Rosa and Glen Ellen. Man eating potholes. I’ve lost a couple of rims and gotten flats. It’s dangerous.
Driving on Sonoma Mountain Road is like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride! It’s used by all sorts of people, as a short cut between Rohnert Park, Glen Ellen, Santa Rosa and beyond.
Putting patch upon patch, makes it a mosaic of bumps and holes – especially when it rains and the countless patches pop out of the potholes. It’s dangerous for pedestrians, animals, bicyclists, when drivers swerve around trying to avoid potholes every few feet.
Sonoma Mountain Road — by a mile!
Sonoma Mountain Road – I’ve never seen a road so poorly maintained….between the pot holes, the patch work that has been done over the years (to keep it somewhat drivable) and the broken shoulder on much of the road – it’s a huge mess! Cars and the bicyclist alike travel SMR given the significance of the route. Something has to be done.
Just spent $1200 on new rims because of damage to existing rims from Sonoma Mt. Rd. potholes. Let’s make Valerie Brown have to drive over SMR to pick up her several (and large) monthly county checks. Jeff
Sonoma Mountain Road is the worst! The bicycle riders are constantly swerving into the paths of cars in order to dodge all the potholes. My mail person can’t get close to the mailbox because the shoulder of the road by the mailbox is now a 9 foot long, 8 inch deep pothole.
Spring Hill in Petaluma gets my vote, whether you’re driving or cycling.
Spring Hill Road
While I’d like to agree with Matt Muldoon on Canfield (which is mighty terrible, and dangerous), it isn’t very long.
My first choice would be Spring Hill. It has always been bad, and over the past 3 years it has gotten steadily worse. I won’t even ride on it anymore.
My second vote goes to Fallon Road, between Alexander and Valley Ford (about the last 1.5 miles at the Valley Ford End), horrible washboard road that you literally have to pick your way along…
1. Spring Hill Road, Petaluma
2. Sonoma Mountain Rd
3. Canfield Rd
Springhill. A mountain bike trail masquerading as a paved road. [Sonoma Mtn Rd is just as bad, but Springhill is my local “just have an hour” loop, so my butt and I know every last pothole.]
Spring Hill
Fallon from Petaluma-Valley Ford road for about 1.5 miles
much of Canfield Road past Blank Road
I just spent $100 replacing a damaged bicycle rim from a Roblar Road pothole. At least Sonoma County’s road repair policies make it easy to see where the Marin border lies.
Deferred maintenance is never a good policy!
Sonoma Mountain road ranks among the worst
Faught between Old Red and Pleasant Ave gets my vote as the road most likely to lose your dental work.
Purrington Road—-This road is part of a heavily traveled shortcut to the freeway. It is located between “I” Street and Mountain View in the county just outside the Petaluma city limit. This road has been continually paved, one shovel at a time, for the past 35 years.
Spring Hill Road. With 110 psi and no shocks, it’s butt numbing.
Bay Hill Road near Bodega Bay… Tippy Hedren drove on it in the Birds and it was quite lovely. Now it is total junk. If I can vote for a close second … Spring Hill Road between Petaluma and Two Rock.
As a bicyclist:
If I only get one vote, it would be:
1. Burnside.
Others, in order:
2. Spring Hill Rd
3. Sonoma Mt Rd 2 (off Presley)
Spring Hill Road! Love the views out there, hate the road, whether in my truck, on my motorcycle, or on my bicycle. It is just plain terrible!
Hands down, Spring Hill. Period.
Sonoma Mountain Road is the “winner”!
Besides the expense of flat tires and broken rims caused by holes and cracks, we now have increased danger as truck traffic has increased because of new home construction..
The road crews do their best, but patching is not working>
Voting for 2 Sonoma Mtn. Roads, off Adobe & off Roberts. Craters that resemble the surface of Mars.
Correction, that’s off Pressley, not Roberts.
Spring Hill Rd.! It’sd almost too rough to ride.
Spring Hill Rd
#1 Bay Hill Rd, Bodega Bay
#2 Roblar Rd. Petaluma
I also vote for SPRINGHILL!!
Spring Hill Road in Petaluma.
Spring Hill Road with Sonoma Mountain Road (off Adobe Road) as a close second.
Sonoma Mt Rd gets my 1st place vote, but close 2nd goes to Spring Hill which is worse by far now than it has been any time over the past 25 years.
Spring Hill Rd. gets my vote. So busy watching the road it is difficult to notice the views. Also had one good fall out there and at least, 2 flats.
My vote is for Spring Hill Rd.
Springhill,
Beautiful place, horrible road.
It’s hard to argue with almost all of those already listed, but of those the one I KNOW is beyond atrocious is Spring Hill. If the county wants them to deteriorate to dirt track, it is well on its way.
My heart breaks for the MANY people who live off that road. I hope they never need emergency services, because it won’t be long before they can no longer get to them.
I USED to be able to take this road as an alternate to work, but no more. It’s a disaster.
Petaluma Blvd S is also a sorry excuse for a main thoroughfare in and out of town … But at least the terrible state of repair helps keep speeding down … a little.
Sonoma Mountain Road is the worse road in the county, between the bumpy narrow sections, the previously closed section, the continued wear and tear of this little mountain road, with many resources, such as Cooper’s Grove (redwood trees), Jacobs Ranch (which is a new county park), the entrance to a back way to Glen Ellen, and the Jack London State Park, and the route for a short-cut over the hill to Petaluma Hill Road, Hwy. 101, etc. (after turning on to Pressley Road.) Pressley Road is another one of the worse roads in the County, but not as bad or as crucial as Sonoma Mountain Road. Marilee Jensen
Rough surface..potholes…dangerous driving conditions
Sonoma Mountain Road – both – the one off of Adobe and the one that connects to Bennett Valley Road. I guess the Adobe SMR got some love on the bottom, but the later needs help desperately.
after that, pick up Lynch rd. after the of end Corona rd. all the way back around to Adobe.
I agree with others’ postings, but I abandoned Spring Hill long ago!
Its got to be Spring Hill Rd. I love that ride but every time I am on it I say it will be the last!
Sonoma Mt. Rd from Pressley to Warm Springs.
2nd is Canfield. Huge pothole lakes open up in winter.
Sonoma Mountain, it has some of the best scenery and views in the county and the worst driving experience.
Sonoma Mountain Road wins.
Pot holes, patches on patches, cracks everywhere.
It is the main road between Bennett Valley Road and Pressley Rd for wine trucks during harvest season, and the noise is terrible.
Please fix this road!
Sonoma Mountain Road from Warm Springs to Bennett Valley is the worst.
Barnes Road between Dennis Lane and River Road
Highway 37…Novato going towards Sonoma. Not only is the traffic a standstill (it can take up to an hour and half to get home) but they have never finished whatever work they were doing with the bridge or something and now there is a large, spiked studded metal BUMP across 37 they start warning you about when it’s two miles away. The motorists just ignore it and they’re going to get their tires shredded, because it’s like hitting an armored speed bump at 60 mph… But the Bump has been there at least 3-4 weeks. What the hell is it and why don’t they at least cover it up with a ramp or something?