A section of 2nd Avenue between 34th Street and Broadway will be closed to vehicular traffic Sept. 25-29 as the City studies surrounding traffic patterns and gathers ideas from citizens about possible new uses for the street space.
City staff will be at the project area to listen to citizen feedback and discuss future options for the space during these times:
- Thursday, Sept. 26 from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Sept. 29 from noon to 2 p.m.
Citizens can also give their feedback to the project at 2ndAveDemo.org.
This segment of 2nd Avenue in Oak Park was identified as part of the City’s “high injury network” by the City’s Vision Zero plan, which looks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Sacramento by 2027.
“Projects like this are vitally important as we look to address safety issues in highly trafficked corridors,” said Jay Schenirer, Councilmember for District 5. “Our local data shows that this stretch can be unsafe for cars, pedestrians, and bikes, and this is a quick and easy way to show how a small fix can improve walkability and bikeability of this area.”
The new study, funded by a $7,600 grant from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, allows City staff to analyze how the closure of the stretch would affect overall safety and traffic flow.
While closed to vehicles, the area will remain open to pedestrians and bicyclists during the entirety of the study.
“The City has many tools at its disposal to make our streets smarter and safer for everyone who uses them,” said Leslie Mancebo, Transportation Program Analyst for the City. “That includes updated street planning and engineering made possible by studies such as the one occurring on 2nd Avenue.”
A review of collision data at the intersection of 2nd Avenue and 34th Street revealed that 60% of crashes involved a vehicle traveling east on 2nd Avenue and a vehicle traveling north on 34th Street. The study looks to dramatically reduce the number of vehicle crashes in the area.