Caltrans District 3 Active Transportation Plan

Welcome

Welcome to the Caltrans District 3 Active Transportation Plan! This Story Map provides an interactive way to view existing conditions and needs for people walking and biking in Butte, Colusa, El Dorado, Glenn, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba Counties. The main outputs of this Plan are lists and maps of bicycle and pedestrian location-based needs (LBNs). These LBNs have been split into prioritized highway segments and prioritized highway crossings, which are mapped on this site. We encourage you to use this map to view conditions and needs in your community.

The Caltrans statewide plan, Toward an Active California , envisions that by 2040 people in California of all ages, abilities, and incomes can safely, conveniently, and comfortably walk and bicycle for their transportation needs. This Plan aligns with that vision by identifying bicycle and pedestrian needs along and across the State Highway System (SHS). It is guided by the four goals in Toward an Active California:

Mobility: Reduce dependency on single-occupancy vehicles through mode shift to bicycling, walking, and transit.

Safety: Facilitate safe travel for all users (modes) and abilities, as expressed through Toward Zero Deaths (Caltrans) and Vision Zero (local agency) initiatives.

Equity: Promote active transportation solutions that serve the communities within the district by improving accessibility and healthy transportation options for disadvantaged communities.

Preservation: Ensure District active transportation strategies and actions adequately discuss the long-term maintenance needs and resources required to maintain a state of good repair for the SHS.

This Story Map is a companion to the Active Transportation Plan Summary Report , a more detailed written document that is available on the District 3 page of the Caltrans Active Transportation Plans website . The Summary Report includes background about this project, its process, and next steps for meeting the needs of people walking and bicycling in District 3.

The Plan uses the terms “pedestrian” and “walking” broadly to include people of all ages and abilities, including those walking and those using assisted mobility devices like wheelchairs. It uses the term bicycling to include people riding traditional bicycles and a wide variety of other human-powered and electric-assisted devices that use typical bicycle facilities, including devices adapted for use by people with disabilities.

The Story Map sections below provided a guided narrative of key active transportation topics in District 3. The interactive "Explore the data" feature provides all available data about any location in District 3. This site is best viewed on a desktop in Chrome or Firefox.

Please note that the geographic and mapping information presented on this web page is for informational purposes only, and is not suitable for legal, engineering, or surveying purposes. Mapping products presented herein are based on information collected at the time of preparation. Toole Design Group, LLC makes no warranties, expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the underlying source data used in this analysis, or recommendations and conclusions derived therefrom.

Existing conditions

The following maps describe general conditions of the SHS, the network of roadways across the district operated by Caltrans. A more detailed exploration of these measures is available in the Summary Report; key highlights are summarized here. See this Explore map for additional existing conditions measures.

Surrounding land use context

The SHS in District 3 includes 1,488 miles of roadway, the majority of which exist in a rural land use context. The needs identified in this Plan reflect the varying needs and recommendations to serve people walking and biking vary based on the relationship between the roadway and its surrounding land use. For example, identified needs emphasize locations where the frequency and quality of crossing opportunities of the SHS are high in rural areas and where walking and biking is impeded along Main Street or urban areas.

Source: Caltrans Transportation System Network

Pedestrian short trip opportunity zones

Pedestrian trip potential is determined by the number of short vehicle trips one mile or less (the distance most people can comfortably walk in an area). Many places with a high density of short trips are along Main Streets in or near population centers like Yuba City and Chico. Potential to convert short driving trips to walking trips exists in small communities and rural areas as well, such as Oroville along Highways 162. Improving pedestrian infrastructure in these areas can encourage more walking trips.

Bicyle short trip opportunity zones

Bicycle trip potential is determined by the number of short vehicle trips three miles or less (the distance most people can comfortably bike in an area). Similar to pedestrian opportunities, many places with a high density of short bicycle trip opportunities are along Main Streets in or near population centers like Marysville and Davis. Potential to convert short driving trips to bicycling trips exists in small communities and rural areas as well, such as in South Lake Tahoe near Highway 89 and US Route 50. Improving bicycling infrastructure in these areas can encourage more bicycling trips.

Crossing exposure

This map shows intersection density along the SHS. Generally, where there are more intersections there are more crossings per mile. In urban and Main Street contexts there are generally more crossing opportunities. In Main Street contexts, such as in Chico and Colusa, crossings tend to be at-grade. In urban contexts, such as in the Sacramento region, crossings tend to be above- or below-grade, taking the form of underpasses or overpasses. Crossings are least frequent in rural areas. The quality of crossings is also very important; the presence of signals and marked crosswalks where there are at-grade crossings, and the presence of sidewalks and dedicated bicycle facilities on both sides of an overpass or underpass can make crossing opportunities safer and more comfortable for all roadway users.

Underserved communities

This Plan places a high priority on meeting needs for people in communities that face significant and disproportionate environmental, public health, and economic disadvantages. Depending on surrounding land use context, the SHS may sometimes act as a critical connector for bicycle and pedestrian trips, and at others may act as a barrier to walking and biking in the communities it passes through. This Plan outlines District 3’s underserved communities as defined by various environmental and economic metrics (see the District 3 Summary Report for more detail). Click on "Explore the data" near the top of this page to view underserved communities elsewhere in District 3. Refer to the Public Engagement and Walking and Biking in District 3 Today sections of the Summary Report for more information about underserved communities.

Identifying needs

This plan identifies location-based needs, or specific locations along the SHS where infrastructure investments would most benefit people walking and biking and best achieve the goals of Toward an Active California. This section of the Story Map describes how and where those needs were identified in District 3 and how they were sorted into prioritization tiers.

Location-based needs

Caltrans evaluated data about the highway system from its own inventories, from local and regional plans, and from extensive public input to determine where gaps and barriers in walking and bicycling infrastructure are present. Locations were identified as having needs if they met one or more of the following criteria:

Main Street sidewalk gaps
Sidewalks in fair or poor condition
Sidewalks along higher-speed highways
Stressful pedestrian or bicycle crossings (accounting for the absence of median islands and marked crossings, posted speed limits, and other factors)
Infrequent opportunities to cross under or over freeways
Freeway crossings requiring upgrades of various kinds to be more comfortable for people walking or biking.

This map displays where location-based needs exist in District 3 for people walking or bicycling along the highway (shown as lines) or across the highway (shown as dots). Dots also include freeway crossing needs.

Public and agency input

Many of the location-based needs were identified in local and regional plans, or are at locations that were the subject of public and agency comment. The map shown here illustrates locations with location-based needs where partner agencies or the public also identified active transportation needs.

Prioritization

Locations with needs on the State Highway System were evaluated and prioritized according to how they align with the goals of Toward an Active California. This helps assess which needs might be best suited to move into project development over time. This involved three steps:

Step 1: The SHS was split into segments of highway that approximate the scale of segments Caltrans might use to develop its improvement projects.

Step 2: Each segment was assigned a score based on its context (e.g., urban, Main Street, rural). Measures were grouped according to the goals of Toward an Active California and weighted to reflect local active transportation vision and input. Freeway crossings, which aren't included in those segments, are also scored.

Step 3: Scored segments (and freeway crossings) were ranked and sorted into tiers; Tier 1 represents the highest intensity of need.

This map shows highway segments and freeway crossings by prioritization tier, giving a relative sense of needs across the district. Active transportation needs at any given location should always be considered for incorporation into nearby projects regardless of their tier. Caltrans has access to additional details about needs at specific locations, which can be used to support project development. Click on any need to see whether that location was also identified separately by partner agencies or the public as one with active transportation needs.

Explore the data

Use the application below to explore existing conditions and needs data in greater detail. For a more detailed explanation about each layer, please refer to the Walking and Biking in District 3 Today and Needs for People Walking and Biking on Caltrans highways sections above and in the Summary Report, which is located on the District 3 page of the Caltrans Active Transportation Plans website .

Next steps

This Active Transportation Plan serves as the first step in implementing the policies set forth in Toward an Active California. This Plan identifies locations with needs for people walking and biking on or across the SHS. Caltrans staff, who have access to more detailed data about the needs in this plan, will identify and initiate projects that address the needs included in this plan. They will continue to fund those projects so that they can be implemented by, or in partnership with, local agencies.

Coordination with those agency partners is essential to ensure projects successfully meet active transportation needs on Caltrans roadways. Local partners and the public can contact their District 3 Associate Transportation Planner for more information about local projects in their communities, to provide input, and to coordinate on project development and implementation. Your District 3 contacts are:

Elizabeth Wood // elizabeth.wood@dot.ca.gov

Kevin Yount // kevin.yount@dot.ca.gov

Data Sources

Bicycling trip potential: LOCUS, 2019

Number of travel lanes: Caltrans Transportation System Network

Surrounding land use context: Caltrans Transportation System Network

Underserved communities: District 3 CAT Plan

Walking trip potential: LOCUS, 2019