Los Rios Transportation Connections - WALKSacramento

Los Rios Transportation Connections

Chapter 2 - American River College

Findings & Recommendations

Aerial Views of American River College

Close Up View

Area View (Hwy 80 to the top left

Los Rios Transportation Connections Plan: American River College - Page 2-1

Introduction Significant opportunities exist for improvements that could spur walking1, bicycling and taking transit to and from American River College. Completing sidewalks and bike lanes along College Oak Drive, Myrtle Avenue and Orange Grove Drive would provide major improvements in the immediate vicinity of the College. Bringing sidewalks, signage, traffic signals and bus stops into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as State and County disability access requirements 2 will enable many more students with disabilities to access American River College. New access from Winding Way and across Arcade Creek could provide more convenient and direct pedestrian and bicycle access from the east and south. Creating an on-campus transit center and improving transit schedules would strengthen transit as an option. Promoting existing and new transportation connections through campus media and programs could significantly enhance the College’s transportation connections to the community. Providing convenient drop-off and pick-up locations would encourage some to walk or take transit for the other direction of their trip. Background American River College is located about 15 miles northeast of downtown Sacramento in the unincorporated part of Sacramento County. The campus is about two blocks from the commercial thoroughfares of Madison Avenue and Auburn Boulevard. In Fall 2006, there were 33,634 students enrolled at American River College, the highest enrollment of the four campuses.3 In Fall 2007, American River College experienced a 7.1% increase in enrollment to 36,5454 with nearly 56.1% of these students (20,500) attending the College’s main campus. The College is a major employer with 1,406 part and full time faculty and staff (400 fulltime faculty, 619 adjunct faculty, 355 classified staff, and 32 management).5 American River College, built in 1955 on the former Cameron Ranch in the middle of what was then farms and ranches, was designed as a commuter, auto-oriented campus. The College is surrounded by a variety of residential neighborhoods including apartments, condos, and single family homes as well as many older farm houses and ranchettes. While the neighborhood primarily consists of suburban development, pockets of the area’s rural past remain nearby.

1 Walking includes both able and disabled pedestrians whether using wheelchairs, walkers, canes, or other assistive devices. 2 The California Code of Regulations, Title 24, and the Sacramento County Improvement Standards. 3 LRCCD Office of Institutional Research. 4 Victoria Rosario, Los Rios Community College District, February 2008. 5 Laduan Smedley, American River College, Administrative Services, 2008.


The campus is bounded by College Oak Drive on the west, Myrtle Avenue on the north, and Arcade Creek and Winding Way along the east and south. The east and south side of the campus is bounded by Arcade Creek. The 16.2 mile long Arcade Creek flows from Orangevale, northeast of campus, to the Sacramento River. Campus Institutions & Transportation American River College has a shared governance structure that includes the College Administration, the Academic Senate, the Student Senate and the Classified Senate. The Administration in collaboration with the Faculty Senate as well as the Classified Senate have created many joint committees to deal with academic and administrative issues. The Building, Grounds, and Safety Committee has reviewed and provided input to the Los Rios Transportation Connections Plan. Additionally, the Committee has expressed a desire to continue to be involved in this issue as specific plans for pedestrian and bicycle improvements are brought forward. Transportation issues are dealt with administratively by the College’s Department of Administrative Services. The Director of Administrative Services and Vice President for Administrative Services are responsible for assuring the smooth operation of the campus facilities including maintenance of walkways, parking operations, and transportation issues. The College’s Public Information Office is responsible for transportation information such as directions to campus on the College’s website. Disability access is the responsibility of the Disabled Student Programs and Services Coordinator.

American River College – Transportation Findings

Travel Behavior Over half of the students who attend the College’s main campus live within five miles of the campus. A GIS analysis6 of street addresses of the 20,500 students attending the main campus in Fall 2007 found that 4.2% live within one mile of the campus; 13.7% live within two miles; and 51.8% live within five miles. The locations of student residences are fairly evenly distributed in the surrounding residential areas.

6 Student Population Fall 2007, GIS Map & Analysis prepared by Charlie Thomsen and James Barr, American River College, 2008.


Distance for Student Residence from American River College Main Campus: Fall 2007

Unduplicated Student Counts for ARC Main Campus: Fall 2007

169 170525

1,944

7,815

6,730

1,473

472 551339 223 89

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

.0 - .25 .26 - .5 .5 - 1 1 - 2 2 - 5 5 - 10 10 - 15 15 - 20 20 - 30 30 - 40 40 - 50 50+ Miles

Distance in Miles

Stud

ent C

ount

s

The chart above describes the unduplicated counts of students residing at each distance interval from the American River College Main Campus. Though the categories such as 1-2 and 2-5 appear to overlap, they don’t as each interval such as 1-2 actually represents 1.01 to 2.00, 2.01 to 5.00 etc. (J. Barr & Charlie Thomsen, American River College)


Although most students drive to campus, a significant proportion use transit, and some walk or bicycle to campus. Survey results indicate that about 9% of American River students always take Light Rail to campus, that about 14% always take the bus, and 4% always walk or bike. In addition, approximately 11% always carpool or are dropped off.

“How do you currently get to American River College?”

As many as 20% of the students use more than one mode each day, as can be seen in the table above. Many use both the Light Rail and the bus between the College and the Light Rail Station. Some use other combinations; for example, students might walk to the bus and then ride the bus. Or they might be dropped off and then walk or take transit to campus. Student responses regarding the ways that they “Sometimes” get to American River College indicate that rather than relying on a single commute mode, individual students use different modes at different times, piecing together a combination of modes to meet their transportation needs. American River College is a major travel destination. This is reflected in the high traffic (motor vehicle) volumes of the streets that lead to the College coming from all directions. Analyzing average daily traffic (ADT) volumes indicates that many of those living east of the College use Winding Way to reach the College, and many drive via Walnut Avenue from the south. Many also access the College from I-80 and Auburn Boulevard via College Oak Drive and Orange Grove Avenue.7

Mode Always Sometimes Never

Walk 2.0% 6.1% 91.9% Bicycle 2.0% 5.1% 92.9% Light Rail 8.9% 4.0% 87.1% Bus 13.6% 8.7% 77.7% Drive Alone 76.9% 13.4% 9.7% Carpool 5.9% 24.5% 69.6% Dropped Off 5.0% 21.0% 74.0% Other 5.4% 0.0% 94.6%

Total 119.7%*

*Survey respondents could select multiple modes. Source: Los Rios Community College District Email Survey 2007 (Appendix E)

7 Sacramento County Department of Transportation – average daily traffic volumes are available at: http://www.sacdot.com/tools/trafficCounts/


Street Characteristics in the Vicinity of American River College

(* higher volumes near freeway entrances)

Transportation Information Each new term brings new students to American River College. Students and faculty have different schedules each semester and different schedules on different days of the week. Thus, up-to-date information about transportation options is important as students plan their semester schedules. The College’s main web-page provides links to driving directions coming from eight different directions. Route directions for walking or bicycling are not on the web. The “General Information” drop down link under “About ARC” includes a link to transit information. The “Bus and Light Rail” link provides transit route schedules and maps, and a link to Regional Transit’s home-page. Transit schedules are also available in the Administration Building. A different web-page has a link that directs students to pick up their Student Access Card/transit pass sticker at the Student Services Building, Library circulation desk or Administration Building. Drop off/pick up locations and ADA accessible route directions are not included on the website. Information about bicycling on the ARC website was scant. The campus maps showed car parking lots but did not indicate the location of bicycle parking. Permit information for car and motorcycle parking is prominently displayed on the web site. There was no specific bicycle information page. Contact information for renting bike lockers was on the website but difficult to find.

Street Name # of travel lanes 8

Posted speed limit

Sidewalks or walkways?

Bike lanes?

Average Daily Traffic

Auburn Boulevard

5 40 Yes - narrow Yes 23,000 – 34,000*

College Oak Drive

2-4 35 Missing sections some 17,329

Madison Avenue

6 45 Yes - narrow No 56,183 – 63,808*

Myrtle/Hemlock 2-3 35-25-35 Missing sections on Myrtle 9,286 Orange Grove 2 35 Missing sections yes 9,120 Walnut Avenue 2-4 40 Missing sections yes 23,030 Winding Way 2 25 (20) No some 19,284

8. This does not include turning lanes.


Pedestrian Access to the College Walking to American River College is challenging. Many segments of streets adjacent to the College lack sidewalks or walkways. One street, Winding Way, has no sidewalks or walkways at all. Some intersections are skewed, making crossing the street difficult and dangerous. Arcade Creek prevents pedestrian access from the east and south. Many of the existing sidewalks are blocked by utility poles. For persons with disabilities, these challenges are significantly magnified. College Oak Drive: College Oak Drive lacks sidewalks on several sections adjacent to the College and north to Auburn Boulevard. The College and neighboring residential areas are connected by College Oak Drive to the commercial areas on Auburn Boulevard and Madison Avenue. An effort is underway to revitalize this commercial area, and good pedestrian ties could be incorporated into this revitalization effort. College Oak Drive could be considered the gateway to the College for the community to the north. Orange Grove Avenue: Orange Grove Avenue is the main access road coming from the west and acts as a gateway to the College. It is the road used by Regional Transit buses connecting to the Watt/I-80 Light Rail Station. Many portions of this street have no sidewalks. The mid-block crosswalk between Pasadena and Sycamore Avenue in front of Orange Grove Adult School and near two bus stops does not have a signal. The bus stop on Orange Grove Avenue at College Oak Drive is located along a narrow sidewalk which does not meet ADA access requirements. There is sufficient right of way to widen this area to provide additional space for pedestrians as well as for transit riders waiting to catch buses. Myrtle and Hemlock Avenues: Myrtle Avenue provides additional access to the College from the west and access to the northern part of the campus. One pedestrian entrance and five vehicle entrances are located on Myrtle. Two eastbound lanes beginning at College Oak Drive provide queuing room for autos entering the campus. Myrtle Avenue lacks sidewalks and bike lanes on some sections from Auburn Boulevard to College Oak Drive. While there are sidewalks along the northern boundary of the College, they are narrow and unshaded. Utility poles block the sidewalks in many locations.

Sidewalk on north side of Myrtle Avenue near College Oak Drive


Pedestrians have limited access from Myrtle Avenue and must cross a confusing and unshaded parking lot maze before reaching the campus. Potential exists to reconfigure parking lots reducing the size of parking spaces and aisles to provide room for pedestrian paths from Myrtle Avenue. Myrtle Avenue transitions into Hemlock Avenue, which connects with Madison Avenue. Hemlock has sidewalks on both sides of the street except the south eastern portion bordering on the Campus and Arcade Creek and some segments on the east side of the street. Winding Way, Walnut Avenue and Arcade Creek: Winding Way and Arcade Creek are major barriers to pedestrians and bicyclists. Winding Way is a two-lane, heavily travelled roadway providing access from the east. Walnut Avenue provides access from the south, joining Winding Way east of College Oak Drive. During peak periods at the beginning and ending of the day there are long queues of cars waiting to get through the light at Walnut Avenue and Winding Way before crossing over Arcade Creek and turning right onto College Oak Drive. There are no separate sidewalks or walkways along Winding Way. The bike lanes are narrow or non-existent. An inconspicuous pedestrian footbridge over Arcade Creek provides a pedestrian and bicycle connection between two sections of Pasadena Avenue north of Winding Way. However, this bridge is not ADA accessible. The Arcade Parks and Recreation District recently completed a 1.6 mile trail connecting Arcade Creek Park near Garfield Avenue to the American River College nature area just east of the campus. The trail ends without a safe crossing onto the College campus. Pedestrians can cross Arcade Creek to the campus on a narrow, aging sewer pipe – a less than satisfactory connection. Pedestrian Entrances The campus is bordered by approximately 31 acres of parking located off College Oak Drive and Myrtle Avenue and enclosed by wrought iron fencing. Of the ten parking lot entrances along the northern and western sides, only two provide sidewalk entrances for pedestrians. The other entrances provide space only for cars, with the wrought iron fencing forcing pedestrians into the vehicle travel lanes of the driveways. Pedestrians can also use three narrow openings in parking lot fences as entrances, but none of these provides a good pedestrian route. Pedestrians, including those walking from their cars, must navigate through the large unshaded parking lot amidst the parked cars.


Access at American River College Entrances

Pedestrian Drop Off/Pick Up Survey results indicate that over one quarter of American River College students are dropped off some of the time. Disorganized drop off and pick up has been a problem. One on-campus designated drop-off/pick up location is not obvious from adjacent roadways and requires driving through parking lots. Safe, well lit pick-up locations are especially important for students after late evening classes. The lack of convenient places to drop-off or pick-up students may encourage students to avoid being dropped off, resulting in more driving trips to campus and increased demand for parking places. Conversely, convenient drop-off and pick-up locations support walking and transit use for the other leg of a student’s round trip to campus. Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Issues The intersection of Auburn and College Oak Drive is dangerous for both pedestrians and bicyclists. From 2001-2006, this intersection accounted for the greatest number of reported bicycle and pedestrian collisions in the vicinity of the College.9 The intersection at College Oak Drive and Winding Way is also problematic for pedestrians. Walking and bicycling to and from campus in the evening poses safety concerns because of the lack of good street lighting. Street Trees & Utility Poles American River College has many beautiful oaks and other large trees on its campus. However, very few trees are located along the perimeter or in the parking lot areas, although the American River College Master Plan indicates the College’s interest in adding trees to these areas. Walking through the parking lots in the summer heat is sweltering for pedestrians as well as for those exiting parked cars. Large-stature shade trees provide many benefits10: comfort for walkers and bicyclists as well as transit

Entrance Pedestrian Automobile College Oak & Orange Grove (main entrance)

1 1

College Oak -- other entrances 0 4 Myrtle Avenue 1 5 Winding Way & College Oak* 1 0 Winding Way 1 0

*Non-ADA compliant pedestrian access requires crossing a ditch at an intersection that floods each winter.

9 Sacramento County Dept of Transportation 10The Large Tree Argument: The Case for Large-Stature Trees vs. Small-Stature Trees, Center for Urban Forest Research, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Davis, California and the Southern Center for Urban Forestry Research & Information, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Athens, Georgia. 2004.


riders; traffic calming – traffic tends to be a bit slower on streets with tree canopy. Shade trees have been shown to lengthen the life of asphalt11– lengthening the time between repaving streets and parking lots, and trees add beauty and a sense of place as well as a sense of the College as a cool, green, welcoming space. Utility poles block pedestrian access along Myrtle Avenue, College Oak Drive, Orange Grove Drive and Hemlock Drive. Bicycle Access to the College The Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates (SABA) review of bicycle access to the College within a two-mile radius identified many barriers to bicycling as well as improvements that would support increased bicycling to the College. Additionally, SABA has provided several program and organizational recommendations that would support increased bicycling to the College.12 Access from the north College Oak Drive, Hemlock Street, and Garfield Avenue provide access to the campus from the north. College Oak Drive north of Myrtle Avenue is extremely bicycle-unfriendly, though there appears to be sufficient width for bike lanes from Myrtle to Auburn Boulevard. Garfield Avenue, while it has bicycle lanes, also has four lanes with high traffic speeds. Marmith Avenue offers a way for southbound cyclists on Garfield to reach Hemlock Street and the campus. However, northbound cyclists trying to make a left turn from Marmith Avenue to Garfield Avenue would find it very difficult because of the lack of a traffic signal. Hemlock Street has bike lanes, two lanes of traffic and lower traffic speeds. I-80 is a major barrier to the north. There is a bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing of the freeway from Verner Avenue to Jeanine Drive, about a mile and half due north of the campus. The narrow overcrossing entrance at Verner Avenue is unsigned and somewhat hidden between two houses. Fence barriers at the entries require bicyclists to dismount. The barriers do not meet Caltrans standards, which require a five-foot gap. The very steep ramps to the overcrossing are difficult for a bicyclist to climb (and are very likely out of

11“Effects of Street Tree Shade on Asphalt Concrete Performance” by McPherson & Muchnick, Journal of Architecture, November 2005. 12 Details of SABA’s findings and recommendations are provided in Appendix F to this Plan (and at SABA’s website: www.sacbike.org).

Unmarked entrance to I-80 overcrossing at Verner Avenue with overlapping fence


compliance with ADA requirements). The narrow pathway and four 90-degree turns also create difficulty. The Elkhorn/Greenback interchange offers another crossing of I-80, but the on and off ramps at the interchange and high traffic volumes are intimidating and treacherous. Access from the west I-80 runs diagonally by the campus and is about one mile away at its closest point. The freeway effectively blocks access for many cyclists from the west and northwest. Madison Avenue is a major east-west route, but is bicycle-unfriendly with no space for cyclists. The interchange at Madison and I-80 is very intimidating: overcrossing grades and multiple-lane, high-speed on ramps create conflicts between bicyclists and motorists. The bicycle connection to light rail at Watt Avenue is poor. The station is located below Watt Avenue on the median between I-80 freeway lanes. Passengers must ascend to the Watt Avenue overcrossing. Cyclists arriving by light rail may take their bike on an elevator from the station to Watt Avenue level, but then find themselves in the middle of the freeway interchange on a road carrying approximately 60,000 vehicles a day. Heading toward Auburn Boulevard en route to the campus requires passing through a second freeway interchange for Business 80. Once on Auburn Boulevard, bicyclists have access to bicycle lanes the length of Auburn. Orange Grove Avenue and Myrtle Avenue also have bike lanes coming into the Campus. Access from the south The campus has no entrance on the south side except for the small pedestrian opening off Winding Way. The most direct street access is via Walnut Avenue to Winding Way. Walnut has four lanes, a two-way median turn lane, and bike lanes. There is some shade. Garfield Avenue, which parallels Walnut to the east, also has bike lanes and provides a more pleasant riding experience as it is two lanes wide with slower traffic. It has extra-wide lanes in some sections but improperly placed bike lanes near intersections. The bike lanes are to the right of right-turn-only lanes which violates Caltrans standards and can confuse and endanger through cyclists. Mission Avenue, in conjunction with Pasadena Avenue to Orange Grove Avenue, provides another close route from the south. An inconspicuous and little- used (non-ADA accessible) pedestrian bridge on Pasadena Avenue provides a crossing of Arcade Creek for bicyclists as well as pedestrians.


Access from the east The east side of campus is bordered by Arcade Creek and there are no vehicle entrances. There is no bicycle bridge across the creek leading to the residential area to the east. Winding Way is the main east-west route directly serving the campus. Winding Way has bike lanes, but they are not continuous in all sections. Within a half mile of the campus Winding Way is a two-lane road; it becomes four lanes east of Garfield. There are non-continuous bike lanes from Garfield to Dewey Drive. Cyclists are directed to frontage roads east of Manzanita Avenue. Cyclists are left with no legal option where the eastbound frontage road ends in a right turn only. Traffic volume is high and speeds are fast. Vegetation encroaches into the bike lanes near Dewey. A dangerous curb protrudes into the path of bicyclists near Mary Lynn Lane/Rampart Court. Winding Way has two bridges near the campus with raised barriers separating the bike lanes from the motor vehicle lanes. While the barriers don’t meet Caltrans standards, (physical barriers are not permitted between bike lanes and vehicle lanes because barriers prevent street sweeping) they appear necessary to prevent motorists from cutting corners and jeopardizing the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. There is a jarring elevation difference between the bridge closest to Walnut and bike lane pavement on the south side of Winding Way. In general, pavement conditions on streets and in bike lanes were good, though Garfield north of Madison was fair, Winding Way east of Manzanita was rough and there was broken glass on a significant number of streets. Bicycle Parking & Campus Access The College has bicycle parking for approximately 360 bicycles. The bicycle racks and bicycle lockers are dispersed throughout the campus. If the Los Rios Survey data are accurate, there may be an immediate need for additional bicycle parking, depending on how many bicyclists are on campus at any one time. The survey indicated that approximately 2% of student trips to the College are by bicycle, which indicates that more than 400 students bicycle to campus.

Bike lane ends on westbound Winding Way near Manzanita though there is sufficient width for bike lane


The mostly “comb” type racks at the College do not provide optimum storage because they are not designed for both bike wheels to be locked. To address this problem, many bicyclists take up several rack “spaces” to lock both wheels. The SABA evaluation team noted that many of the racks are not located to optimize bicycle parking. Some racks were placed next to walls or each other which cut their capacity by half or more. Other racks were located in a sunken area north of Davies hall requiring cyclists to carry their bike up and down two steps to reach the racks. The SABA team observed 64 bike lockers dispersed throughout the campus but mostly clustered around Davies Hall. It is unclear whether bicycles are allowed on the campus sidewalk/path system. There was no signage observed regarding bicycling. Two indistinct and barely legible pavement markings that prohibited bicycling and skateboarding were observed. The campus is less compact than the Sacramento City College campus, making bicycling a more useful means to get from one part of the campus to another. Loop detectors at the exit from the campus driveway to Orange Grove Avenue were able to detect two bikes, but not a single bike. The signal phase did not allow bicyclists sufficient time to clear the intersection. Transit Access to the College Los Rios students voted to assess themselves a semester fee for universal transit access. This minimal fee enables all Los Rios students to have a transit pass for the entire semester making transit affordable. However, transit access to the College is limited by the routes available and the schedules. Students who don’t take transit to the College cite many reasons – the length of time it takes; the lack of knowledge about routes and schedules; the lack of transit near where they live; their need to go to multiple destinations (child care, employment), and uncertainty about safety and security.

Comb bike rack on ARC campus used functionally, but not as designed

Transit shelter next to College entrance on College Oak Drive


Top Reasons Students Give for Not Taking Transit

Regional Transit bus routes #1, #9, #10, and #82 serve the campus. The Blue Line’s Watt/I-80 station, the closest Light Rail Station, is connected with the College by bus #1. Bus #82 provides a link with the 65th Street Light Rail Station.

Transit Connections to American River College

The most frequent transit service is provided by the Light Rail Blue Line, which ends at the Watt & I-80 Station every 15 minutes.

Route # Headways (time between buses) & First & Last Bus

To and From Serves Sat & Sun service?

Light Rail Blue Line to

Watt I-80

15 min most of the day 30 min past 6 p.m. 5:53am-10:59 p.m.

Meadowview Light Rail Station to Watt I-80 Station

Northwestern suburbs, North Sacramento, Downtown and South Sacramento

Sat & Sun

#1 Greenback

15 min from 5 - 9 a.m. & 3-6:30 p.m. 20 min in the mid day 15-30 min 6:30-10 p.m. 5:00 a.m. – 10 p.m.*

Sunrise Mall Transit Center to Watt I-80 Station to McClellan Business Park

Greenback, Auburn Blvd., North Watt, McClellan Bus Park

Sat & Sun

#9 Carmichael-Walnut Ave.

Approximately 1 hr. 15 min. 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.*

Carmichael to American River College to Watt/I-80 Light Rail Station

Lincoln, California, Fair Oaks Blvd, Manzanita, Marconi, Walnut, Winding Way, College Oak, Orange Grove, Auburn, Watt Station.

Saturday service eliminated January 2008

#10 Carmichael

Dewey Drive

Approximately 1 hr. 15 min. 6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.*

Carmichael to Mercy San Juan to American River to Watt I/80 Station

Lincoln Ave., Fair Oaks Blvd., Manzanita, Winding Way, Dewey Drive, Coyle Avenue, Manzanita, Madison, Hemlock, College Oak, Orange Grove, Auburn, Watt/I-80 Station

Saturday service eliminated January 2008

#82 Howe-65th

St.

30 min 7:00 a.m. – 9:20 p.m.*

American River College to University/65th light rail station:

Major segments include: Whitney, Watt, Country Club Plaza, Morse, Northrop, Howe, Fair Oaks Blvd., CSUS, Elvas, University 65th St Station

Sat and Sun

*Approximate start & ending time for routes.

Takes too much time 49%

Don’t know routes or schedules 25.9%

Don’t feel safe 25.9%

Too far to walk to transit stops 21.1%

Not reliable 21.1%

Source: Los Rios Community College District Survey 2007 (Appendix E)


The Route #1 bus, which provides service between the College and the Watt I-80 Light Rail Station, runs every 15 minutes during the peak morning and evening hours and every twenty minutes during the mid-day hours. However, many complain that the Route #1 bus leaves just as they are making it upstairs or by elevator to the freeway overcrossing above the Watt I-80 Light Rail Station. It doesn’t provide “seamless” service, and passengers end up waiting another 15-20 minutes for the next shuttle connection. Nonetheless, this bus is the most utilized of the four Routes that access the College. The second most utilized is the Route #82, which winds its way through many streets, ending up at the University & 65th Street Light Rail.

Transit Boardings by Routes near American River College Currently students board buses at several locations along College Oak Drive and Orange Grove Avenue. Often students run across four lanes of College Oak to catch their bus. This is dangerous and also inconvenient. From 2001-2006 there were 3 reported pedestrian-vehicle collisions at this intersection.13 As noted earlier, the bus stop on Orange Grove Avenue at College Oak Drive is located on a narrow sidewalk which does not meet ADA standards. At one time, buses came on campus near the entrance to College Oak Drive, but later this access was removed and the space converted to parking. Automobile Parking Lots American River College has 4,235 automobile parking spaces spread out among nine parking lots, totaling approximately 31 acres.

Parking Spaces at American River College

Route Bus trips/day* Boardings/day

#1 - Greenback 115 2,660

#9 - Carmichael-Walnut Ave. 21 91 #10 - Carmichael Dewey Drive 20 94

#82 - Howe-65th St. 58 1,521

13 Sacramento County Dept of Transportation

Accessible parking 146 Staff 711 Student 3,280 Motorcycle 60 Other* 38 Total 4,235

*Both directions Source: Route Profiles Fiscal Year 2007, Sacramento Regional Transit 2007


At the beginning of semester parking is in short supply. Students often park on nearby streets and along College Oak Drive, sometimes in no-parking areas and often blocking bicycle lanes. Neighbors complain that students use Sycamore Avenue as a “free” parking lot (accompanied with a littering problem), particularly during the beginning of the semester, when Sycamore Avenue becomes congested with parked cars along both edges. Other streets in the vicinity of the campus receive heavy student parking as well. With the recent increase in enrollment, the parking problem has gotten worse and has lasted beyond the first few weeks of classes. The College is working to develop a short and long term strategy to address the parking issue, including considering seeking funding to build a parking structure.

One of the faculty issue papers developed as part of this planning effort suggests that additional space for both pedestrian and transit access could be achieved by reducing the current size of parking spaces and the size of the parking aisles.14 The Los Rios District (as required by the California Education Code) keeps the price of parking low in an effort to keep education affordable for students. Students can purchase a semester parking pass or pay for parking on a daily basis. Having a semester parking pass provides an incentive to drive to campus and utilize one’s parking pass. Some cities and campuses are instituting policies that give preference to daily fees to provide incentives for commuters to choose other options. Providing more convenient ways to access campus by other than a car can have positive impacts in terms of reducing parking demand. To reduce demands to 2006 levels, approximately 1,300 students would need to become “non-car” students. This would translate to an approximately 30% increase in students using “non-car” modes.

14 See Appendix A, “Where to Land: Optimizing Parking at American River College” by John Bell, 2008.

Transit, along with more walking and biking, can offer affordable choices for American River College students


Estimation of Non-Car Mode Increases Needed to Reduce Parking Demand

This analysis provides a rough estimate of how a modest increase in the magnitude of non-car users can impact a vital function of the College. It provides a strong case for making changes that can increase the non-car modes.

Mode Always Sometimes Increase needed to reduce parking demand to 2006 levels

Walk 410 1251 116 Bike 410 1251 116 Bus/Light Rail 2,788 1784 786 Dropped off 1,025 4,305 289 4,633 8,385 1,307


American River College Recommendations

The above schematic illustrates the main campus recommendations including roadway improvements on the roads adjacent to the campus – College Oak Drive and Myrtle Avenue. New pedestrian-bicycle entrance bridges are recommended to cross Arcade Creek to the neighborhoods to the south and east of the campus connecting with a perimeter path to the northern neighborhoods. New pedestrian walkways across the northern parking lots off Myrtle Avenue are recommended as is an on-campus transit center near the College entrance off College Oak Drive.


American River College Recommendations

Campus Institutional Recommendations: American River College has a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and concern about the many issues related to transportation connections, such as student access, health, environmental quality, transportation sustainability, and global warming, to name a few. Bringing the College’s talents and expertise to bear on this issue will accelerate cultural and physical environment changes toward increased support for multi-modal transportation connections. To engage the College’s talents in support of multi-modal transportation connections, the College can: Define responsibilities for transportation issues: Assign responsibility for overseeing multi-modal transportation issues. Include Transportation Connections as a topic of concern by the College’s Building, Grounds and Safety Committee with regular reports of problems and progress in improving access for pedestrian, bicyclists and transit users. Designate and empower staff to implement, initiate, and advocate for needed improvements. Initiate transportation advisory committees that provide regular input to the College’s governance structures and outside agencies on the problems that need to be addressed to improve access. Encourage the formation of user groups that provide support to campus commuters in dealing with issues related to their particular mode. Assess Progress: The College, its committees, and user groups can perform annual or semi-annual assessments of the multi-modal transportation environment. This can be done by walkability, bikability and transit audits with progress acknowledged and critical problems prioritized for action. Additionally, annual travel surveys can also assess changing travel patterns. Before and after surveys or other data collection can assess the impact of transportation improvements as they are implemented. Participate on local and regional planning bodies: The College can designate representatives to participate in local and regional planning efforts to provide input related to specific modes in the vicinity of American River College. Current planning efforts include: County of Sacramento’s Bikeway Masterplan Update; Arcade Creek Bike/Ped Crossings and Trails; Sacramento Regional Transit’s updates to their Transit Master Plan, Short Range Transit Plan, and ADA/Paratransit Plan; and the Old Foothill Farm Community and Economic Development Strategy & Action Plan – and potential formation of a Property Based Improvement District (PBID). When the County of Sacramento begins planning for the Auburn Boulevard Commercial Corridor study, the College can get involved in that as well.


Work with transportation & utility agencies on potential roadway & transit improvements: Work with the Sacramento County Department of Transportation on plans to upgrade sidewalks and bicycle lanes. Work with SMUD to relocate or underground utility poles blocking sidewalks. Work with Sacramento Regional Transit to coordinate transit route and schedule changes to maximize student ridership, and on the location and design of a potential on-campus transit center. Update Campus Master Plan, facilities plans and related studies: Incorporate consideration of multi-modal access when the American River College Master Plan is updated. Integrate all modes of transportation into any new facilities plans. Initiate feasibility study for the reconfiguration of the northern parking lot to incorporate pedestrian, bicycle and transit access amenities. Incorporate into campus life and programs: Incorporate, where appropriate, multi-modal transportation issues into academic and vocational classes, employee and student programs. Provide transportation information on all modes: As noted in the subsequent section. Campus Parking Lot Recommendations College Oak Drive Parking Lot Recommendations: • Reconfigure parking lots to provide space for an on-campus transit center. • Incorporate multimodal factors, such as parking for bicycle, on-campus transit

center, and well-lighted pedestrian pick-up/drop-off locations, into the design of any future parking structures.

• Provide shade trees along stadium walkway. Myrtle Avenue Parking Lot Recommendations: Initiate feasibility study of reconfiguring the parking area to: • Provide wide, shaded pedestrian sidewalks connecting with campus walkways. • Provide irrigated planter areas along walkways utilizing landscaping techniques

such as “structural soil”15 to enable the planting of trees that when mature can shade to the walkways and the nearby parking without raising the pavement.

• Provide bike lanes from Myrtle to the campus. • Provide convenient, well-marked passenger loading zones on campus to increase

the convenience and safety of people being dropped off or picked up.

15 Structural soil is a term for an engineered soil with adequate load bearing properties to support sidewalk or pavement yet allow for sufficient nutrient and water drainage for healthy trees.


Transportation Information Recommendations Provide transportation information to students, staff, faculty and visitors regarding all transportation options for getting to campus. Include directions for all modes (walking, bicycling, transit, driving, and passenger loading areas) whenever “Directions to Campus” are provided on the college website, class schedules, event flyers, etc. to encourage multimodal commuting. Provide information: • On all modes. • On transit with course enrollment materials to help students plan transit compatible

schedules. • On car-free living and savings with financial aid advising. Let potential students

know that car ownership is not a prerequisite to attending ARC. • For students who are looking for housing or jobs, provide information on transit and

bicycle routes to provide more opportunity to choose housing or work that does not necessitate car commuting to campus.

Implement targeted informational campaigns at key times to inform incoming students of transportation options. A program to encourage making one’s first trip to campus by transit, bicycle, etc. is an option. Near the end of a semester, prepare for the coming semester by reminding the campus community of beginning of semester parking issues, and provide information on transit, bicycling, etc. Roadway Improvement Recommendations The County of Sacramento has significant right-of-way along most of the roads adjacent to the College, even Winding Way. This is fortunate as adding bicycle lanes and sidewalks or paths takes space.

Myrtle Avenue adjacent to American River College


College Oak Drive Gateway Recommendations • Provide sidewalks on the College side from Winding Way to the College Entrance.

Complete sidewalks on both sides of College Oak from Orange Grove Avenue to Winding Way. (See diagram below)

• Reconfigure College Oak Drive north of the College from Myrtle Avenue to Auburn

Boulevard16 to provide separated sidewalks with wide planters for large stature shade trees and continuous bike lanes. Continue bike lanes and separated sidewalks from Auburn Boulevard to Madison Avenue.

• Provide marked crosswalks with pedestrian refuge islands on Auburn Boulevard at College Oak Drive.

• Provide upgraded intersection at College Oak Drive and Winding Way with marked crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, and a traffic signal.

• Move utility poles where blocking sidewalks. Orange Grove Avenue Gateway Recommendations: • Provide wide continuous sidewalks on both sides of Orange Grove Avenue. • Provide pedestrian activated signals at the mid-block crosswalk between Pasadena

and Sycamore Avenue to help slow traffic speeds and allow pedestrians a safer crossing.

• Provide separated sidewalks with shade trees where there is room.17

16 The County has between 72’ and 106’ of right of way along the segment of College Oak Drive from Myrtle Avenue to Auburn Boulevard. 17 The County has approximately 54’ of right of way on this segment of Orange Grove Avenue.

College Oak Drive Looking South


• Widen the sidewalk and waiting space at the bus stop on Orange Grove and College Oak Drive to meet ADA requirements.

• Provide shelter, shade and lighting at bus stops. • Straighten the pedestrian crossing across College Oak Drive, and add pedestrian

refuge islands. • Move utility poles where blocking sidewalks. Myrtle, Hemlock & Date Avenue Recommendations: Provide continuous sidewalks along both sides of Myrtle from Auburn Boulevard to College Oak Drive with planters between the sidewalks and traffic where there is room.18 • Improve lighting. • Provide upgraded pedestrian crossing at Myrtle Avenue and College Oak Drive

including pedestrian refuge islands. • Provide convenient passenger loading zones along Myrtle. • When the College reconfigures the northern parking lot, consider reconfiguring the

sidewalks on the south side of Myrtle Avenue to provide separation from the street, and planting new shade trees along with necessary irrigation (see diagram below)

18 The County has approximately 58’ of right of way in this section of Myrtle Avenue.

Myrtle Avenue Looking West


• Add sidewalks where missing on Myrtle from the College entrances continuing through Hemlock to Madison Avenue.18

• Provide sidewalk connection to the proposed pedestrian bridge connecting to Arcade Creek Trail.

• Add bicycle lanes and sidewalks on Date Avenue from Madison Avenue to Myrtle Avenue, allowing students to safely walk or ride along Date Avenue, bypassing a portion of Madison Avenue and College Oak Drive.

• Move or underground utility poles where blocking sidewalks. Winding Way, and Walnut Avenue Recommendations: While this section of Winding Way is narrow, there is sufficient right-of-way to provide bike lanes and walkways.19 Care will be needed in making changes to this road because it is close to Arcade Creek. • Provide continuous bike lanes and separate walkways along both sides of Winding

Way. • Provide pedestrian and bicycle improvements to the intersection at Winding Way

and College Oak Drive. • Re-stripe westbound bike lane at the curve west of Cameron Ranch Drive to narrow

traffic lane and help reduce vehicle speed at that location. • Provide separated sidewalks on Walnut Avenue leading to Winding Way. • Consider narrowing the lanes on Winding Way east of the campus, between the

curve west of Cameron Ranch Drive and Garfield Avenue, to reduce speeding. • Add bike lanes between Manzanita and Rampart. Additional Intersection Improvements: • Adjust signal detection and timing at College Oak and Orange Grove intersection. • Install accessible pedestrian signals where there are signals without this

technology. • Move bike lanes to the left of right turn only lanes on Garfield Boulevard to increase

the safety of through cyclists (and meet Caltrans standards) at Engle Road, Gibbons Drive, Cypress Avenue, and Locust Avenue.

19. The County has approximately 50 – 60’ of right of way on Winding Way between College Oak Drive and Walnut Avenue and approximately 64 – 111’ of right of way in the segment east to Valhalla Drive.


Bicycle-Pedestrian Freeway Overcrossing Recommendations: Interstate 80 is a major barrier to bicycling and walking to the College from the north. Nonetheless, there are potential improvements. An existing bicycle-pedestrian overcrossing at Verner Avenue and Jeanine Drive has access problems that could be improved. Providing a new overcrossing at Myrtle Avenue, though a major investment, could provide significant new bicycle and pedestrian access to the area north of the campus.

Verner Avenue Crossing: • Place directional signage leading to the Verner Avenue/Jeanine Drive bicycle/

pedestrian overcrossing, such as at Diablo Drive and Hillsdale Boulevard, Diablo Drive and Elkhorn Boulevard, and Madison Avenue, Auburn Boulevard and Garfield Avenue.

• Place appropriate directional and motor vehicle regulatory signage at the Verner Avenue/Jeanine Drive bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing.

• Modify the Verner Avenue/Jeanine Drive bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing to meet Caltrans standards while still preventing motor vehicle access.

Myrtle Avenue Crossing: • Construct a bicycle/pedestrian overcrossing of I-80 at Myrtle Avenue. • Provide bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of Myrtle from Watt Avenue to

College Oak Drive as part of this overcrossing project. Arcade Creek Recommendations In meeting with faculty, staff and community members, it became apparent that a significant opportunity exists that could be a win-win for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as for motorists. Providing a pedestrian-bicycle bridge across Arcade Creek at Walnut Avenue would enable many to avoid the Winding Way bottleneck by walking or bicycling from the south. There are continuous bicycle lanes and space to complete the sidewalks along Walnut Avenue. Diverting some of the traffic to walking and bicycling could, in fact, reduce the congestion on both Walnut Avenue and Winding Way. Another pedestrian-bicycle crossing of Arcade Creek could be provided from Winding Way from the east where Winding Way bends to the southwest. This crossing would be helpful for pedestrians and bicyclists coming from the east, enabling them to avoid the narrow section of Winding Way. An additional pedestrian bridge and resurfaced walkway is needed to connect the recently completed trail from Arcade Creek Park. This would provide pedestrian-only access from the eastern residential areas.


The bridges could connect to a paved path (now an unpaved road) along the southern and eastern edge of campus paralleling Arcade Creek to create a north-south pedestrian-bicycle connection with Myrtle and Hemlock Streets north of the campus. Any pedestrian-bicycle bridges, as well as ancillary sidewalks and walkways, would need to be designed to meet all ADA access requirements. Pedestrian/bicycle bridges can be designed and constructed off-site, thereby lowering their cost. Additionally, such bridges can be designed and built to minimize footings so as to reduce environmental impacts to the creek. The City of Folsom has installed many bridges of this kind. Paths such as what is proposed are often designed in collaboration with community groups and neighborhood leaders to assure that important community concerns are addressed in the design of the pedestrian/bicycle route. At the outreach meetings related to this plan, many neighbors and community groups expressed interest in being part of any plan for this area. Improving access across and along Arcade Creek would benefit students, the College, as well as nearby residents. Arcade Creek Specific Recommendations: • Provide a pedestrian-bicycle bridge or bridges crossing Arcade Creek at Walnut

Avenue and farther east on Winding Way. • Provide a pedestrian bridge and resurfaced walkway to connect with the recently

completed trail from Arcade Creek Park. • Provide a bicycle-pedestrian campus perimeter route from the parking lot near the

stadium around the east side of the campus connecting the proposed bridge (s) to the northern part of the campus.

• Establish a College and community advisory committee to provide input to planning for the bridge(s) and connecting routes. The committee could include representatives of the College, the neighborhood residents, public safety agencies, recreation districts and other organizations concerned about Arcade Creek and transportation to the College.

• Investigate the feasibility of an Arcade Creek trail system extending both west and east of the campus and connecting to the proposed City of Sacramento/Sacramento County trail at Del Paso Park.

• Add “Except for pedestrians and bicycles” signs to the “No through street” signs on Pasadena Avenue northbound near Winding Way and southbound near Orange Grove Avenue.

• Obtain trail and or transportation easements on property bordering Winding Way, when opportunities become available.


Additional Bicycle Access, Program & Organizational Recommendations Campus Program Recommendations: • Develop a campus Bicycle Master Plan to serve students, faculty, staff and visitors. • Designate a campus bicycle coordinator. • Form a Bicycle Advisory Committee. • Provide up-to-date bicycle information on campus website. • Support formation of a bicycle users group. • Provide bicycle skills training. Campus Infrastructure Recommendations: • Replace campus bike racks with inverted-U or other racks recommended in the

Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professional Bicycle Parking Guidelines. • Designate campus bikeways. • Add bike parking directional signage. • Assess need for additional shower and locker access for bicycle commuters. Bicycle Route Recommendations: • Develop map of potential bike routes coming to the College from various directions. • Create a signed bike route between the Verner Avenue/Jeanine Drive bicycle/

pedestrian overcrossing and the campus. • Designate Marmith Avenue between Hemlock and Garfield as a bicycle route. Transit Access Recommendations There are many opportunities to gain transit improvements to American River College. Some are modest, such as increasing access to transit information by students. Others will require investments such as upgrading waiting areas, providing new transit routes and increasing transit frequencies. To build a good environment for bicycling, transportation planners often use a “5-E” framework. The “Es” are Engineering (build the facilities), Enforcement (be sure that the facilities are used safely), Education (provide information on how and where to bicycle), Encouragement (create events, activities and incentives to encourage bicycling), and Evaluation (assess the effectiveness of measures to increase bicycling). A similar approach might be used for transit. The education element could include providing up-to-date information on transit routes and schedules as well as the economics of taking transit – saving money by not using a car. The encouragement “E” could include creating events and activities that encourage transit riding, such as transit rider days and transit user groups.


The enforcement “E” could include providing safe, well lit shelters for transit riders and provide greater safety and security on buses and Light Rail. The engineering “E” could include providing safe pedestrian access to transit waiting areas and provide increased routes and frequencies. The evaluation “E” could include initiating a transit advisory committee to regularly review and assess progress in meeting the needs of the College’s transit riders. Nearly 3,000 students regularly take Light Rail and/or transit to American River College in spite of challenging conditions in terms of routes, schedules and transit waiting areas. An additional 1,800 students take transit occasionally. Students have a powerful economic incentive to take transit. With modest improvements, many more students would likely choose this option. Coordination and involvement with the Sacramento Regional Transit District is critical to gain priority for changes that would lead to increased transit ridership to the College. This is an opportune time as the Sacramento Regional Transit District is in the midst of a major planning effort which will culminate in a long range Transit Master Plan, a Short Range Transit Plan and an ADA/Paratransit Plan. These plans are expected to lead to a new funding initiative to support expanded Light Rail and transit. Specific transit recommendations: Provide Information & Education: One of the second highest reasons that students give for not taking transit is that they don’t know the routes or schedules. Additionally, some students are unaware of their ability to ride transit using their Los Rios Transit Access Card. Information could remedy this situation with minimum investment. • Include information on transit routes in all directions to the College. • Provide convenient places on campus where transit route brochures are easily

available. • Provide information about the Transit Access Card. • Provide information on the health benefits of walking to transit to influence those

students that live near transit stops to take transit for some of their trips. Increase Safety of Transit Waiting Areas: The other second highest reasons that students give for not taking transit is that they don’t feel safe. It is not hard to understand these feelings when you witness students running to catch transit at cramped, unlit waiting areas. Upgrade transit waiting areas adjacent to the College with good lighting, room for all to maneuver, and shelter from wind and rain. Current RT standards for bus stops require paved space behind the walkway so that persons waiting for the bus do not impede pedestrians walking by the stop. There appears to be sufficient right-of-way to widen these stops to current standards. Shelters that protect riders from the wind and rain as well as provide lighting would add to the comfort and safety of these stops.


Build on-campus transit center: In the long term, the College can, with the involvement of the Sacramento Regional Transit District, create an on-site Transit Center that would include shelter from the rain and up-to-date information on transit routes and timetables. Reinstating on-campus transit boarding would significantly increase the convenience and safety of transit use. The Center could be enhanced with lighting, seating with tables and wireless internet connections to facilitate study while waiting. Optimize schedules and increase transit frequencies: Collaborate with Sacramento Regional Transit to coordinate transit routes, frequencies, schedules with students’ needs. Transit routes, schedules and frequencies are the key elements in whether or not students will choose transit. • Improve transit connections with the Watt/I-80 Light Rail Station so that students

arriving to the Light Rail Station are able to catch the next bus leaving from the Station.

• Align class and transit schedules as needed to maximize timing to meet class

schedules. Alignment of schedules is especially important for routes with long headways and is a tool for building ridership, so that frequency can be increased.

• Consider providing facilities for bus drivers to take breaks at the College to give RT

another tool for adjusting bus schedules to align with class schedules. Participate in Sacramento Regional Transit’s Planning Process: Initiate involvement of students, faculty, and staff in the update of Regional Transit’s Transit Plan, Short Range Transit Plan and ADA/Paratransit Plan. This could include: • Outreach: Explore in greater detail what would work to make transit a more viable

option for students as well as faculty and staff. This could take the form of more detailed surveys, focus groups and on-campus workshops.

• Evaluate and revise routes: Using the excellent GIS capabilities of the College gives planners the opportunity to design routes that would optimize access to students.

• Provide transit recommendations: Provide specific recommendations to Regional Transit for improvements that would increase transit ridership. The recommendations in this plan are a good beginning.

• Create On-Campus Transit Management/Planning Group: Create a joint staff/faculty/student transit management advisory group. The purpose of the group would be to assist in various activities that support increasing transit and transit ridership to the College, such as participating in Sacramento Regional Transit’s planning process, providing recommendations to American River College governance structures to gain support for changes that would improve transit and transit ridership, and providing quick response to transit issues that arise on campus.

Documents

Los Rios Transportation Connections - WALKSacramento