D Street Traffic Calming Pilot Project

A “pilot project” is a time-limited or short-term street redesign effort to test ways to improve conditions on a street using roadway markings, signage, and other low-cost elements. A pilot project gives the community a chance to experience and provide feedback on proposed changes. City engineers and police will use this opportunity to gather additional safety data and refine the design as needed prior to making longer-term changes using concrete and other fixed objects.

D Street was identified as a bike route in our current Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and has been selected as an ideal candidate for a pilot project due to an upcoming utility and paving project scheduled for 2026. This presents a unique opportunity to make long-term changes to the street design of an important arterial roadway used by many in our community.

The pilot project design was developed following a robust community engagement effort over the past two years that included multiple rounds of community workshops and surveys, as well as Council feedback and approval in spring of 2024. Our team of licensed traffic engineers, designed a pilot project that addressed the top priorities we heard from the community:

The pilot project adheres to state and federal traffic engineering design requirements and best practices for “complete streets,” which seek to safely accommodate several uses (in this case, people walking, bicycling, and driving). Unfortunately, due to the somewhat narrow width of D Street, it was not feasible to retain on-street parking on both sides of the street while also providing bike lanes and vehicle lanes in both directions.

We will provide opportunities for the community to give feedback throughout the duration of the pilot project. Findings from the pilot project (including community feedback and data collected before and during) will be presented to City Council for their consideration prior to implementation of the utility and road reconstruction project.

This project was identified in our in our current ped/bike plan from 2012(?) and the timing of this pilot is due to the upcoming work.

Parking will be removed along various portions of D Street to accommodate new and enhanced bike lanes (see map below). You will see the addition of road striping to indicate the new bike lanes and will see red paint and/or signage to indicate areas where parking is prohibited.

We are aware the changed parking conditions will be an adjustment. We have closely studied the corridor to ensure all properties adjacent to any parking removal have driveways and are located proximate to a side street with on-street parking and/or a crosswalk.

On-street parking will be available in the following areas along the D Street corridor:

Per the California Vehicle Code*, it is illegal to drive in a bike lane, except under the following circumstances:

Please do not stop, stand, or park in areas where parking is prohibited, except to pull safely to the side of the road for emergency vehicles to pass.

Please follow these guidelines anywhere you see red curbs and/or signage indicating the presence of a bike lane and/or an area where parking is prohibited. Property owners seeking to implement home or yard improvement projects that could temporarily block the bike lane should apply for an encroachment permit at cityofpetaluma.org/permits or at the new Permit Center located in the Building and Planning department at City Hall (11 English Street), Monday-Thursday between 9 AM-4 PM.

If you live along a section of D Street without on-street parking, place choose one of the following locations to place your garbage bins:

Please note the California Vehicle Code prohibits placing any object in the bike lane that impedes safe passage for people biking.

If you live along a section of D Street with on-street parking, please place your garbage bins within the parking lane, leaving the bike lane clear.

The pilot project design was developed following a robust community engagement effort over the past two years that included multiple rounds of community workshops and surveys, as well as Council feedback and approval in spring of 2024. Our team of licensed traffic engineers designed a pilot project that addressed the top priorities we heard from the community:

Below is a history of the community engagement conducted for the project.

On April 8, 2024, City staff presented D Street Pilot Project design options to City Council for consideration. City Council provided feedback and gave approval on the design.

Our Public Works & Utilities Director emailed those who have subscribed to project updates detailing proposed next steps, which include a “Phase I” project that aims to deliver traffic calming and pedestrian enhancements this fall.

In response to feedback received at our April 26, 2023 community workshop, we made a new survey available focusing primarily on the proposed lane configuration and bicycle route preferences. 261 people took the survey.

The City hosted its second community workshop to introduce and seek feedback on the proposed design. The meeting was attended by 55 people.

The proposed design includes several traffic calming, pedestrian, and intersection safety enhancements, as well as bike lanes in both directions between Petaluma Boulevard South and City Limits. In order to provide bike lanes in both directions, on-street parking would be prohibited on one side of the street between 4th Street and Laurel Avenue. Staff performed three weekday parking counts (morning, afternoon, and nighttime) and found that, on average,14 percent of on-street parking is utilized between 4th Street and Laurel Avenue. Parking counts were used to identify which side of the street had higher parking utilization; the resulting configuration includes parking on the inbound side of the street between 4th Street and 8th Street, and on the outbound side between 8th Street and Laurel Avenue.

For more background, including feedback collected through the City’s project survey and first community workshop, review the previous project updates below.

The City posted an online survey asking for feedback on priorities and potential design elements/roadway configurations. 138 people responded to the survey.

The City provided a similar presentation to the Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee, incorporating feedback received at the October 18 Community Workshop.

The City hosted a virtual community workshop to introduce the project and hear community concerns and ideas. The meeting was attended by 70 people.