The Metropolitan Transportation Commission has awarded the City of Santa Rosa an $8.2 million grant to make the Jennings Avenue rail crossing safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. We are thrilled that this funding will go toward the implementation of a key piece of the North Santa Rosa Station Area Plan, which Greenbelt Alliance helped shape and was adopted in September 2012.
The Jennings Avenue rail crossing is located where Jennings Avenue crosses the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) tracks. Bicyclists and pedestrians—including children from nearby Helen Lehman Elementary School—currently use this unofficial crossing to cross the tracks illegally because there is no convenient or safe alternative at this location. With SMART service set to begin in late 2016, this dangerous crossing needs to be made safe for the community to use.
The plan is to build on-street pedestrian-friendly improvements or an elevated bridge that will make crossing over the tracks easier and safer. With the draft environmental impact report for this project due to be released on October 17 , Greenbelt Alliance will work with the community and the City to ensure that the Jennings Avenue rail crossing and the plan for the area surrounding the future SMART station creates a vibrant, walkable neighborhood.
Stay tuned for important upcoming meeting dates. To learn more or get involved, contact Lana Russell-Hurd at lrussellhurd@greenbelt.org.
