Traffic in and near Penngrove is moving too fast – and roadways leave little space for walking and biking – prompting a variety of potential safety projects for the region’s roads, a new county study shows.

Results of the study, published July 3, came after the Sonoma County Public Infrastructure department and Sonoma County District 2 Supervisor David Rabbitt’s office took a variety of safety complaints, said Janice Thompson, deputy director for the infrastructure department. “There were a lot of voices,” Thompson said, all of which have called for slower traffic, reduced congestion and safer space for pedestrians.

County traffic statistics back up those claims, showing a variety of crash-prone intersections both in and around Penngrove, an unincorporated census-designated hamlet of just over 2,100 people, meaning its residents fall under county government control. Residents’ voices grew particularly loud after a Penngrove man and Sebastopol woman were hit while trying to cross Old Redwood Highway just south of Penngrove in October 2022. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the woman was treated for injuries.

County officials say they’re working to address the problems. And the study poses a variety of solutions, from re striping roads, to construction of traffic roundabouts to “speed tables,” speed-slowing devices that have yet to be deployed anywhere countywide. In a news release, Supervisor Rabbitt said that “changing traffic patterns and new developments in surrounding cities have disproportionately impacted the quiet community of Penngrove.” Penngrove lies between Cotati, Rohnert Park and Petaluma.

“The county is listening, and we are working toward providing the kind of relief that residents are requesting,” Rabbitt said.

Thompson pointed out myriad safety improvements over the last decade. Those include new signals at Old Redwood Highway and Main Street, signal adjustments at Petaluma Hill Road at Adobe Road, sidewalks on the west side of Main Street, crosswalk enhancements near the post office, safety enhancements at the SMART crossing and crosswalk safety updates at Penngrove Elementary School, located on Adobe Road.

But, she added that more can be done to improve traffic flow and address pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns.

Heavy congestion in downtown Penngrove along Petaluma Hill Road can add an extra 60 to 90 seconds to morning and evening commutes along the mile-long stretch. Other hot spots, according to the traffic study, include Old Redwood Highway at Ely Road and near the school, especially during drop-off and pick-up time.

Collision reports show the most problematic intersections are just outside of the Penngrove boundary, including at Old Redwood Highway and Railroad Avenue, where 40 collisions occurred between 2015 and 2021.

Two accidents at the intersection involved cyclists, the data shows.

But downtown Penngrove has its share of problems, too; Old Adobe Road and Petaluma Hill Road was the site of 22 collisions between 2015 and 2021. Additionally, the intersection of Petaluma Hill Road and Woodward Avenue, which is adjacent to the SMART rail crossing, was the site of 12 crashes between 2015 and 2021.

The county already has projects slated and funded for Old Redwood Highway. Two roundabouts will be constructed in 2026 along the corridor at Ely Road and Railroad Avenue.

“These roundabouts will bring about greater safety for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists,” Thompson said. “They will just make movement a lot safer.”

Those roundabouts are one of a handful of solutions suggested in the traffic study. It also suggests speed tables, which could be used to help slow down traffic in downtown Penngrove.

Thompson said speed tables, which don’t yet exist in Sonoma County, are like speed humps, but are flatter and wider. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, such tables “raise the entire wheelbase of a vehicle to reduce its traffic speed” and “are longer than speed humps and flat-topped, with a height of 3–3.5 inches and a length of 22 feet.”

“They’re almost like an elevated crosswalk,” Thompson said. “They’re difficult to implement on rural roads, but these work well in city centers where drivers are used to slowing down.”

In addition to the speed tables, another recommendation calls for restriping portions of Old Redwood Highway, Adobe Road and Petaluma Hill Road to create narrower lanes.

To make cycling and walking safer, the study suggests adding buffered bike lanes to offer cyclists a barrier between vehicles and adding a pedestrian pathway along the north side of Adobe Road between Petaluma Hill Road and the planned SMART Trail was also proposed.

Thompson added that the community is invited to offer input to the study and noted that Supervisor Rabbitt’s office will be planning another town hall for feedback.

“Community input is welcome as we prioritize projects and look at the monetary resources available to do the work,” Thompson said.

Amie Windsor is the Community Journalism Team Lead with The Press Democrat. She can be reached at amie.windsor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5218.