Heading south to Aptos, you’ve tried to escape the congestion on Highway 1 by cutting over to Soquel Avenue — only to find lots of drivers had the same brilliant idea.
Basically, there are too many cars during peak times on Highway 1, and that means you move as slow as molasses in January.
Are there any solutions?
The Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works has the funding to make changes on 5.6 miles of Soquel Drive, the busiest stretch, from La Fonda Avenue in Santa Cruz to State Park Drive in Aptos.
This is the county’s designated medical corridor. Dominican Hospital is located on Soquel Drive, and Sutter Maternity & Surgery Center is nearby.
The hope is that the improvements will make the area safer for people biking or on foot, and thus more attractive — perhaps even a viable alternative to driving.
Improvements include resurfacing the roadway with a rubberized cape seal and new striping and constructing 2.7 miles of buffered and 2.4 miles of protected bike lanes on each side of the street.
Sometimes there is confusion: What’s the difference between buffered and protected for the bicycle rider? That question will likely be answered at a community engagement workshop Wednesday, Jan. 12, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Register: bit.ly/soquelzoom2.
Another online workshop is planned Thursday, Jan. 20, from 6 to 7:30 p.m to focus on improvements on Soquel Avenue/Drive in Live Oak and Soquel. Register: bit.ly/soquelzoom1
During the project, 22 intersections will be upgraded with adaptive traffic signals — changes based on existing conditions — with priority for the Santa Cruz Metro #71 bus route.
For people on foot, plans call for closing 2,500 feet of sidewalk gaps, installing “rectangular rapid flashing beacons” at pedestrian crossings at 10 mid-block crossings (7 existing and 3 new) and upgrading 100 ADA ramps to current standards.
The flashing beacons, a relatively inexpensive measure, has been shown to cut pedestrian crashes by 47 percent, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
Where needed, plans call for better drainage and new retaining walls.
The project has three goals: Reduce congestion, enhance safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and improve travel time reliability for bus riders and motorists.
The time to ask your questions is this month, either Jan. 12 or Jan. 20.
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For more information about the Soquel Drive Buffered Bike Lane & Congestion Mitigation Project, see www.soqueldrivebufferedproject.com.