Chico officials and the public are considering safety improvements and a general facelift for the city’s iconic thoroughfare, The Esplanade. The completion date at this stage is purely conceptual, but they’re looking to make the plans concrete.
Today, synchronized traffic lights keep vehicles rolling on the one-time highway segment at a sedate 27 miles an hour. It functions less well for others.
Backups at left turns are common. Cross traffic is impaired. But the biggest problems are faced by pedestrians and wheelchair users, said Brendan Ottoboni, Chico’s director of public works engineering
“There’s not enough time to cross both sides of northbound and southbound traffic, so they, they’re kind of stranded in that center island and then there’s no real refuge.”
More crossing time, easily visible crosswalks and improved pedestrian islands are among the proposals. One thing that won’t change, Ottoboni said, is the street’s grand boulevard ‘feel,’ with its frontage roads and stately broad-leaf trees. Improvements, it is hoped, will be realized without significantly slowing traffic.
A few major alterations though, may wind up on the table. Under consideration: roundabouts at Memorial Way and First Ave. While capable of moving more traffic at higher average speeds than traffic light controlled intersections, they aren’t universally embraced.
Another idea: a two-way separated bicycle path along the former Sacramento Northern Railway route, adjacent to the northbound lanes.
Online surveys submitted through Sunday will be included in discussions at a public meeting November 19.
Final plans, expected next year, will be submitted in the hopes of attracting federal and state transportation grant money for construction.
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Correction, Nov. 4, 10:15 a.m.
An earlier version of this story misidentified the date of an upcoming public meeting on the subject. It is scheduled for November 19.