Santa Clara Avenue Bike Lane and Pedestrian Improvements
Location
On Santa Clara Avenue, just north of the city of Oxnard
City or County Responsible for Project
County of Ventura
Category
Complete Streets Projects
Author
Chris Hooke
County of Ventura, Public Works Agency
800 South Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009
805-654-2048
Project Description
Santa Clara Avenue Bike Lane and Sidewalk Improvements In the spring of 2017 the County of Ventura completed a project to improve the safety for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists along Santa Clara Avenue near Oxnard. The project converted a narrow two-lane road with an unusually high vehicle accident rate to a multi-modal corridor, safely accommodating bicyclists, pedestrians, parking, and increased traffic. Along its half-mile length, the project added a sidewalk, bike lanes, a parking lane, wider through lanes, and a center two-way turn lane. The construction cost $649,000, including approximately $522,000 in federal HSIP funding. Construction took two months, between February and April of 2017. Santa Clara Avenue lies at the northerly edge of the city of Oxnard and is bounded on the west by farmland, and along the east by an urban neighborhood for a half mile. The road is heavily used as a commuter route and freight corridor, carrying 11,000 vehicles per day. It also serves as the only access for 27 driveways to homes along the road and is heavily used by bicyclists and pedestrians to access homes and a nearby recreation center. Bicyclists and pedestrians used the shoulder which was often obstructed by parked cars. In a recent 10-year period Santa Clara Avenue experienced 42 collisions, 2 fatalities, and 58 injuries. Most of the collisions were rear-end or broadside, due to turning movements to and from driveways. The need for “complete street” improvements was clear! The original road had two through lanes and a paved shoulder on one side, being 30 feet wide. This project widened the road to 60 feet, being two 13-foot through lanes, a center two-way turn lane, 5-foot Class II bike lanes on each side, and a 5-foot sidewalk and 8-foot parking lane along the residential (east) side of the road. An overlay of rubberized asphalt was placed over the entire roadway after the widening was constructed. After coordination with the city of Oxnard, the sidewalk was extended an additional 150 feet to the south to fill a gap and create a continuous corridor for pedestrians. Benefits of the project are many, and include 1) increased safety for pedestrians due to the new sidewalk; 2) increased safety for bicyclists due to new Class II bike lanes on both sides of the road; 3) increased safety for vehicles turning left from Santa Clara Avenue into driveways due to the center turn lane; 4) increased safety for through-passing vehicles due to 13-foot-wide lanes; 5) reduced traffic congestion for commuters resulting in better air quality; 6) reduced traffic noise due to the use of rubberized asphalt; 7) the recycling of approximately 4,500 tires; and 8) an expected increase in bicycling and walking due to the new safe facilities, and a corresponding decrease in vehicle usage in the area. The local community enthusiastically received the project with a major ribbon cutting ceremony!
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