To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Julie Lucido, Public Works Director
Prepared By: Farid Javandel, Senior Traffic Engineer
TITLE:
Title
Lincoln Avenue Project-Paving and Traffic Safety
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
Receive a presentation from staff on the Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation Paving Project including design features planned to improve traffic safety for all modes of travel.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City prepared a Local Roadway Safety Plan in 2022 that identified the intersections and street sections within the City limits with the highest number of severe collisions. This plan was developed through data collection, collision analysis, and community engagement. The plan designated Lincoln Avenue as part of the “high injury network” based on the frequency and severity of collisions. It was also found that 22% of injury collisions in Napa are caused by unsafe speeds, making this the most common violation type associated with injury collisions. Additionally, Lincoln Avenue, along with W. Imola, Jefferson, and Soscol, was identified as having a higher concentration of unsafe speed-related collisions within the City's street network.
Public Works staff are currently working on the design phase of the Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation Project. The project length is approximately 1.4 miles and includes paving and traffic safety features for improving pedestrian crossings, improving bicycle facilities, and adding new traffic calming between California Boulevard and the Silverado Trail.
Construction of proposed improvements will be phased to avoid conflicts with the planned floodwall project the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District will be constructing. Construction for the first phase of the Lincoln Avenue project from California to Jordan Lane is planned to begin in 2025. The second phase is planned for construction after the flood project completes the construction of new flood walls, trails and associated improvements along the Napa River from the Oxbow to south of Trancas, including work around Lincoln Avenue.
Design concepts are considering utilization of a roadway reconfiguration from California Boulevard to Jordan Lane, one block east of Soscol Avenue, to provide a two-way center turn-lane, one through traffic lane in each direction, and buffered bike lanes. In sections with no driveways, the feasibility of a parking buffered cycle track (also referred to as separated bike lanes or Class IV bike facilities) will also be evaluated. Additionally, the City will work with the Flood Control District and Caltrans on determining the feasibility and possible phasing for extending the roadway reconfiguration design concept past Jordan Lane to the Napa River Trail or Silverado Trail (State Route 121).
At the February 13, 2025, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) Meeting, Public Works Staff provided an overview of the roadway reconfiguration design concept for Lincoln Avenue. A public community meeting for the Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation Project was held on March 3, 2025, at the Napa City Hall Council Chambers from 5:30-7:00pm. The community meeting was set up to share the conceptual roadway reconfiguration design, answer individual questions, and collect community feedback. The community meeting was well attended and staff received positive feedback and support for the roadway reconfiguration design.
At the March 13, 2025, BPAC meeting, staff reviewed draft striping plans and draft cross sections for the project, answered questions, and received positive feedback and support for the roadway reconfiguration design from the BPAC and members of the public in attendance. The draft plans are included in Attachment 1 to this agenda report.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS:
There are no financial impacts. Sufficient funding is available through the existing appropriations for the Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation Measure T Project (ST23PW09) in the current CIP Budget.
CEQA:
The Public Works Director has determined that the Recommended Action described in this Agenda Report, receiving an informational presentation from staff, is not in-and-of-itself a “project” (pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) since it does not result in a physical change to the environment. Further, the proposed Rehabilitation Paving Project that will be considered for potential approval in the future is exempt from environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guideline 15301 as the maintenance and minor alteration of an existing public street involving negligible expansion of use.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
ATCH 1 - Draft Striping Plans and Cross Sections- Lincoln Avenue Rehabilitation
NOTIFICATION:
None