By Thomas Milton, Citrus Heights–
[RE: City says it’s evaluating results of ‘road diet’ test on Old Auburn Road; Oct. 31st] Our city has two fights going on at the same intersection and it’s not going to have any winners at the rate it’s moving now.
First, remove from the table the idea that we need to remove one lane of traffic from the northbound transition off Fair Oaks and add a bike lane to Old Auburn. This city engineering group need to be interested in moving traffic, not causing more delays and backups.
Secondly, the Crib Wall planters are a nice effect, but do not have the structural ability to withstand the impacts of being run into by large numbers of automobiles.
Let’s look at alignment of the intersection just for fun. If you realign the eastbound Old Auburn stopping location and bring it back a mere 10 feet, then realign the center line back 10 feet as well, the transition from Fair Oaks will not be as sharp a turn for the eastbound traffic entering onto Old Auburn.
You’re spending a small amount of money for sand blasting the 10 feet of center line paint and adding a new stop line that may or may not cost $50 for a gallon of paint.
As far as the Crib Walls, let them go. And yes, we understand the beatification issue and people have concerns about good old plain concrete “K” rails, but they work!
End result, you have NOT slowed the traffic down at this intersection. You have now improved the transition traffic coming off of Fair Oaks Blvd. and they can negotiate the turn better because the sharpness turning radius has been improved.
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