Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "traffic"

Converting Freeport Blvd into a 'complete street'

2012-01-30T23:45:35Z

The City of Sacramento Transportation Department is considering a redesign of traffic lanes along Freeport Blvd between Sutterville Road and 4th Avenue. This part of the roadway is scheduled for resurfacing in 2013 and last August the city approved a Bike Lanes Project to study options for redesigning Freeport Blvd into a "complete street" as part of the resurfacing effort.

From the National Complete Streets Coalition website: "...a complete streets policy ensures that transportation planners and engineers consistently design and operate the entire roadway with all users in mind - including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities."

This section of Freeport Blvd currently has two traffic lanes in each direction, some on-street parking and no bicycle lanes. The designated speed limit is 30 MPH and an estimated 21,000 vehicles travel this street each day. Sacramento City College and C.K. McClatchy High School are located along the section, along with residences, small businesses, restaurants and a senior residential facility.

The city planners are considering these redesign options for Freeport Blvd:

3 Segment Design Concepts (Sutterville to Vallejo)
- Bike lanes, parking on both sides, no middle turn lane, one lane north and one lane south
- Bike lanes, middle turn lane, parking on east side 13th to Bidwell, one lane north and one lane south
- No bike lanes, no parking on either side, two lanes north and two lanes south with lane widths increased

4 Options (Vallejo to 4th)
- Signed southbound bike route
- Southbound bike lane/bike route with push button
- Southbound bike lane with signal control
- T intersection

Students, residents, business owners, cyclists, pedestrians and commuters are showing interest in the project. Tom Buford, Senior Planner with the City of Sacramento, says community interest is healthy. In a telephone conversation, Buford said, "It's an important street in the community and we've seen the kind of interest that we would expect from discussions of changing the way a roadway is working."

Anyone interested in this project is invited to provide comments and suggestions to the draft Environmental Impact Report that is being developed by the city transportation department. Comments and suggestions may be submitted in writing until 5:00 PM, February 13, 2012 to:

Dana Allen, Associate Planner
City of Sacramento, Community Development Department
Environmental Planning Services
300 Richards Blvd., 3rd Floor
Sacramento, CA 95811
Phone: (916) 808-2762
Email: dallen@cityofsacramento.org

Questions may be directed to Linda Tucker, City of Sacramento Transportation Department Director at (916) 808-7523 or email her at ltucker@cityofsacramento.org.

Disclosure: Ron Nabity is an avid cyclist, Sacramento City College student and resident near Freeport Blvd. Ron is also a regular contributor to the Sacramento Press.

Traffic Signal Confusion

2011-12-28T22:22:11Z

The southern stretch of Caselli Circle, reinvented as Creeks Edge in order to distance itself from the infamous now defunct Franklin Villa, ends at Franklin Boulevard. Directly across the street lies the driveway to a church parking lot.

There is a traffic light at this intersection, but no left turn arrow for drivers. They have to wait and hope they can make the turn before the light changes. On the east side of Franklin, where there is only the driveway, There is a pedestrian walk/wait light for pedestrians who want to cross the driveway. The driveway is used very little except on weekends. Even then the traffic is light. Pedestrian traffic along this stretch of Franklin is very light as well, yet here is a walk/wait light. How many driveways in the city have walk/wait lights? Even busy driveways at sites such as Raley's seldom have a traffic signal. I can't believe a green arrow can cost more than an (unnecessesary) walk/wait signal.

Living in the area, we personally have narrowly escaped two accidents at this intersection, and weekly we witness close calls involving other vehicles. Vehicles frequently jump the gun and turn against oncoming traffic, They wait until the light is red before turning against oncoming traffic, and many simply shoot straight through on stale yellow, or sometimes, even red.

Recently there was a traffic fatality and serious injuries at this intersection. How many more fatalities and serious injuries do we have to have before the city exchanges the walk/wait light for a left turn arrow?

Disclosure: We live in the area under discussion.

Ask the County Law Librarian - Traffic Tickets for Out-of-State Residents

2011-12-15T22:36:34Z

Q: I’m not a California resident, but while driving home to Oregon last week I received a speeding ticket in California, more than ten hours away from where I live. If I want to contest it, do I have to drive all the way back to the county where I received the ticket?

Brett

A: First of all, kudos for being proactive about an out-of-state traffic violation. Many people under the same circumstance will simply ignore the citations in hopes that they won’t "follow" them back to their respective resident states. In fact, there are a few different databases that monitor driving records and violations across participating states, and there’s a good chance your state of residence belongs to at least one of them. For more information, consult the National Driver Register (NDR), the Driver License Compact (DLC), and the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC).

If you wish to contest a Vehicle Code or local ordinance traffic violation in a California county, you have two options: 1) you can request a court trial; or 2) you can request a trial by declaration. In a trial by declaration, the judge reviews written statements and evidence mailed by both parties (the defendant and the citing officer). To be eligible for a trial by declaration, your case must meet the following requirements:

• Your citation is for an infraction violation only (as opposed to a misdemeanor);
• The due date to take care of your ticket has not expired; and
• Your notice or ticket does not expressly require your presence in court.

More information on both types of trials can be found at http://www.courts.ca.gov/8450.htm, which includes links to fillable forms, instructions for submitting evidence, and a description of the trial process. The county in which you received the citation may have its own traffic forms to use in addition to or in place of the state-approved Judicial Council forms, so check the superior court’s website or ask the court clerk before mailing your request. Nolo Press, a publisher of popular self-help legal books, publishers a very helpful guide called “Fight Your Ticket and Win in California.” You can find the book at large commercial bookstores like Barnes and Noble, at the publisher's website, or at your local public law library.

For information on similar issues, see Ask the County Law Librarian columns on red light citations, past-due traffic tickets, cell phone citations, and obtaining evidence from law enforcement agencies.

Do you have a question for the County Law Librarian? Just email sacpress@saclaw.org. If your question is selected your answer will appear in next Thursday's column. Even if your question isn't selected, though, I will still respond within two weeks.

Coral Henning, Director
@coralh & @saclawlibrarian

www.saclaw.org

East Sacramento Preservation Opinion—Mercy Hospital Must Build Loading Dock

2011-07-29T00:04:27Z

When Jim Ferry (an East Sacramento resident) contacted his neighbors to address the impacts of Mercy Hospital using J Street as their primary loading dock, he got a lot of supportive response.

The neighborhood is stressed by Mercy's inconsideration.

Mr. Ferry has done an admirable job of documenting a fairly shocking misuse of the public way for a loading dock through his blog at http://mercygeneral.blogspot.com. More than any petition, Mr. Ferry's blog uses photos to show the truth.

A picture truly is worth a thousand words.

The loading situation on J Street is patently hazardous.

There are frequently semi-tractor trucks parked in a seven foot wide space that impinge upon the west-bound travel lanes forcing vehicle and buses into the center turning lane. There are often multiple commercial vehicles at that location simultaneously.

These trucks sometimes park their wheels up on the public curb or in the landscaped median strip to reduce impact on the travel lanes.

Traffic on one of East Sacramento's primary vehicular and bus routes must weave through MGH's illegal loading facilities.

Off-loaded materials are left on the public sidewalk and there is a lot of pallet jack activity in the public way and sidewalks at all hours of the day.

The City Planning Code must be adhered to unless a specific variance is applied for and granted. That Code requires that a facility the size of MGH have a minimum of ten 10' x 40' loading spaces.

Despite the construction of a half billion dollar project, the city has allowed MGH to have only a single code-compliant loading space on-site while allowing the vast majority of their unloading functions to occur in sub-standard spaces within the public way on J Street.

No other facility of this size, or even of a significantly smaller size, in this City, has been permitted to function in this manner.

The only Environmental Impact Report documentation that pertains to this function is a site map that shows the MGH Service Circulation. This map does not show that MGH intended to use J Street as their primary loading facility.

MGH has no intention of changing these dangerous and unsightly loading practices once their project is finished.

But Mr. Ferry is not alone in his objections, private citizens and East Sacramento Preservation support Mr. Ferry and his work and call on Mercy to do the right thing—develop a loading dock on Mercy property and leave the street alone.

Thank you, Mr. Ferry.

No longer a ‘pedestrian mall,’ K Street prepares for cars

2011-07-12T02:39:31Z

On Tuesday evening, the City Council will consider revising a local ordinance that will bring the city one step closer to seeing cars on K Street for the first time in more than 45 years.

The revised ordinance will change a city code that has been in place since the early 1960s that defined the five blocks of K Street between Eighth to 12th streets as a “pedestrian mall,” closing it to vehicular traffic.

“It was something that was happening in a lot of places back then,” said Denise Malvetti, department manager at the city’s Economic Development Department. “Cities were trying to replicate the suburban experience, and they created a lot of these pedestrian malls. It was a failed experiment, though.”

Roughly 150 cities in the U.S. installed pedestrian malls in the 1960s, Malvetti said, and now about half of those have converted back to allow street traffic.

“We’ve been working on getting cars back on K Street since late 2008,” Malvetti said. “We’ve put a lot of consideration into this project, and we did a lot of outreach to the community.”

Business owners were outspoken in saying that returning cars to K Street is vital to increasing retail activity in the area, Malvetti said, but they won’t see an instant change.

“It will likely be an incremental increase over time,” Malvetti said.

City Council recently approved numerous projects intended to revitalize the J-K-L corridor, and K Street in particular, in order to stimulate economic activity in the area and bring people back to what was once a hub of activity in the city, Malvetti said.

The “Cars on K Street” project was part of a $2.7 million construction and design project approved by City Council in April 2010.

The purpose of the project, according to a staff report, is to “increase access and visibility to businesses, promote a safe environment, stimulate additional economic activity, and improve (traffic) circulation.”

“Sacramento needs to be more pedestrian-friendly,” said Councilman Steve Cohn, “but the way that part of K Street is laid out, it wasn’t working as a pedestrian-only street.”

Cohn said returning cars to K Street makes sense because it will help with traffic flow and make it easier for people to get to the businesses along that part of K Street.

In order to allow for the reintroduction of cars on K Street from Eighth to 12th streets, the city code must be amended to remove the definition of “pedestrian mall” currently applied to those five street blocks.

According to provisions in the city charter, the council must first pass the revised ordinance for publication, and then it can finalize the approval at the following City Council meeting.

This is one of the last steps before construction can begin, Malvetti said. The Department of Transportation will bring a construction contract to City Council next week for approval, and then groundbreaking can begin within the first week of August.

Design plans for the “Cars on K Street” project include creating new crossing signals at 11th and K streets, wheelchair access at intersections and the addition of edge treatments (possibly planters or street furniture) to provide a buffer between the roadway and sidewalks to increase pedestrian safety and make the blocks more visually appealing.

“Our goal is to have cars back on K Street in early November,” Malvetti said. “It’s one more step in the revitalization of K Street.”

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Ask the County Law Librarian - Obtaining Evidence for a Contested Traffic Citation

2011-03-30T19:35:06Z

Q. I’ve decided to contest a speeding ticket I received recently. How do I obtain all of the police records and evidence against me?

A. Before you contest your citation, you may want to consider submitting an “Informal Discovery Request” to the issuing agency. Under California Penal Code Sections 1054-1054.7, the prosecution in any criminal case (including infractions) is required to provide the defendant with copies of all written statements, reports, and logs regarding the case. This code section also applies to a copy of the engineering and traffic survey if your citation is a radar case [Cal. Penal Code § 1054.1(f)].

Fortunately, you can submit this request before you formally challenge the citation, in order to review evidence the issuing party may use against you in court. Your copy of the ticket, for example, will not include the notes about the stop that the issuing officer most likely made on the reverse of his or her copy of the citation. Once the issuing agency receives your request, it has 15 days to provide the relevant information. One caveat: the request requires you to submit all of your evidence as well: you will include the names, addresses, and statements of any witnesses you may have with your request.

There is no statewide “official” discovery request form for Section 1054 requests, but a book published by Nolo Press and written by Attorney David W. Brown called Fight Your Ticket in California contains both blank and sample completed forms, as well as instructions. This book also contains the information and strategies you would need to:

-determine if your ticket is beatable
-challenge speeding citations & other violations
-present your case in court
-appeal a conviction

Should you choose to formally challenge the citation, you can subpoena relevant records, equipment, and the issuing officer’s testimony during the trial prep phase of the case by using a Subpoena Duces Tecum (CR-125/JV-525). Samples of this form are available in the book, and the form is available for free online from the California Courts website at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/forms/fillable/cr125.pdf You will need to read the information carefully and conduct further research to be sure you’ve done everything properly.

Fight Your Ticket in California is available directly from the publisher at www.nolo.com, from most large bookstores and libraries, and from your local county law library. To find the law library nearest you, go to www.publiclawlibrary.org

For online resources about contesting a traffic citation, you can find more information on the Sacramento County Superior Court website at http://www.saccourt.ca.gov/traffic/traffic.aspx and on the California Courts Self Help website at http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/traffic/info.htm.

Coral Henning, Director
@coralh & @saclawlibrarian

www.saclaw.org

East Sacramento Preservation documents weekday bumper to bumper traffic near Mercy Hospital and Sacred Heart School

2011-03-04T06:12:10Z

When parents collect students at Sacred Heart, traffic comes to a stand still. It’s one of the worst traffic jams in East Sacramento and it’s caused by a school.

Sacred Heart Parish School was relocated to the west side of 39th Street between J and H Streets in 2010. The school is new and has 310 students. The campus was developed as part of Mercy Hospital’s expansion currently under construction in East Sacramento.

At three o’clock vehicles are often backed up all the way to J and sometimes to H Street, two major East Sacramento thoroughfares. The worst of the congestion only lasts for about 10 or 15 minutes during morning or afternoon student drop-off and pick-up.

There is a school monitor with a flag and vest assigned to manage the flow at the school entrance, but he often doesn’t appear until 3 pm. Cars begin to gather much earlier.

Theresa Sparks, Principal, Sacred Heart School stated that the school sends employees out to monitor the traffic. "… we do have all employees on deck at dismissal to get cars through our traffic loop in the most efficient manner we can. That means that after school there are about 20 employees keeping walkers, bike riders and cars safe and on the move.”

It’s clear the school does not have 20 employees directing traffic, and the people who do help, do not prevent parents from parking in red and hydrant zones, idling in cars or even leaving their cars parked illegally.

Parents regularly park or idle in the crosswalks or wait in the middle of the street to turn into the school property. They cannot wait on the campus because there is no room.

The photos accompanying this article were taken this week at 3 o'clock dismissal and clearly show the lack of traffic management.
Notice cars parked in red zones, the cars stopped in the middle of the street and the bike rider forced onto the sidewalk. You can also see the cars exiting the Mercy Hospital parking lot, which compounds the problem. Finally, note that there are not 20 Sacred Heart employees managing the problem.

The jam-up is a detriment to the neighborhood and it’s a clear safety problem. Fire Department and ambulance services cannot get through the street at this time.

Sacred Heart and Mercy Hospital need to work together to solve this problem. A traffic plan and management strategy must be created for the hospital area. There currently is none and this jam up is one of the area’s biggest traffic problems.

Ask the County Law Librarian - Red Light Citation

2010-11-04T15:15:13Z

Q: I received a citation in the mail for running a red light. My brother borrowed my truck and he was the driver pictured. What do I do?

Bill

A: Contact the agency that issued the citation. Do not send payment to the court because then the citation will be connected to your driving record. Once contacted the issuing agency will then contact the court with the corrected information. If you fail to contact the agency or do not appear on your assigned date, additional penalties will be added to your case and your driver’s license can be suspended.

Below is the contact information for local agencies:

California Highway Patrol, Red Light Camera Program
903 Enterprise Drive
Sacramento, CA 95825 916-876-6643

With the citation number, license plate number, and the city code SCMTCA, you can view the violation video online - external link.

City of Elk Grove, Red Light Camera Program
8400 Laguna Palms Way
Elk Grove, CA 95758-8045 916-478-8161
With the citation number, license plate number, and the city code ELKGCA, you can view the violation video online - external link.

City of Citrus Heights, Red Light Camera Program
6315 Fountain Square Drive
Citrus Heights, CA 95621 916-727-5884
With the citation number, license plate number, and the city code CSHTCA, you can view the violation video online - external link.

Coral Henning, Director
@coralh & @saclawlibrarian

www.saclaw.org

Ask Officer Michelle - Concerned About Traffic Protocol?

2010-01-18T04:14:29Z

Hello,
My name is Keith and I was wondering where I would put in a complaint about police, highway, and sheriff officers that are violating protocol? This came to me when I was driving on Folsom Blvd and saw a Folsom Police officer sitting under the Metro light rail bridge with his lights off his bike and he was checking peoples speeds. Now the problem is not him checking speeds, but under the bridge was very dark and a driver could not see him until the last minute and this would be very harmful if a driver was in an accident and needed to utilize the shoulder at last possible second.

Thank You,
Keith

Dear Keith,

If you have a concern or complaint about an enforcement procedure or “protocol,” I would call the associated department’s watch commander. You can call your department’s dispatch to find out how to get in contact with a watch commander. Oftentimes, dispatch will get your information and have a watch commander or sergeant call you back. You can state your concern at that time. It is usually an officer’s call where they park when doing traffic enforcement. If you are concerned about the officer’s safety, or the safety of the public, call the agency involved. The supervisor would then share your concern with the traffic section and discuss the matter. Hope this helps.

Officer Michelle

Ask Officer Michelle - Speedy Issue at 20th/K Streets

2009-12-27T17:09:32Z

Dear Officer Michelle,

If you guys could patrol Mid town Sacramento more it would be nice. please patrol more down town like 20TH K street and J street people speed through there all the time it not safe to even walk across the streets.

Thank you,

tj2007

Dear tj2007,

We get a lot of requests for the intersections of 21st and K Street, and 19th and H Streets. We do patrol those intersection and our Traffic Section goes out there on traffic projects frequently. You can speak to a traffic enforcement officer by calling 808-6128. You may have to leave a message, but they will call you back. I will also forward your message to one of the traffic sergeants. Thank you for your post.

Officer Michelle

Cops watching drivers for crosswalk manners

2009-12-22T00:31:33Z

There are a couple of ways to approach a crosswalk in Sacramento's inner city: With trepidation, resignation or fearlessness. The last is probably the best, but it's also dangerous. You step into a downtown/Midtown street and your life is in your hands.

Rather, in someone else's hands: Those hands gripping the steering wheels of the cars bearing down on you. And while you can claim all day long that pedestrians have the right of way in California - especially in a marked crosswalk - you don't want to be declaring said truth from a hospital bed.

Fortunately, you have allies, and they're a little bit crafty: The Sacramento Police Department will be conducting an undercover operation aimed at stinging drivers who fail to stop for people crossing the street on a legal crosswalk.

On Tuesday, a SPD Problem-Oriented Policing team will be crossing crosswalks in midtown and downtown, and ticketing drivers who fail to stop for someone crossing the street.

We wrote about this in the Sacramento Press not long ago, and if you click the link, you'll see that the "decoy" pedestrian looks about as much like an undercover cop as, well, an undercover cop. Presumably, they won't be so obvious this time.

The goal of this is to cut down on accidents involving pedestrians and automobiles in our increasingly congested inner city. According to a press release from the Sac PD, in 2008, there were 229 reported vehicle accidents involving pedestrians. 204 had injuries and seven of those people died.

Road closures for Sunday's marathon

2009-12-04T22:33:55Z

The 26.2 mile course of Sunday's California International Marathon ends at the Capitol, which means that most of it takes place outside of the downtown/Midtown Grid. But if you're planning on being out and about on Sunday morning, be aware that a number of streets will be closed in the usually-quiet central city.

Particularly between about 8 a.m. and noon, Grid streets will be problematic. If you live in the Grid, walk or bike.

With approximately 14,000 runners expected to participate, the area around the Capitol is likely to be crawling with cars and pedestrians. Organizers just released the mile-by-mile lowdown on road closures, by intersection. Here are the closures that will effect the central city. These are the times the California Highway Patrol is expecting to close and reopen various streets to regular automotobile traffic:

Mile 24: 33rd & J St. (just before Alhambra). Close: 8:12 a.m. Reopen: 12:46 p.m.
Mile 25: 22nd & L St. (just before RR tracks). Close: 8:15 a.m. Reopen: 1:00 p.m.
Mile 26: 8th & L St. Close: 8:18 a.m. Open: 1:14 p.m.

The finish line area, between 8th and 10th Streets and Capitol Mall, will be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

To see a course tour on the CIM website, go to www.runcim.org/data/coursetour.html

For more information about this year’s event, see www.runcim.org.

Grandmother fights for students' safety

2009-11-14T01:12:45Z

Located between a low-income housing project and an old industrial zone south of Broadway, Jedediah Smith Elementary and Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School, both on McClatchy Way, attract few passers-by. Before and after school, however, a swarm of students descend upon the street, which badly strains the neighborhood's infrastructure and places the children's lives at risk.

Jean Caruthers has frequently witnessed the street's poor condition. For over two years she has walked her three grandchildren to school along McClatchy Way, and has watched children jaywalk and cars drive by unsafely. "Kids walk out, looking at their shoes, and cars go by very fast," she said.

After a severe accident at the elementary school parking lot, Caruthers decided to try to force officials to make the area safer. "A kid got hit and dragged by a car in the parking lot of the elementary school," she said.

Caruthers began contacting neighborhood organizations, property management groups, the city council — anyone who would listen.

Some organizations and people ignored her, and others told her that she was "nothing but a troublemaker," she said. But she finally found success with sympathetic city officials at Council-member Robert Fong's office and with the management of the adjacent low-income housing units.

"The housing authority ripped out the cyclone fencing and installed a beautiful wrought iron fence with two openings that lead directly to new crosswalks," Caruthers said. In turn, the city added the crosswalks and other pedestrian improvements.

Caruthers said the officials recognized the problem once they visited the area before and after school time. "When safety is violated, people get hurt or killed," she said. "They could have a hell of a lawsuit."

According to Sacramento city representative Linda Tucker, the city has installed roughly $25,000 of pedestrian access improvements along Fifth Street and McClatchy Way as a result of Caruthers's advocacy.

"I'm quite pleased with what everyone has done, but they're not done yet," Caruthers said. "I know it is going to be an ongoing process."

Caruthers is most concerned about continuing problems with the elementary school parking lot. "The school has added crossing guards, but it's not enough. It's still an issue," she said. According to Caruthers, the underlying problem with the school's parking lot involves its poor design. "The school was built in 1953, and its time for it to be updated," she said.

Another lingering issue concerns the lack of sufficient sidewalk along Fifth Street, which intersects McClatchy Way and is often used by students walking to and from Broadway. When it rains the students are forced to walk in the mud. "It's a heck of a mess," Caruthers said.

Despite this, Caruthers remains optimistic and thankful for all that has been done to improve McClatchy Way. "It's much safer for everyone - not just the kids," she said.

Photo credit: anthonybento.com

More storm photos

2009-10-14T06:24:50Z

It was quite the blustery day in Sacramento as winds reached over 50 mph and more than 3 inches of rain fell, according to Fox 40 News meteorologist Kristina Werner.

Trees and branches fell in streets, on houses, on cars and power lines went out intermittently through the central city.

Streets turned into ponds, traffic slowed making commutes much longer than usual and I-5 was a flooded mess near the boat section despite the recent work by Caltrans.

It seemed there wasn't one corner of the city that the storm didn't touch.

Businesses such as Temple and Lucky Lefty's (shown below) felt the effects of the storm.

It's hard to believe many of us were just wearing flip flops, skirts, shorts and sleeveless shirts, as ponchos, hooded jackets, scarves and boots accompanied upturned umbrellas and scurrying people.

The rain did lighten up around 6 p.m. and there was even a rainbow to brighten the day.

Fall is definitely here.

The first two photos were taken by David Watts Barton. The rest of the photos were taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography.

Storm damage this morning

2009-10-13T18:37:48Z

Here are some photos of the effects of the storm from community members who were out witnessing the damage.

This was taken at Q and 16th streets by Michael Gelber.

These two photos were taken on I Street and 30th. Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography took these as part of a live stream. More photos can be seen at sacmav.com

The next photos are from Southbound I-5 near the J Street exit in the boat section. These photos were also taken by Ed Fogle of Maverick Photography.

If you have photos of the storm, we'd love to see you post them on our site. If you have any questions on how to upload your photos, contact journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Stay safe and dry!

Police: Security cameras on Del Paso used infrequently

2009-07-14T05:18:08Z

As civil liberties advocates and city officials debate the city’s plans to implement a new surveillance system, three security cameras are already operating on Del Paso Boulevard.

Joann Cummins, district director for City Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, said the Del Paso Boulevard cameras will be useful for recording evidence to prosecute a couple of liquor stores that are allegedly creating a public nuisance.

The Sacramento Press reported in a July 8 story that the local American Civil Liberties Union has raised objections to new cameras that may be installed on K Street and at other locations, arguing that they do not decrease crime. The city plans to buy 32 security cameras, four mobile surveillance trailers and other related equipment. The $615,000 surveillance package would come from Federal Homeland Security grant funds. The state will distribute the federal grant funds to the city.

The Del Paso Boulevard Partnership, a group that advocates for businesses in the area, as well as other businesses, asked Sheedy’s office to install the three cameras on the street, Cummins said, adding that while the cameras may not capture images of crimes, they will be useful for collecting evidence.

The Del Paso Boulevard cameras, which were installed earlier this year, cost $25,000 and were paid for out of redevelopment funds.

Sacramento Police Department spokesman Norm Leong said there have not been many cases -- of which he is aware -- when the three security cameras have been used as evidence. The cameras may be preventing crime, he said, noting that it is not possible to gauge prevention.

The Sacramento Press asked for statistics on how often the police department uses the security cameras. Police officers document usage of surveillance images in reports, but the department’s computer system does not track how often officers review or make copies of footage from security cameras, Leong said.

Cummins said that the cameras will enable city officials and staffers to collect evidence of public nuisance problems allegedly generated by specific businesses on the street. The cameras will provide surveillance footage that city officials can gather after crimes or problems have been committed, she said. The footage can then be used as evidence, she explained.

Sheedy’s office reviewed numerous studies on surveillance cameras and concluded that cameras do not usually capture crimes, but they do capture evidence, Cummins said.

She also said that the cameras on Del Paso Boulevard are useful because there have been traffic accidents near the cameras. Cars have crashed into city property on the street, Cummins said. Footage from the cameras can give the city information about the vehicles, she said, and make sure that the damage to the city property is paid for by the driver’s insurance company.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

99 in South Sac backed up in busy mid day traffic

2009-05-31T09:24:03Z

If you were traveling north bound on highway 99 around 1:30 p.m. and got stuck in some major traffic Saturday afternoon, this incident may have been the cause.

Firefighters, CHP and tow truck driver get ready to move a rolled over vehicle off the side of the road. Details are not available yet about this incident that took place Saturday afternoon, shutting down all but one lane on highway 99 north between Fruitridge and Florin.

Rather than flipping the vehicle back over on it's wheels, the wrecked car was winched and slid right on to the flatbed tow truck.

Details for this incident are not yet available. An update will be posted as soon as more details are flushed out.

Locals want light at 16th & U

2009-05-27T04:19:03Z

One week after a truck wrecked the front of a historic midtown building, some residents and business owners are saying they'd like a traffic signal for what they say is a dangerous intersection.

Several people sitting at Harry's Cafe, a popular sidewalk cafe next door to the damaged building, narrowly escaped serious injury when an Icee truck and an SUV collided at 16th and U Streets and ran up onto the sidewalk. Locals say last Tuesday's accident was one of many that have threatened people visiting businesses or on foot on the busy one-way street.

"It's dangerous. I really want to see the city put a stoplight right there," said the cafe's owner, Harry Luong, 53.

However, police accident reports indicate the intersection hasn't had more than an average number of accidents, said Sacramento Police Sergeant Norm Leong.

Police report numbers don't indicate the total number, because reports aren't filed for many.

The truck rammed the corner of a vacant brick building at 2030 16th St., where one of Sacramento's earliest Safeway stores originally stood. The building’s front collapsed and only three quarters remained intact.

The SUV swerved right, crushing a sidewalk table and chairs outside the cafe at 2026 16th St. before stopping just short of the restaurant's front wall.

Harry's Cafe was able to reopen the following day after a crew from the Housing & Dangerous Building Division of the city’s Code Enforcement Department removed damaged sections and stabilized the remaining walls of the unreinforced masonry building.

Luong's business has been slow since the accident, despite a loyal following. But he and his wife, Lynn Luong, who owns Lynn's Beauty Salon next door, are worried about people's safety. Their son and his friends had to run from an outside table when the SUV rushed at them. They escaped with cuts and bruises. Another patron was injured by flying glass.

Standing outside his cafe, Harry Luong pointed skyward and said "someone up there" must have been watching to prevent worse injury.

"My son is very lucky he didn't get killed," Luong said. "That's the main thing I'm concerned [with] right now."

Just then, North Sacramento resident Jim Young stopped his car in front of Luong and yelled out, "I'm really glad your son's okay."

The surrounding neighborhood is home to many elderly people and families with children. High school students and senior citizens often cross three-lane 16th Street at U Street. They may be visiting one of the intersection's three businesses -- the cafe, a 24-hour taco place called La Garnacha, or Quickly, an Asian fusion cafe/drink shop.

The posted speed limit is 35 mph, but the street can be dangerous when drivers on 16th rev up to catch a green light at T Street, people said.

Quickly's co-owner Doug Holdren, also a newscast director at KCRA, said the intersection is "absolutely" dangerous.

"People can't drive. They're talking on the phone, they're texting, not paying attention. And they're trying to go through an intersection that possibly needs a light," he said.

Even drivers living in the neighborhood have a hard time crossing 16th when cars are parked illegally right to the corners.

"If cars park on 16th Street, I can't see anything," said retiree Betty Fong, adding there’ve been many accidents in her 35 years at U and 19th Streets. "We need a signal here."

Holdren agreed.

"You get 20 feet [of curb] that says 'No parking here to the corner.' When people park there, the people who [drive] up on U Street can't see up 16th. So when they pull out -- boom! There you go," he said. "There's a lot of old Chinese ladies who walk around down here. I feel sorry for 'em because nobody wants to stop for 'em."

A previous accident sent a car flying onto the front porch of the intersection's only house, at 2031 16th St. The car destroyed the front steps and part of the porch and could have killed someone if they'd been on the porch at the time, said 92-year-old Lucille Forrester, who's lived on that corner for 39 years.

"I was taking my nap on the davenport and my kitty was with me. All of a sudden, we heard a noise and my kitty jumped up," she said.

Sacramento Police accident records for the last five years indicate no fatal accidents or pedestrian injuries at the intersection in that time, said Leong.

From January 1, 2004, to May 1, 2009, the intersection has seen four injury accidents and four non-injury accidents, said Leong. However, police reports for non-injury accidents are limited. Accidents must meet certain criteria for reports to be filed, he added.

"Based on the number of accidents, I wouldn't say it's any higher than any other intersection for a five-year period," said Leong.

Only drivers were injured -- including a mountain bike rider who rode into a parked car. Parked cars often suffered in accidents. Last Tuesday, the SUV hit a car parked in front of the café. Some believe that that helped prevent more injury.

Business owners and residents believe they're not likely to get a signal because one exists at T Street. At least one person suggested making 16th two-way. Holdren questioned whether a remedy would come through for this intersection when a lot of one-way-street intersections are dangerous.

"Yeah, I think it's bad. Is there anything the city can do? Who knows. You can't put that kind of money into every blind corner we have," he said.

The damaged building -- and the street -- have played major roles in the neighborhood's life for decades. Three years after the Safeway grocery store chain began operation in 1926, a Safeway opened at the spot, said Pat Johnson, a senior Sacramento Archives and Museum Collection Center archivist who tracked down the original building permit card.

Traffic has grown considerably on 16th Street. People now say they're worried another accident could take someone's life.

"Right now, the main thing is we need to do something to stop the accidents," said Luong.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Lane closures

2009-04-07T03:18:45Z

A lane closure will be in effect on Q street between 6th and 7th streets beginning April 7 and lasting until April 26, according to a press release from the Sacramento Department of Transportation.

The closures will remain in effect 24 hours a day until work is completed on street and sidewalk improvements. The press release stated that the improvements were related to an unnamed state construction project.

According to the press release, the traffic patterns of morning commutes in the area may be affected by the closures.

Inquiries were made to the City in the hopes of identifying the project, but as of press time no calls were returned.

Two-Way Conversion Project

2009-02-19T20:50:19Z

A new traffic signal was erected this morning at 10th and H street. This is the first stage of a project that will convert 10th street, currently one-way running north, to two-way traffic between E and I streets. 9th street is also included in this conversion, changing from a one-way running south to two-way between E and H streets. Bike lanes and parking spaces will also added on either side of the street for both 9th and 10th. One benefit of the change will be increased access to the underground parking garage below City Hall.

The conversion is scheduled for this Sat., Feb. 21 and the roads will be open to two-way traffic by Mon., Feb. 23. There will be no closure to traffic during the project.

This is part of the Central City Two-Way Conversion Project which gained approval on seven similar projects. Below is a list of the seven first-priority projects, the only one of which to be completed after Monday is J street between 30th and Alhambra. The project is meant to improve neighborhood livability, relieve traffic congestion, and increase pedestrian safety. Sacramento Press reported on the conversion of N street to two-way traffic in Nov. 2008.

The City Council approved the following package of seven first priority streets for conversion:

19th Street (H Street to Broadway, from three lanes to two lanes with bike lanes)--completed
21st Street (I Street to W Street, from three lanes to two lanes with bike lanes)--completed
N Street (21st Street to 28th Street, to two-way)-- completed
3rd Street (I Street to J Street, to two-way)-- completed
J Street (30th Street to Alhambra Boulevard, to two-way)
9th Street (E Street to I Street, to two-way)-- in progress
10th Street (E Street to I Street, to two-way)-- in progress

Have any of these projects improved your commute or "neighborhood livability"? Do you see these as valuable changes? Will the project on 9th and 10th streets improve your daily commute in any way? How do you feel about the city converting sections of one-way streets to two-way?

N Street, one way no more

2008-11-09T07:25:36Z

Lane changes will initiate on N street as of November 13th. It has already begun the process of turning into a two way street, from the one way street it currently is.

It's part of a larger project converting several one way streets in Midtown to two way streets.

The City of Sacramento, on their website, states that there will always be one lane of traffic available on these streets, but I must admit I will be sad to see my street change its status.

While it can be an annoyance to deal with one way streets when you are just visiting Midtown, it's fairly convenient for those that live here. When driving home I can park on either side of the street without much effort.

There's also the sense of knowing something that not many people know, really knowing your way around town.

Do you love or hate the one way streets in Midtown? What do you love or hate about them?

Lead Me to Your Business!

2008-11-08T01:14:31Z

The past few weeks of growth at The Sacramento Press has been quite exciting to witness. With more readers, more contributors, and more content, we are sure to see some major success with our site for our community.

As the Sales Manager of Sac Press, I am now finding myself moving ahead “full-steam” with our plans to gain great advertising from our local, Southside Park and downtown businesses.

My mission is simple. I will seek local and national businesses who are most reflective of, and beneficial to, the needs and views of our readers and contributors.

Most of our advertisers will have already brought their businesses from what we like to call “brick-to-click,” by having robust, fully-functional, interactive websites. The excitement for us is in taking your, online, community “clicks” to our local businesses’ “bricks.” There’s no better working relationship!

We’ve got a lot to offer with beautiful ad designs, vigorous “click-through” traffic, affordable packages, customizable tag-bundles, instant uploads, and comprehensive customer service.

So keep the leads coming! And a special thank you to Bite Club, Space 07 Salon, Hefner Realty, and Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen for allowing your advertisements to be the first to post.

Sincerely,

Angela Jackson
Sales Manager of The Sacramento Press
Email: angela@sacramentopress.com