Tag Cloud
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Del Paso Boulevard to get a makeover this summer
by Melissa Corker, published on February 3, 2012 at 6:52 PM
Storyline: Politics
Loading images
The Del Paso Boulevard corridor between Globe and Baxter avenues will be getting a makeover this summer in a $1.5 million dollar streetscape project set to begin in May.
The project will include safety improvements at intersections and new on-street parking to the 1000-block of Del Paso Boulevard, according to city Department of Transportation Assistant Engineer Matthew Johns.
The city received federal community development grant funds in 2009 to construct streetscape improvements between Arden Way and State Route 160.
Before construction could begin, the project had to go through various stages of planning, design and environmental review. The project got the final go-ahead from the City Council Tuesday.
Johns said the project includes removing and replacing sections of curb and sidewalk, enlarging the wells surrounding trees along the boulevard and adding an irrigation system to promote growth of the trees.
“One day it’ll have something of a shade canopy from those trees, similar to what you see in Midtown,” Johns said Friday.
The street improvements will also address safety needs along that corridor, Johns said.
There will be a new traffic signal system at the intersection of Southgate Road, Colfax Street and Del Paso Boulevard, on the corner in front of the Sacramento News & Review building at 1124 Del Paso Boulevard.
Currently, there are stop signs at the side streets (Southgate and Colfax) and a marked crosswalk, but Johns said the improvements will include a traffic light and pedestrian controls at the crosswalk.
“Pedestrians will be able to cross when traffic is completely stopped instead of trying to judge when it’s clear,” Johns said. “It will make the intersection safer and hopefully will prevent accidents.”
Fran Barker, a member of the Del Paso Heights Improvement Association and a longtime community advocate, said that the planned improvement project will be a benefit to the area.
“We definitely appreciate whatever improvements can be made to our environment,” Barker said Friday. “Especially safety improvements.”
Barker said that, over her more than 50 years of advocating for her Del Paso Heights neighbors, she has watched many improvement projects go in – but not the ones she feels are most important.
“Beautification seems to come before safety,” Barker said.
One concern for Barker is the lack of lights on the smaller residential streets that tend to get very dark, making it difficult for people to navigate the streets at night.
“With the crime rate where it is, safety is so important,” Barker said. “We should have streetlights. That’s elementary, Dr. Watson.”
Additional streetlights are part of the upcoming project, Johns said, although they will not be installed on the smaller residential streets. They will be put in along the southern end of the corridor, nearing State Route 160.
The project is expected to take nearly four months to complete, Johns said.
Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.
Flag Article As:
Conversation Express your views,
debate, and be heard with those in your area closest
to the issue.
Leave a Comment
How did the indians and the settlers ever get along without street lights?
Thanks for pointing out that this improvement project actually affects Woodlake and not Del Paso Heights. We apologize for the confusion from this story. We will have a story later this week that addresses this and defines for our readers and our staff what constitutes Del Paso Heights and what constitutes Del Paso Blvd. Thank you, again.
Colleen
The improvement area is Woodlake. While the focus of the article was the improvements themselves, I think Mrs. Barkers comments were more about getting improvements done where they are most needed, regardless the neighborhood.
It is interesting to note that – in many places in Sacramento city and county – a single boulevard often travels through numerous neighborhoods. The reputation of one neighborhood is not always carried on that boulevard to the next.
Thanks again,
Melissa
Del Paso Blvd is not Del Paso Heights.
Re. the "Makeover" - It is a good step but you truly make over the Boulevard until you also clean up the blight behing the buildings right on the Boulevard.