About the Rural Area

In 2003, the City's first General Plan recognized the unique character of the rural area, but street standards and processes were the same for both urban and rural areas. In 2007, as a result of extensive community outreach, the City adopted new Rural Road Improvement Policy and Standards documents. The policy established a value-based approach for incremental road improvements. The standards established unique road improvement design standards for rural areas, including standards for street and intersection design, lighting, signage, screening, and noise reduction.

From 2014 to 2015, in response to community interest in increased safety and mobility for pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians, the City conducted additional community outreach to further gauge the level of support for non-motorized mobility improvements in the rural area. Outreach included a mail survey, a public mobility forum, and community-led outreach focused on individual street segments. 

Current Projects In The Rural Area

Grant Line Road - Sheldon Area Precise Roadway Plan

Rural Road Improvement Policy And Standards

Established in 2007 as a result of extensive community outreach, the Rural Road Improvement Policy and Standards establish a system for incremental roadway improvements based on the values of the residents of the rural area.

The Rural Road Improvement Policy requires that all road improvements:

  • Respond to actual traffic impacts
  • Include periodic evaluations
  • Include criteria for traffic counts, safety, and tolerance for delay
  • Include a public workshop

The Rural Road Improvement Standards establish roadway design guidelines that are in keeping with the character of the rural area, including:

  • All roads will have minimal lane widths with open drainage and native landscaping
  • Roads will not include a curb, gutter, or sidewalk
  • Where informal paths are necessary or desired, surfaces will be made of decomposed granite or similar
  • Bike routes will share the lane with vehicles (no pavement marking)
  • Bike lanes will include striping and pavement markings adjacent to the vehicle travel lane

Applicability Of Rural Road Improvement Standards

Now adopted by the City Council, the Rural Road Improvement Standards apply to all future road improvement projects within the project area, including both new road construction and road widening projects. Again, it is not the intent of these new design standards to change the planned roadway improvements outlined in the adopted General Plan, but rather to affect the design of future improvements to be more rural in character.

As directed by the City Council in October 2006, the design provisions of the Rural Road Improvement Standards will inform ultimate design of the north side of the approved Bond Road widening project. Bond Road is located along the southern boundary of the project area. The widening project was approved with rural improvements on the north side (for example, no curb, gutter, or sidewalk and limited street lighting) and urban improvements on the south side.

Mobility Outreach Process And Results

From July 2014 to November 2015, the City of Elk Grove engaged with community members in the rural area to understand their preferences for mobility improvements for bicyclists, pedestrians, and equestrians in the area. Outreach included:

  • Mail Survey.

    In July 2014, the City developed a mail survey that addressed mobility for the entire rural area. The survey was mailed to all households within the Rural Sheldon/Residential Area boundary (1,592 recipients) and 10% of recipients responded.
    • The results showed that 58% of respondents felt comfortable or very comfortable with bikeway improvements and 53% indicated that they felt comfortable or very comfortable with pedestrian improvements if the rural character could be maintained. Overall, 68% of respondents were generally supportive of bicycle mobility improvements and 69% were generally supportive of pedestrian improvements in the rural area.

  • Community Forum.

    On August 12, 2014, the Public Works Department hosted a Community Mobility Forum at Pleasant Grove Elementary School for local residents to further discuss mobility improvements and their applicability to the Rural Sheldon/Residential Area. Over 70 people attended the forum.

    • Results from the meeting demonstrated that participants had varying opinions on the subject of mobility improvements in the Rural Sheldon/Residential Area. Feedback was nearly split down the middle, with half of the participants wanting to see the outreach process continue and the other half indicating that existing roadway infrastructure was sufficient. Attendees voiced considerable concerns about safety on the streets due to high traffic volumes and speeds. In the end although there was some interest in the concept of mobility improvements generally, many participants felt that these issues should be explored on a street-by-street basis.

Read the full report:

August 12 2014, Mobility Forum and Mail Survey Results

  • Street Segment Mobility Outreach. On March 16, 2015, based on community requests and direction from the City Council, the Public Works Department hosted an outreach training and volunteer sign-up session to recruit and train volunteers to conduct further outreach for targeted street segments. The two rural neighborhood associations, the Sheldon Community Association (SCA) and the Greater Sheldon Road Estates Homeowners Association (GSREHA), took responsibility for organizing volunteers and keeping them engaged in the project. City staff provided outreach materials, guidance, and monthly check-in calls with volunteer leaders (“street captains”). Community-led outreach was conducted from March 2015 to August 2015. City staff conducted exit interviews with street captains about their experience and the data they collected in September 2015.

The project concluded with a final City Council meeting, which took place on December 9, 2015. In general, the Council praised both City staff and participating community members for a job well done. There were many positive comments about the process and outcomes, and it was clear that all parties involved are proud of this unique and successful effort.

The final results are as follows:

  1. The City will not pursue rural area-wide mobility improvements at this time.
  2. The City will conduct an engineering study to determine feasible options for traffic calming measures on major roadways in the rural area in response to prevalent concerns about speeds and volumes of vehicular traffic.
  3. The City will use the outreach effort and report to inform the General Plan Circulation Element policy discussion for the rural area, specifically regarding Complete Streets considerations.

Read the full report:

Contact

Antonio Ablog

Planning Manager
(916) 478-2265
Email

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