What is a work zone and event detour policy?

The City of Sacramento is updating it's policy and practice for accommodating people walking and bicycling in work/construction zones and special events.

The policy will specify when and where walking and bicycling facilities may be relocated, detoured, modified, and closed. This guidance will apply to all sidewalks and streets on which people bicycling are legally allowed to travel, including designated bikeways. The updated policy will apply to construction sponsor performing construction work or hosting events in the public right-of-way to prevent detours as much as possible and maintain accessibility and connectivity for people walking or biking. The recommendations will be informed by the California standards outlined in the California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) Part 6 temporary traffic control.

Why is this effort important?

Supporting City goals around equity and climate includes ensuring direct, convenient, and comfortable paths of travel around work zones are maintained for walking and biking. Detours that are difficult or unclear to users result in frustration and people walking in the street or rolling in travel lanes where they are not expected. Safety for people walking, bicycling, scooting, people with disabilities, and those driving is an important consideration in and around work or construction zones and special events.

While there isn’t local, Sacramento specific, statistics on work zone crashes, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has information by state. In California, in 2021, there were 113 work zone fatal crashes, and 120 work zone fatalities, 32 “at work” pedestrian fatalities, and 31 other pedestrian involved fatalities in work zones.

Draft work zone and event detour policy

The draft policy is available here.

We will hold a round table session with community mobility organizations, development professionals, and builders in January. Also in January we will host a community meeting to discuss and gather input. If you'd like to be notified of the community meeting, please sign up here

 

Contact us

Casandra Cortez, Transportation Planner

Cncortez@cityofsacramento.org

916-808-6725

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