Class I Trail Connections Project

Class I Trail Connections Project

The City of Folsom (City) is proposing to construct three trail connections that would fill important gaps in the City’s 60-mile trail network and provide safety improvements for trail users. The City of Folsom Class I Trail Connection Project (proposed project) is envisioned as part of the City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) adopted in June 2022. The Willow Creek Drive and McFarland Drive Connections are located along the Oak Parkway Trail and the East Bidwell Street Connection is located along the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail. A description of each of these trail connections is provided below. Although these connections are being undertaken as a single project by the City, they are referred to separately as Trail Connections 1, 2, and 3 in the description below and later in the analysis, as it applies. 1. Willow Creek Drive Connection: is an 800-foot-long Class I trail that would connect the existing Oak Parkway Trail to Willow Creek Drive. The trail alignment runs through open annual grasslands and is currently used for disk golf activities. Cyclists and pedestrians currently share a narrow 4-foot wide, nonstandard trail through BT Collins Park, which creates unnecessary conflicts. The project would remove the existing 4-foot-wide nonstandard trail and complete the remaining 800 feet of trail to connect with the existing Willow Creek Drive crosswalk and provide a wider, safer Class I trail in compliance with City standards. The train connection would not interfere or conflict with the existing disk golf goals. 2. East Bidwell Street Connection: is a 290-foot-long Class I trail that extends through an oak woodland and would connect the Humbug-Willow Creek Trail to an existing Class II bike lane at East Bidwell Street. This trail connection involves a raised modular bridge supported by piers, parallel to the existing inactive rail tracks. The trail would be installed with a 10’ offset buffer (8’ minimum per City requirements) from the existing rail tracks and railroad grade. This trail connection has been designed to avoid direct and indirect effects on the existing rail tracks and associated grade which could be considered a sensitive historic resource. The trail design for this connection includes pedestrian fencing and elevating the proposed trail above local flooding conditions from the adjacent creek. To the greatest extent possible, construction activities would minimize direct and indirect effects on adjacent native oak trees. 3. McFarland Drive Connection: is a 200-foot-long Class I trail that runs through grasslands and would connect the Oak Parkway Trail to McFarland Drive for the neighborhood south of the trail corridor. Currently, pedestrians, cyclists, and maintenance vehicles use an unpaved access to the trail. This project will provide a resilient trail connection for all users.

Folsom

Sacramento

Citywide, Northern California, Statewide

Sacramento