NEVADA CITY, Calif. – Some fifty people attended an Open House jointly organized by Caltrans and the Nevada County Transportation Commission (NCTC) on Thursday evening at the Rood Center. The proposed Hwy 49 project runs along Hwy 49 from the Hwy 20/49/Uren Street intersection to the Regional Dispatch Center (formerly Nevada County Juvenile Hall) and proposes to enhance safety by constructing two roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, shared-use paths, sidewalks and installing new lighting and signage.
Project background
Mike Woodman, NCTC’s Executive Director, explained how the project came about, saying “the project was really initiated following concerns of Nevada City residents that were voiced at a Nevada County Transportation Commission meeting back in 2018. The key concerns raised were in relation to high vehicle speeds within the corridor, the lack of pedestrian crossings on State Route 49, and the lack of dedicated pedestrian facilities along the corridor.”
Woodman laid out the genesis of the current project, “The focus of that plan is really to examine the existing roadway configuration and the roadway intersections with the highway, also to look at the corridor operations, collision history and to inform safety improvements for all users. Also considering the operational efficiency for all travel modes, automobiles as well as cyclists and pedestrians. Bicycle and pedestrian safety and connectivity throughout the corridor was a key focus during the development of this study.”
According to Woodman, two public workshops were hosted back in 2019 to seek input on the perceived corridor conditions and the desired outcomes, as well as feedback on the improvement recommendations.
The plan was approved by the Nevada County Transportation Commission back in November of 2019. Following completion of the planning effort, NCTC worked in coordination with Nevada County and Nevada City to try to secure funding for the improvements. In December 2022, NCTC were able to successfully secure grant funding to implement the recommended improvements through the California Transportation Commission’s statewide Active Transportation Program (ATP.) Following that, NCTC elected to have Caltrans District 3 implement the project and be the lead for environmental design.
Two roundabouts, better pedestrian and bicycle safety
The renderings below show the current and planned configuration of Hwy 49 in the project area.
Opinions differ
Workshop attendees were divided on the merits of the project. Some residents of Orchard Street wanted the roundabout to bypass their one-way street while others were concerned about evacuations and suggested leaving an access for them.
Others pointed to a potential Scenic Corridor designation for the stretch of highway, citing the desire to protect the historical character of Nevada City by hiding development from view from the highways and preserving the existing tree cover.
The Caltrans Scenic Highways FAQ states, in part, “A highway may be designated as scenic depending upon how much of the natural landscape can be seen by travelers, the scenic quality of the landscape, and the extent to which development intrudes upon the traveler’s enjoyment of the view.”
In Nevada County, only a section of Hwy 20 from Skillman Flat Campground to one-half mile east of Lowell Hill Road has been designated as a scenic route, the Yuba-Donner Scenic Byway.
A person living on North Bloomfield expressed her gratitude for the project, stating, “My young kids want to be able to ride their bikes places. My young kids want to have a place to walk. My young kids want to be able to access a bus stop, and with improvements on Sugarloaf Trail, like there is at least a way. Not on North Bloomfield, that’s a different conversation about bringing a shoulder there. But if they can get safely to Sugarloaf, there’s at least a way for them to access a trail system and then access sidewalks and safely cross Highway 49. I think that that’s what all of us would want for our young kids, ourselves, or our grandchildren or our nieces and nephews. So I’m incredibly thankful for the pedestrian access, for the bike access.”
There was some discussion about moving one of the roundabouts to Hwy 49 and Coyote Street, taking into account the construction of the new Courthouse. Woodman stated that any new construction would have to conduct their own traffic study.
Speaking of the new courthouse and Nevada City’s economy, Councilmember Gary Petersen talked about the need to provide easy and safe pedestrian access to the downtown businesses for staff and visitors to the courthouse. Lynn Skrukrud, the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce Executive Director agreed, stating many of the large events held in Nevada City benefit from free parking available at the Rood Center and reiterated the need for safe pedestrian access to downtown.
Next steps
Caltrans Spokesperson Jeremy Linder invited everyone to voice their opinion through a survey on the project’s website. The survey is open until October 31, 2025. The project website also holds background documents and maps.
Construction is slated to begin either in late fall of 2027 or early 2028, after final design completion, with a targeted completion date of fall 2029.