Garfield Drive to be repaved this summer

The east Petaluma road is a major connector to nearby parks and Casa Grande High School|

A 1.5-mile stretch of Garfield Drive in east Petaluma is set to see some major improvements this summer as part of a citywide initiative.

At its March 20 meeting, the City Council approved the repaving of Garfield Drive between East Washington and Cross Creek streets, as well as a number of other improvements, and authorized a work contract with Ghilloti Bros, Inc., worth about $2.9 million to get it done.

Garfield Drive is a major connector to nearby parks, including Wiseman and Prince parks, as well as Casa Grande High School.

“The pavement in the project location is 50 years old in places and is in a visibly poor condition, including alligator cracking and evidence of subgrade failure,” public works staff said in a joint staff report.

The project is part of a larger scale Pavement Restoration program for 2022-23, which also includes Maria Drive, Rainer Avenue, Webster Street, Western Avenue, Casa Grande Road, Howard Street and St. Francis Drive – adding up to a budget of about $7.4 million overall. It is funded through street maintenance funds and Measure U sales tax bonds.

Construction is expected to begin following the completion of water utility work on Garfield, which should be completed this spring.

The project will include upgrades to 58 existing curb ramps, as they are currently not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also calls for updates to roadway striping and signage in order to “slow traffic, increase road users' awareness, and make roadway operations more intuitive,” according to the city.

“The project will encourage walking and active transportation in the city, therefore reducing vehicle trips and greenhouse gas emissions,” the staff report said. “Traffic calming measures, pedestrian crossing improvements, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, and ADA curb ramps will be installed for safer travel and will provide transit connectivity, removing many of the existing barriers to multi-modal transportation on this corridor.”

According to the city, the project will use existing materials as much as possible to lower the number of truck trips and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and all removed pavement materials will be recycled.

Project plans will next be examined by the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee before being finalized. The city is also planning for a virtual community meeting to share more information about the project and preview the construction schedule and impacts. A date for that meeting is not yet set.

City staff say they will send postcards to addresses within 1,000 feet of the project location, and email those who have subscribed to project updates, providing more information.

Amelia Parreira is a staff writer for the Argus-Courier. She can be reached at amelia.parreira@arguscourier.com or 707-521-5208.

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