Sacramento proposes reducing lanes along this dangerous stretch of Folsom Boulevard

Megan Johnson, a senior engineer with the city, noted that after the accident, then-Assemblymember Kevin McCarty — now mayor of Sacramento — lined up state grant funds to create a safety improvement project along Folsom Boulevard. 

The project, between 48th and 65th streets,  is in line with the city’s Vision Zero program, which Johnson explained is a data-driven initiative aimed at reducing crashes and improving safety. 

According to 2018-2022 data from UC Berkeley’s Transportation Injury Mapping System, this mile-long stretch of road saw seven accidents involving a bicyclist or pedestrian, one of which was fatal, while another led to a severe injury. 

A mile-long stretch of Folsom Boulevard between 48th and 65th streets. Between 2018 and 2022, there were seven crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists.(Courtesy/UC Berkeley TIMS)

Johnson said the data show that speed is the leading cause of pedestrian fatalities. 

“If you are a pedestrian and you are hit by a vehicle that’s traveling at 20 mph, your odds of a fatality is only about 5%,” she said. “If the vehicle’s traveling at 30 mph, your odds of a fatality increase to about 40% and at 50 mph, it’s pretty much a guaranteed thing.”

That means slowing cars down is the main goal of the Folsom Boulevard Safety Improvements Project. Johnson said the most effective way to do this is to reduce the number of lanes, which is one of the project’s main proposals for the stretch of road between 59th and 65th streets.

“Having the extra lanes makes it feel more like a highway than a community street and you get speeding, racing and bad behavior,” she said. 

Megan Johnson, a senior engineer with the city, delivers a presentation on the proposed Folsom Boulevard Safety Improvements Project Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Sacramento. The project aims to make the street safer between 48th and 65th streets.(Gerardo Zavala/CapRadio)

She noted that the lack of a center turn lane also leads to more rear-end crashes. The proposed “road diet” would allow for a center turn lane and bike lanes to be added.

But despite these changes, the road is not conducive to certain requests advocates have been asking for, including protected bike lanes. The biggest reason for that is because of how narrow the road is and the need for street sweeper accessibility. 

Johnson said the city has two bikeway sweepers that are already maxed out on the amount of distance they can cover on their routes, but noted that the road would need to be at least 54 feet wide from curb to curb to be able to add protected lanes. Folsom Boulevard ranges from 45 to 46 feet along its narrower sections. 

The city is looking at purchasing a new “super-narrow” bikeway sweeper, but Johnson noted that would take time and funding the city doesn’t have. 

The project will have to address these issues, and more, with tight budget constraints as the city deals with a $62 million deficit. 

Budget woes 

Johnson said the total project budget is $6 million, $5 million of which comes from state grant funds, while the rest comes from the city’s transportation funds. 

“All of the decisions that we’re making with the project need to just constantly keep in mind that it’s going to fit within the budget,” she said. 

However, some attending were surprised, noting how low the budget for the project is despite the number of suggested improvements. 

Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum agreed with their sentiments. 

“Someone in there called the question whether or not $6 million is adequate for this project,” he said. “He’s right. It’s not. That’s just a nice down payment. It won’t be enough to do the things we want to do.” 

For that to happen, he said the city would need to pass a transportation sales tax measure, which he noted has failed for the last three election cycles.  

“Expect to see a transportation measure on the next ballot,” he said. “We're going to have to ask the voters for more money to do it. I don't want to beg, but we're going to have to beg to get the resources that we need.”

Councilmember Phil Pluckebaum speaks with community members Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Sacramento.(Gerardo Zavala/CapRadio)

According to the proposed 2025-2030 capital improvement program, the city is proposing a total of $49.2 million in transportation funds during its next fiscal year, going towards 39 projects or programs. It’s unclear how much of this will go towards the city’s transportation corridor program, which funds this project.

But the city is proposing committing roughly $177 million to transportation projects over the next five years. The transportation corridor program will receive $74 million.. 

The council is expected to vote on the budget Tuesday.

What’s next?

According to Johnson, the project is still in the preliminary phase, which she anticipates will be completed this summer. She estimated it’ll take another year to make the final design.

But even then, she said construction isn’t likely to start until 2027 as the city will need to order and wait for equipment that could take months to arrive.

“The actual work will start when we have the equipment in place, and when we have weather that’s conducive to it,” she added. 

Farsi said the city’s commitment is a good first step, although she isn’t happy with how long the process has taken. 

“Seeing it come to fruition is going to be several more years, but I get that’s how bureaucracy works sometimes and funding is limited in this environment,” she said. “And I get that there’s community members that are really frustrated. I don’t blame them. But something is better than nothing.”