Woodland to Davis via bike road?

Each week, hundreds of bicyclists ride through the farmland of Yolo County on rural byways that connect the cities of Woodland and Davis.

Some bike for pleasure. Others commute to work or school. All share the danger of being hit by cars and trucks that blow past them at highway speeds on narrow county roads.

In October that danger became a reality when 60-year-old Woodland bicyclist Francisco "Willie" Lopez was struck and killed by a car on County Road 99 during his daily ride to work at UC Davis.

In the wake of Lopez's death, the county plans to widen sections of some routes favored by cyclists. At the same time, proposals are emerging to create a route only for bicycles and electric vehicles from Davis to Woodland.

A Roseville engineering firm has proposed a paved thoroughfare connecting East Street in Woodland with F Street in Davis via a railroad right of way.

Meanwhile, county Supervisor Matt Rexroad is discussing a plan to extend County Road 101 and limit access to bicycles, slow-moving electric vehicles and, maybe, farm equipment.

"I'm talking about a dedicated bicycle trail, a non-car option," Rexroad said Monday.

Rexroad sees the pathway as a potential economic benefit to both cities and a way to encourage people to bike the distance, about seven miles, between them.

"People could ride to Woodland to get a coffee, and bike back to Davis," he said.

Rexroad said he used to bike longer distances but now confines his rides to quieter city streets because of traffic.

"I can't be the only person who doesn't like being passed by cars from behind at 70 miles per hour," he said.

The former Woodland mayor said he envisions a route along County Road 101 from East Gibson Road in Woodland to F Street in Davis, with a portion to be constructed between county roads 27 and 29.

Rexroad plans to start holding meetings on the plan in January.

In recent months, representatives of MHM Engineers & Surveyors in Roseville have approached local government officials with a similar plan to build a bike path along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, linking East Street in Woodland with F Street in Davis.

MHM's proposal for an "e-way" is more focused on electric vehicles, with bicycle access an added benefit. The group helped engineer neighborhood-electric-vehicle, or NEV, routes in Lincoln, where many residents from the nearby Del Webb retirement community drive their golf carts.

Tom Cosgrove, a city councilman and three-time mayor in Lincoln, is working as a consultant with MHM on its Yolo plan.

He said an intercity electric-vehicle route would provide a unique alternative to commuters who don't want to venture onto Highway 113 or county roads between Woodland and Davis.

The short distance between the cities, flat landscape and scenic views would make a pleasant drive for battery-powered commuters, Cosgrove said.

"A person could make the round trip between the two cities easily on one charge," he said.

Cosgrove estimated there are about 1,300 Woodland residents who commute to work at the University of California, Davis. "That's a pool we would like to attract," he said.

Avoiding a highway commute would be one benefit. Driving zero-emission vehicles, saving gas and reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil are other selling points, he said.

The wider roadway needed to accommodate electric vehicles would be welcomed by cyclists.

"It's much more comfortable for bicycles to ride in a corridor with vehicles whose maximum speed is 25 mph," he said. "That makes the whole situation much safer."

Cosgrove said he knows funding is a huge concern for local governments. He thought the MHM proposal might cost about $3 million, and that grant money would foot some of the bill.

He said the railroad might be reluctant to allow use of its right of way, and that alternatives, such as Rexroad's, could be more workable.

Despite the challenges, a Yolo County e-way is an exciting prospect, Cosgrove said.

"This is a unique circumstance," he said, "where these vehicles could work so well in creating a different way to travel between two cities."

About the writer:

• Call The Bee's Hudson Sangree, (916) 321-1191.