East Bidwell Street has seen a traffic boost — city hopes to find solutions
Folsom residents know all too well how busy East Bidwell Street can get. It’s a major corridor that not only funnels shoppers toward Costco and the Palladio but also connects to Highway 50 and new development south of the interchange.
The congestion is caused in part by increased traffic. The corridor, north of the highway to Scholar Way, accommodates more than 66,000 vehicles a day, up from about 37,000 in 2019.
To combat traffic woes, the city wants to make improvements to decrease congestion, enhance safety and renew pavement along the busy corridor. Some possibilities, according to the city’s website, include new turn lanes, improved bicycle connections and improved connections to the East Bidwell Rail Trail.
Folsom is in the “design and community engagement” phase of the project, gathering community sentiment to determine how the project should play out. Its next community workshop is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 16, near the Barnes and Noble at the Palladio. Attendees can register on Eventbrite.
“The city is seeking general feedback from the community on how the East Bidwell corridor functions today and how people experience traveling through the area,” Folsom spokesperson Chris Shepard wrote in a statement. “The project focuses on improving traffic flow, pavement conditions, and access and comfort for bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Possible improvements to East Bidwell Street would come from development impact fees, Shepard said. These funds are driven primarily from nearby medical office projects.
Kaiser Permanente’s proposal to build a four-story medical office building and expand its ambulatory surgery facility was approved last month. The development expands on the medical provider’s existing footprint near the Palladio. Sutter Health is also building a three-story care complex, according to its website, that includes its full-service Sutter Advanced Cancer Center at Iron Point Road and East Bidwell Street.
Other projects are in the works to reduce traffic congestion on East Bidwell Street, according to Shepard, including a new pedestrian overcrossing and interchange projects.
“The project is intended to improve traffic flow and overall corridor operations, but it is not a stand-alone solution,” Shepard wrote. “It is one of several projects underway that collectively support improved mobility in the area, including a new pedestrian overcrossing across East Bidwell Street, the Empire Ranch Road interchange, the Oak Avenue interchange, intersection improvements at Prairie City Road and Iron Point Road, and other operational improvements.”
