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NAPA VALLEY COUNTYWIDE TRANSPORTATION PLAN MAY 2021
RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Climate change is manifesting in rising sea levels, extreme heat, shifting snow and rainfall patterns, and more frequent and severe climate events that have led to wildfires and flooding in California. Recently, Napa County experienced unprecedented fire events, including the Atlas, Nuns, and Tubbs fires in 2017, and the Lightning Napa Unit Complex and Glass fires in 2020, with the former being the second largest fire in California State history. The wildfires have highlighted the importance of a safe, secure, and accessible transportation system during emergencies. This vital need was emphasized when large evacuation orders were mandated, including the entire City of Calistoga. The Lightning Napa Unit Complex fires also highlighted opportunities to enhance the highway and main arterials in Napa County with a more sophisticated Traffic Control Management system that works for both emergency
personnel and residents. NVTA plans to break ground on a new Vine Transit Maintenance Facility in 2021, which includes a dispatch and command center equipped as an emergency response center. Emergency response and fleet access is an essential duty that NVTA provides to the public during emergencies and the Traffic Management Center will be an invaluable asset during natural catastrophes. This project is still in conception and has been included in the CTP. Likewise, State Route (SR) 37 improvements have been a persistent focus for the four North Bay counties in recent years, and both the interim project and ultimate project will be included in their countywide plans, as well as MTC’s RTP. The interim project makes operational improvements along one segment of the 21-mile corridor, including the widening between SR 121 and Mare Island, and intersection improvements at SR 37 and SR 121 near the Sonoma Raceway. The ultimate project will make improvements along the entire corridor to accommodate the inevitable sea-level rise in the area. Improvements are also likely to include multimodal improvements, and the preservation of and access to the surrounding wetlands. As climate change continues to progress, NVTA will be looking to new technologies that reduce harmful mobile emissions and infrastructure designs that help reduce the impacts of rising sea levels. IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN
A PEDESTRIAN USING A CROSSWALK IN NAPA COUNTY.
The countywide transportation plan sets goals for the transportation system and identifies the projects needed to work towards the performance targets. With the exception of transit projects, local jurisdictions have a critical role in actually delivering most projects. NVTA will support local jurisdictions by helping secure competitive funding. NVTA also has a more direct role in working towards goals by promoting and improving transit service, providing Transportation Demand Management programs, and periodically monitoring system performance.
