Planning Commission

The Planning Commission will receive an informational presentation about how Santa Rosa evaluates transportation impacts from new development projects, with no formal action required. Staff is explaining that transportation studies serve multiple purposes—environmental review, infrastructure planning, and project design—but have important limitations: they rely on forecasting assumptions that can significantly affect results, may appear more precise than the underlying data supports, and can inadvertently influence land use patterns depending on which metrics are prioritized. The city is considering updating its guidelines to focus transportation analysis requirements on issues most relevant to Santa Rosa's adopted goals like infill development, multimodal transportation, and safety, rather than requiring detailed studies for projects unlikely to generate substantial transportation impacts.

The city is presenting on a public outreach campaign for the Greenway Connectivity Study, which will gather community feedback on three alternative routes to connect the Prince Memorial Greenway to the future Southeast Greenway across Santa Rosa. The study received federal grant funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Thriving Communities Program, and the three alternatives combine protected bike lanes and neighborhood greenways in different configurations along Sonoma Avenue, Hoen Avenue, and surrounding streets. A survey closes July 31, 2026, and staff will then move forward with the preferred alternative for final design and funding, which may leverage additional grant money depending on which route the community supports.