Logo courtesy of City of Dixon

DIXON, CA (MPG) - At the Aug. 18 meeting of the Dixon City Council, staff presented a timeline and potential options to address the median divider on West A Street which was installed as part of the Homestead development improvements and is currently blocking left-turn access into some businesses. 

Staff said past planning in the area focused on intersections rather than driveways, and the newly constructed median had unintended consequences by changing direct access patterns. Council recently authorized a full traffic corridor study, but they asked for more immediate solutions to address the impacts of the median divider. 

Option one is an eastbound left-turn pocket lane, which is estimated to cost $155,000 and take six to eight months to complete. This is the most direct response to the business-access issue. 

Option two is a roundabout at Whispering Way, estimated at $650,000 and nine to 10 months to complete. This has a higher cost and would impact more parcels but could improve U-turn and side street access.

Option three is a two-way left turn lane, at $175,000 and six to eight months to complete. This would restore broader access flexibility but has the highest cross-traffic conflict concern. 

The council has previously requested consideration of a left-turn pocket lane as an immediate solution, so staff will look at that along with the other possible options to see which would operate safely and remain effective as development and traffic increase over time. Staff will consider business access, safety operations and development value for vacant parcels—with the goal of managing access so it functions safely. To ensure the city’s money is well spent, any solution taken now should be compatible with long-term plans for the corridor, as determined by the full traffic corridor study. 

Staff cautioned about the risk of solving each driveway issue in isolation, instead of looking holistically at the entire corridor. The approved traffic corridor study will help create a guiding policy, providing consistency for developers and property owners by looking at existing conditions, future travel demand through 2050, short- and long-term access along the corridor and interchange concepts.  

Over the next two months, staff will collect current traffic counts, observe access behavior and review queuing conditions and collision data. Within 90 days, staff will report back on whether any of the short-term options are feasible and compatible with future corridor plans. 

During public comments, one of the owners of the Wienerschnitzel restaurant spoke about the negative impacts to her business due to the median divider restricting driveway access for customers and delivery drivers.  

A resident asked the council to consider the difficulty farmers experience when trying to move equipment through the corridor, and another shared concerns about whether a roundabout would be effective or cause more issues for drivers. Another resident thought a roundabout could be a good option because it would reduce accidents due to slower vehicle speeds, but he would also support a left turn lane. 

Vice Mayor Jim Ernest said that area “is a gateway to our community,” so it needs to be well-designed. He said the city has to balance the immediate needs of the impacted businesses with considerations for long-term commercial development.  

Councilmember Thom Bogue said the business impacts must be resolved. Councilmember Kevin Johnson agreed that something needs to be done quickly to help the businesses, but he wants to prioritize safety as well. 

Mayor Steven Bird said, “I’m all in favor of resolving this issue expeditiously, however not at the cost of not doing the proper studies and research to protect us. And it is our responsibility to protect to city as much as we can from liabilities.” 

The council authorized staff to gather traffic data and come back within 90 days with a recommendation on how to improve access while accounting for future commercial development. 

The next meeting of the Dixon City Council is scheduled for Sept. 1.