Marysville officials mark major road improvements

Sep. 13—Located just off State Route 20, Marysville officials gathered at the intersection of E. 22nd Street and Cheim Boulevard on Wednesday to recognize the major road work that recently began and will continue for many parts of the city that desperately need not only pavement improvements, but also traffic calming measures.

With two state highways running through Marysville and a lack of revenue from a strong and diverse tax base, the city's streets have experienced significant wear and tear over the years. City officials have attributed most of that damage to vehicles cutting through local streets to avoid traffic buildup on State Routes 20 and 70.

"The city, both management and council, are keenly focused on improving streets in Marysville and dealing with the traffic situation," Marysville Mayor Chris Branscum said.

In July, the Marysville City Council awarded a contract worth $3,336,937.60 to Lamon Construction Co. for road work throughout the city — everything from minor repaving work to complete road reconstruction.

Twelve sites throughout the city were identified for work by Lamon Construction because they were a "combination of streets that are in very very bad condition or are in fairly good condition, but we want to preserve that so they don't become streets in really bad condition," Marysville City Manager Jim Schaad previously said.

The 12 sections of roadway that are scheduled for improvements include the following: — E. 22nd Street (Cheim Boulevard to State Route 20) — Cheim Boulevard (E. 22nd Street to Nadene Drive) — Del Pero Street (Rideout Way to Toddwick Avenue) — E. 19th Street (Covillaud Street to Sampson Street) — 14th Street (Phase 1: Levee to railroad overcrossing) — Johnson Avenue (Cheim Boulevard to Hall Street) — Nadene Drive (Cheim Boulevard to Hall Street) — 14th Street (H Street to F Street) — A Street (4th Street to 6th Street) — Olson Court — Glen Street (Hobart Drive to Nadene Drive) — E 22nd Street (Cheim Boulevard to Ramirez Street)

In order to address the growing need for road improvements and find funding sources to make those changes, the city has utilized Measure C funding and various other sources of revenue.

"This project is funded primarily through Measure C," Branscum said. "Measure C is a one cent sales tax increase that was voted on in 2016 and sunsets in 2026. We are going to be placing it on the ballot in 2024. It's essential that Measure C be extended beyond 2026. ... Measure C accounts for more than one third of all General Fund revenue in Marysville. It is the overwhelming portion of the funding for this project."

Other funding sources include Senate Bill 1, which was signed into law in 2017 and established fuel taxes and vehicle fees which generate funding for roadways in the state; the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a COVID-19 stimulus package that was distributed across the country; and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), an association which coordinates transportation planning and funding for the Sacramento region.

Marysville Public Works Director Vincenzo Corazza said on Wednesday that prior to seeking funding for these projects, city officials and members of the city council discussed what road improvements would be the "most effective" use of money for the city.

"Unfortunately we can't do all the roads, but we were able to pick the worst case ones. We packaged it together and went out to bid and finally got something going," Corazza said.

On Wednesday, city officials highlighted the work that will be done with the E. 22nd Street Rehabilitation Project. Phase one of this project includes traffic calming measures and new paving on E. 22nd Street from State Route 20 to Cheim Boulevard.

"The primary purpose of traffic calming is to support the livability and vitality of residential and commercial areas through improvements in non-motorist safety, mobility, and comfort," according to the Federal Highway Administration. "These objectives are typically achieved by reducing vehicle speeds or volumes on a single street or a street network. Traffic calming measures consist of horizontal, vertical, lane narrowing, roadside, and other features that use self-enforcing physical or psycho-perception means to produce desired effects."

On E. 22nd Street, phase one traffic calming measures include a "mini-roundabout" at Glen Street just before State Route 20. The mini-roundabout is intended to "convert stop conditions to yield conditions, thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions," according to documentation provided by city officials.

Other traffic calming measures planned in phase one include protected bike lanes, a median, parking lanes and sidewalk improvements.

A second phase of this project is planned for 2025/26. That phase will continue paving work along E. 22nd Street to Ramirez Street near Marysville High School. Improvements in this phase will include better bus stops, protected bike lanes, connected sidewalks and additional mini-roundabouts, according to the city.

City officials previously said 10 of the 12 project areas are expected to be completed before Dec. 31. The A Street segment is slated for completion sometime in 2024 and work along E. 22nd Street from Cheim Boulevard to Ramirez Street with help from SACOG funding could start or be completed in 2025.

At Wednesday's ceremony, Corazza also acknowledged Blue Zone Project Yuba-Sutter for its help in securing grant funding.

"Blue Zones was instrumental in getting the SACOG grant to finish East 22nd all the way to the high school," Corazza said.