RoundUp: On the Roads
Will Waymo come to Sebastopol and will Caltrans build a roundabout on 116 north of Graton? Plus more holiday fun in Graton, Forestville and Sebastopol
Will Sebastopol and West County welcome Waymo?
Robotaxis could be coming to town.
In late November, the California DMV gave Waymo the approval to significantly expand its driverless robotaxi operations across the North Bay. The ruling allows Waymo to operate across the Bay Area, not just San Francisco. Waymo will need additional approvals before their cars will be seen on area roads.
Now before you get up in arms about autonomous vehicles on the streets of Sebastopol, you might want to read this recent New York Times op-ed by Dr. Jonathan Slotkin, a neurosurgeon. In the article, “The Data on Self-Driving Cars Is Clear. We Have to Change Course,” Dr. Slotkin analyzed data collected by Waymo on their cars operating over 100 million miles in four American cities. He concluded that robotaxis were much safer than cars driven by humans.
91 percent fewer serious-injury-or-worse crashes
80 percent fewer crashes causing any injury.
96 percent lower rate of injury-causing crashes at intersections
As a doctor who treats people after they have been in serious crashes, Slotkin sees a safer, better future if far fewer people were driving their own cars to get in and out of town.
If Waymo’s results are indicative of the broader future of autonomous vehicles, we may be on the path to eliminating traffic deaths as a leading cause of mortality in the United States. While many see this as a tech story, I view it as a public health breakthrough.
Wouldn’t it be nice not to hear people complain about the bad drivers in town?
Preview: Should Caltrans build a roundabout on 116 at Green Valley Road?
We are currently working on a story about Caltrans’ proposal to build either a roundabout or a traffic light with turning lanes at the intersection of Highway 116 and Green Valley Road. Caltrans held a well-attended public meeting on the topic at the Graton Fire Station on Nov. 19.
We are giving you a heads-up in advance of this story because public comments are due today, Dec. 7. You can get a look at the project here. Email your comments to daniel.chan@dot.ca.gov.
There’s no question that it’s a problematic intersection. While barely noticeable if you’re just cruising down Highway 116, turning onto or trying to cross 116 from Green Valley can be harrowing.
According to Caltrans, “Over the past 10 years, there have been 27 reported collisions at this intersection. While there were no fatalities, 13 of the collisions involved injuries. Approximately 93% of the collisions were broadside, and about 85% were due to failure to yield.”
Fred Mashhour, who owns Bridgeway Gas on the corner there, has seen numerous accidents there over the years, and said he remembers at least one fatality.
Marcy Greeley, who attended the Nov. 19 meeting, said most of the attendees agreed that something needed to be done, but many felt that Caltrans’ proposed solutions were overkill.
And indeed, the renderings on the Caltrans website don’t do either project any favors since they look like they’d be right at home anywhere in Suburbia USA. The rural charm that 116 is so famous for is noticeably absent from these drawings. Both options involve tree removals and eminent domain acquisitions from surrounding property owners.
The Graton Holiday Lights and Tractor Parade
Photos and video by Mark Fernquest
The Graton Holiday Lights and Tractor Parade began with a holiday dessert potluck, wreath-making and community get-together in the Graton Town Square and as evening fell, the lighted tractor parade made its way through downtown.
Holiday Faire in Forestville
Photos by Dale Dougherty
On Saturday, both sides of Hwy. 116 in downtown in Forestville were lined with craft and food booths and lots of Christmas decorations. A good crowd turned out on a chilly afternoon for the 3rd Annual Forestville Holiday Faire.
The person behind the Holiday Faire, Amber Gray, said that things were going well but she was disappointed that several key people were out sick, including Santa himself, along with the horse that was supposed to pull a carriage up and down the street.
Meanwhile, back in Sebastopol, the Holiday Store at the West County Museum is open through Monday
We dropped by the Holiday Store at the West County Museum on Friday and Saturday. It was full of holiday shoppers, scooping up vintage ornaments and other fun holiday decorations. We particularly liked the Victorian Father Christmas who greeted passersby on opening day. The holiday store will be open today and tomorrow from 10 am to 3 pm.
Museum director Donna Pittman said many people have been offering to donate Christmas items. They can’t take them this week, but Donna has a plan. She’s said the museum would be open for Christmas donations on the 25th of every month (except December, of course) in 2026.
Corrections
In Laura’s story, “Sign of Virtue,” we made a mistake about the longest virtue word posted on the sign. The longest word was not “thankfulness” but “trustworthiness.” Also, Rei Blaser doesn’t just say the name of the virtue when they post it on the sign, she reads the front and back of the entire card aloud. Michael Carnacchi reports that my description of her intoning the word “into the atmosphere” cracked them up for a good five minutes.
In Dale’s story about the tree lighting, “Sebastopol All Aglow,” we mistakenly misspelled Vice Mayor Sandra Maurer’s last name and incorrectly identified her as the assistant mayor. Apologies for that.
Sebastopol Police Logs, Nov. 24-30
The following are crimes excerpted from Sebastopol Police Department daily crime log entries and listed at the time the alleged violation was reported.
TUESDAY
10:29 a.m. Inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or companion at Petaluma Avenue. Suspect arrested.
WEDNESDAY
12:15 a.m. Violation of pre-trial release (felony), violation of probation (misdemeanor), and failure to provide police officer with evidence of financial responsibility at Pleasant Hill Avenue North. Suspect arrested.
11:40 a.m. Battery on a person (misdemeanor) at Sebastopol Avenue. Case cleared by circumstances beyond police control.
12:49 p.m. Vandalism involving damage to property (misdemeanor) at Bodega Avenue. Pending further investigation.
SATURDAY
12:28 p.m. Possession of obscene material involving a minor in a sexual act (felony) at Laguna Park Way. Pending further investigation.
SUNDAY
6:24 p.m. Petty theft with two or more prior convictions (felony) and knowingly receiving stolen property, possession of unlawful paraphernalia and obtaining money by false pretenses (misdemeanors) at McKinley Street. Suspect arrested.
OTHER POLICE ACTION
The Sebastopol Police Department also recorded 122 events requiring police action during the period, such as lost animals, assisting citizens, parking violations, foot patrol, traffic hazards and reckless driving.
Week of Dec. 1-6
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Let’s go, bring in the Waymos! Sonoma and Napa counties will benefit greatly from less “been wine tasting all day” DUIs, and I’m sure wineries will benefit too.
Yes to Roundabouts, and thanks for the link to make comments. Europe is way ahead of California, and the USA, in personal transportation. Roundabouts are an efficient solution to traffic flow.
Thanks for this info.