Los Rios Transportation Connections

Chapter 4 - Folsom Lake College

Findings and Recommendations

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Los Rios Transportation Connections

Folsom Lake College

Folsom Lake College Planning Team Report and Recommendations

"If the dynamics of the universe from the beginning shaped the course of the heavens, lighted the sun and formed the earth, if this same dynamism brought forth the continents and seas and atmosphere, if it awakened life in the primordial cell and then brought into being the unnumbered variety of living beings, and finally brought us into being and guided us safely through the turbulent centuries, there is reason to believe that this same guiding process is precisely what has awakened in us our present understanding of ourselves and our relation to this stupendous process. Sensitized to such guidance from the very structure and functioning of the universe, we can have confidence in the future that awaits the human venture."

- Thomas Berry

Introduction It is a great honor and pleasure for the Folsom Lake College Planning Team to present the summation of a year’s effort to assist the college in becoming a leader in environmental and economic sustainability through the promotion, development and institutional integration of transportation diversity. Much work has gone into these recommendations and it is satisfying to be able to forge this work into a formal document and present that which is contained herewith in to the Los Rios Board of Trustees and the District Administration. The recommendations that follow are heartfelt concerns and expressions of our commitment to the values mentioned above: preserving the environment, creating a sustainable college and community culture and providing the education, opportunity and incentives to students to encourage healthy and viable alternative means of transport. The Folsom Lake College Planning Team has pursued a vision that anticipates changes and looks to innovation, creative problem solving and long-range planning. Our involvement and our work are part of a transforming global perspective, one closely aligned with the principles of sustainability, permaculture and deep ecology. We have not been modest in our proposals nor necessarily realistic in the context of contemporary mindsets and conceptual paradigms. However, the vision we share is one that embraces a rapidly evolving future and draws on a past when environmental practices were respectful and conscientious of the interrelationship of all species on the planet. Current research on global warming and environmental devastation has provided an incentive to the Folsom Lake College Planning Team to think expansively and optimistically about the changes we have dreamed and are now recommending to the Board of Trustees.

Background One year ago, in October, 2006, Tim McHargue was chosen to be the first Folsom Lake College Planning Team committee member at Folsom Lake College. Tim put the word out to other faculty about the opportunity to engage in a collaborative project that would seek to encourage

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walking, bicycle riding and the use of public transit to commute to college. Six faculty members responded and a series of meetings began to inform the interested faculty of the goals of the Los Rios Transportation Connections, directed by WALKSacramento in partnership with the Los Rios Community College District.. It is worth mentioning that Folsom Lake College was not initially intended to be a part of the Los Rios Transportation Connections grant. This was due in part to a lack of awareness of the new Folsom Lake College and, in part, to a perceived view that the new campus was not one that would be amenable to new transportation initiatives. However, when a call went out to District faculty for participation and Tim McHargue was the first to respond; this initial oversight was rectified and the project was reconceptualized to include the Los Rios District’s newest college. The first meeting was scheduled off-campus and five faculty and WALKSacramento staff member, Lindell Price, attended. This organizing group included the following disparate individuals: a political scientist, a biologist, a computer scientist, and a psychologist. The team reflected on the characteristics of the Folsom student community and did not waste much time before coming to the realization, due to the commuter nature of the Folsom, Placerville and foothills communities, that the Folsom Lake College student population would be more likely to embrace bicycling then walking or use of busses and trains. This determination was made, in part, due to the fact that Folsom Lake College was poorly served by public transit.

A tactical decision was made to focus on encouraging bicycling to and from campus as this would also benefit those who walked and those who utilized public transportation. Our rationale was twofold: the limited public transit service can be integrated reasonably well with the use of a bicycle; and the barriers to walking are also barriers to bicycling.

After determining that our Team would primarily focus on making the campus accessible to

bicycles and encouraging the greater utility of this mode of transportation, we engaged in a number of projects that would take us towards these ends. Team activities included doing a campus “walkability” and “bikeability” audit; producing a seminar on bicycling for faculty; conducting a survey of 750 students and faculty; and presenting our campus recommendations at a Folsom community meeting. Information about these activities is elaborated on in the sections that follow. The Folsom Planning Team consists of three individuals who have been chosen to receive a stipend: Tim McHargue (Coordinator/Counselor); Steve Holzberg (Biology Professor); and Chris Olson (Research Analyst). The extended Folsom Lake College Planning Team Advisory Committee include Marc Olsen (Math Professor); Dave Cooper (Computer Science Professor); Dave Reese (Political Science Professor); and Alice Textor (Campus Life Professor), among a growing list of others. There are 10-15 interested individuals who have been involved in various aspects of our efforts, and the core Team strives to keep the greater campus community interested and informed of the work we do. It is our goal to keep an active committee involved through meetings, workshops and social events. As we seek to push forward our recommendations, it will be imperative that we have a large and committed group that can assist in the numerous duties that accompany our recommendations. We will commence a series of presentations to campus organizations, including the Institutional Planning Committee, the Building and Grounds Committee, the Faculty Senate and various Folsom Lake College academic departments. Eventually, we hope that these efforts at the Folsom Lake College campus become integrated into overall campus planning and institutionalized as part of a larger Los Rios College District enterprise.

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Campus Transportation Audit Audit Process A Campus Transportation Audit focusing on the Folsom Lake College Main campus was performed in order to assess accessibility of the campus by walking biking and public transit. Participants in this process included Steve Holzberg, Anna Young, Lindell Price and Tim McHargue, and the audit was conducted by traveling on foot and by bicycle throughout the campus and the immediate surroundings (1-2 blocks away) and by automobile to cover the surrounding neighborhoods, by riding selected Sacramento Regional Transit, Folsom Stage Line and El Dorado Transit lines, and by assessing publically available information on public transit routes and schedules for Sacramento Regional Transit, Folsom Stage Line and El Dorado Transit.

Audit Results and analysis The main campus of Folsom Lake College is accessible to some degree by all modes of

alternative transit, but does have some substantial obstacles to each mode. The obstacles to biking and walking include:

1. All access to the campus is provided via two entrances on the southern sides of campus via the Scholar Way and College Parkway which substantially increases the travel time and distance for walking and biking from the neighborhoods to the North (See photo above, and map below).

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2. Because the campus is situated on a hill, and the location of the current entrances, access requires a small but significant climb on steep roads unless you are traveling north on Cavitt Road (the road which ends at the Scholar Way entrance).

3. None of the entrances to the campus or its internal streets include bike lanes, even though traffic can be heavy at times and all have little or no shoulder (see photos below).

4. Both of the entrances to the campus have poor sidewalk access

a) The Scholar Way entrance, which connects the campus to a busy local retail area with shops and restaurants, has sidewalks which switch sides

I. This creates an awkward flow that leads pedestrians to walk through planted areas and through parking lot arteries (see photos on the following pages).

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b) The College Parkway entrance has a steep, and therefore non-ADA compliant sidewalk on one side only that leads to a stairway in the middle of the next block (see photos below).

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5. Even for those who commute by car, once parked, there is no pedestrian access to campus other than by walking through planters or in the parking lot arteries (see photo below and map above).

6. Although Class I (off street) bike lanes approach the campus, most end before reaching the campus creating a gap with difficult riding conditions that include steep hills and very busy streets (see map below).

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7. The only bike rack on campus is hidden from view such that few students know it is there, and it is probably not secure for much of the day (see photo below).

a) As a result, bikes are frequently seen locked to trees, poles and fences during the semester

8. The campus lacks many other facilities that would be needed by bike commuters such as showers, covered bike parking, and repair services

With one centrally located stop on campus, the Folsom Stage Line buses provide connections to the surrounding neighborhoods and to nearby Sacramento Regional Transit light rail stations 2 times an hour. It runs from 7am-9 pm and also connects to bus routes serving Orangevale and Citrus Heights. Sacramento Regional Transit light rail runs to downtown Sacramento and will likely expand beyond in the coming years. Both are currently free for registered students and are able to accommodate bikes. El Dorado Transit, with discounted student fares, stops on campus every two hours (6:40am to 6:40pm). Obstacles to using this system that were noted by the audit include:

1. Folsom Stage Line has a very limited service area within Folsom. It only stops at campus once an hour in each direction, which is a problem if you are going somewhere other than the Sacramento Regional Transit station.

2. The bus stop on campus does not have any cover or shelter for those waiting for the bus.

3. Sacramento Regional Transit light rail service to Folsom ends at 7 pm, which means students must leave campus by 6:15pm, even though classes go until 10pm M-Th, or they must take a much longer bus trip through Orangevale and Fair Oaks to catch Sacramento Regional Transit light rail at the Sunrise Station at night.

4. The Universal Transit sticker, which allows registered students to ride for free, does not cover all of the winter break or any of the summer break, or the full fare for El Dorado Transit routes.

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Surveys Folsom Lake College Survey Process

The survey was designed by Dr. Steve Holzberg and Chris Olson with significant input from Anna Young, Tim McHargue and various faculty volunteers. Chris Olson identified Folsom Lake College Main campus students that would comprise a representative cross section of the student body, considering such factors as time of day, subject matter, and day of the week. Surveys were distributed to 750 students and there was a 58% response rate for students. All 120 full time employees were also given a survey which resulted in a 56% response rate. Surveys to both groups were identical and administered in a Scantron format that also allowed opportunities for open ended responses. Chris Olson supervised the data entry, and produced the reports, which included an item analysis and cross tab comparisons of selected questions to identify correlations in responses. Steve Holzberg and Tim McHargue conducted a preliminary analysis. Chris Olson provided additional analysis and developed graphic elements for the report to illustrate some of the findings. The results are presented below:

Folsom Lake College Survey Results

The student and employee survey results were very similar, except that employees tended to live further away and made more trips to campus. Furthermore, there were little if any significant differences between the day and evening students in their responses. Thus the following highlights of only the overall student survey results are presented below. (See Appendix for the survey instrument and results.)

I. Frequency of Commutes to Folsom Lake College Main Campus

While the largest proportion of students attend just 2 times per week (30.2%), nearly the same proportion attend 4 (26.2%) and 5 (25.0%) times per week. More significant yet to this report is the fact that more than 50% of survey respondents indicated that they travel to the main-campus four or more times per week. [survey question #1]

II. Commute Distance 35.1% of those responding said their typical

commute to campus is ten minutes or less, what Folsom Lake College’s team thought approximately equivalent to five miles or less. Comparing (cross-tabbing) typical commute length with questions about why they don’t walk/ride more often suggests that ten minutes by car (about 5 miles) seems to be the threshold beyond which students are much less likely to walk, or at least bicycle, to campus. 64.6% report a commute distance of twenty minutes or less and nearly 15% have a commute that is over thirty minutes in length. [survey question #12]

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III. Method Used to Commute to Campus Survey results also show the extent to which

students use, or perhaps don’t, alternative forms of transportation in getting to the Folsom Lake College main campus. While 21.9% of student respondents said they carpool to the main campus at least once per week, the percentage that do so by public transit, foot, or bicycle is 3.8%, 1.8%, and 1.5%, respectively. That is, between 96% and 98% do not walk, bike, or use public transit at least once per week to campus. Survey results also show that 92.2% never get to campus by any means other than driving alone.

Perhaps even more relevant to the team’s

recommendations, the graph at right shows how students that live within a ten minute car drive of the main campus and who commute at least one time per week are getting to campus. Less than 3% of student respondents either take public transit or walk or bike, and 31.5% carpool or are dropped off at school at least once per week. These data appear to suggest that considerable opportunities exist for increasing pedestrian and bicycle traffic to campus. [survey questions 2, 12]

IV. Residence Proximity

While it was the team’s intent to use survey data to determine how many students taking classes at the main campus actually reside within a five mail radius, the wording of question #12 was believed too confusing (mixing mileage and minutes traveled) to yield accurate results. The results of additional post-survey research suggests that approximately 50% of currently enrolled students, few of which are walking, biking, or using public transit, reside within a five mile radius of the main campus. While a GIS modeling project planned for spring 2009 is expected to provide a far more precise statistic, 50% equates to more than 3000 students, many of which might, provided incentives, be enticed to commute by walking or biking.

V. Reasons Alternative Transportation Is Not Currently Used

A series of survey questions asked students and employees to indicate the top three reasons why they never walk, bike, or ride public transit to the main campus. The results were aggregated into factors that are time/distance related and into those that are safety, expense, and, particularly in the case of commuting by bicycle, physical

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infrastructure related. The graph at right shows that time/distance related factors dominate, that students perceive these modes of transportation as taking too much time. Note that this graph should not be interpreted to mean that those commuting by bicycle are less concerned about time and distance related factors. It simply reflects that their reasons include a larger proportion of other factors that are lesser, or non, issues to walkers and users of public transit. [survey questions 3-5 and student comments]

Leading reasons students never use public transit:

1) Transit stop is too far from my home, 2) Takes too much time

Leading reasons students never bike to campus: 1) Takes too much time, 2) Too far, 3) Too much to carry, 4) Don’t own a bicycle

Leading reasons students never walk to campus:

1) Not able to walk that far, 2) Takes too much time Comparing (crosstabbing) the reasons for not using alternative transportation with students’ typical

commute distance, students living within a ten minute car drive (approx. 5 miles) cite “Takes too much time” and “Too much to carry” as the two most common reasons they don’t walk or bicycle to campus more often. Survey results appear to suggest that any distance is perceived as too far by most students. [survey questions 4, 5 & 12]

VI. Perceived Needs for Walking / Biking to Campus More Frequently

When asked what would help students walk or ride to campus more often, 20.1% said “nothing,” but 68.3% of the responses are as shown in the graph at right. More off-road walking/biking trails, more convenient entrances to campus, more bike paths on campus, and more shortcuts through housing or commercial areas account for 35.7% of all responses. [survey question #6 and student comments]

VII. Public Transit

Students revealed in the survey that 52.9% of those responding do not know where the transit stop is nearest their home. Of students commuting to campus five or more times per week, 50.5% don’t know where the transit stop is nearest their home. 68.1% indicated that they do not know how to use public transit and 70.2% of survey respondents stated they don’t wish to learn how.

Despite the efforts of numerous Folsom Lake

College personnel to make students aware of how the Universal Transit sticker can benefit them, fully 67.5% of the student respondents do not yet have the sticker on their student ID cards. Of these, 52.3% don’t know where on campus a sticker can be obtained. Survey results also show that 43.6% still do not know they can ride Folsom Stage Line and Sacramento Regional Transit busses and light rail for free. These findings suggest several ways of fairly easily increasing the use of alternative transportation by Folsom Lake College’s student body. [survey questions 7-11]

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VIII. Intercampus Commuting

Finally, the survey asked students to provide the frequency of their travel between the main campus and the El Dorado Center. The graph at right shows that while 17.1% travel one or two times per week, another 9.8% travel between the two campuses four or more times each week. [survey question #13]

Los Rios District Survey & Results Summary

The Los Rios District also conducted a much shorter survey using email asking a few similar questions to a small population of Folsom Lake College students in the process. While, we believe our results to be much more significant due to our larger survey population size and more extensive survey design, the following results from the district survey are included here for comparison:

Reasons you do not walk or ride to campus:

• Too far, 81% • Work too far away, 38.7% • Busy schedule, 35.1% • Too much to carry, 28.8% • Weather concerns, 18% • Safety, 14.4%

Reasons you do not take public transit to campus:

• Takes too much time, 36% • Don’t know the routes, 31.5% • Too far to get to the transit stop, 27% • Stops not close to work, 24.3% • Transit not reliable, 21.6%

Overall Survey Conclusions

We believe our results to be much more significant than the District instrument. The following points are those we believe to be most important from both surveys:

• Many students attending the main campus live within 5 miles of campus. (survey suggested about 35% of the student body but post-survey research suggests it is approximately 50%)

• Most students believe they live too far or it takes too much time to walk, pedal or use public transit. (70-90%)

• Many students do not have a Universal Transit sticker on their student ID. (68%) • Many students do not know that they are entitled to free public transit. (44%) • Many students do not know where or how to get the free Universal Transit sticker. (35%) • Many students are unfamiliar with biking and public transit routes. (68%)

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Given these findings, we believe that it should be relatively easy to entice significant numbers of students to walk, bike, or take public transit to campus with modest investments in infrastructure and minor policy changes. Furthermore, substantial long term investments could result in making Folsom Lake College a model campus for high levels of environmentally and economically sustainable commuting.

Short & Long Term Recommendations Team Planning Efforts

The recommendations developed by this team represent the cumulative input from faculty volunteers and key individuals representing diverse campus stakeholders. These include Kathleen Kirklin, Vice President of Administration, Debra Moreno of the Folsom Lake College Heritage Interpretation Program, various members of the Physical Education Dept, and various students, faculty and staff who commute by the various alternative modes, as well as some who drive alone. These discussions were further informed by the survey results, which included both faculty, staff and students. Additional local and regional community stakeholders, including Sacramento Regional Transit, Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), Folsom Area Bicycle Advocates (FABA) and the City of Folsom were brought into the process during various events such as the public outreach forum held on the evening of 9/17/07.

Thus, the list of recommendations below represents a sincere and in depth effort to elicit input and include various needs and goals, while balancing or minimizing potential conflicts with any of the stakeholders.

I. Campus infrastructure

The recommendations in this section are designed to improve movement and safety of both pedestrians, bicyclists, and other commuters within the campus grounds. [Refer in particular to Sections V. and VI. of Survey Results, starting on page 9.]

A. Internal Class I Pedestrian/Bike Trail Network with Access Points To Campus From All Directions

This Class I trail network would increase walking and biking access by dramatically reducing the distance and times for students traveling from areas north of the campus, as well as by connecting to existing or planned Class I and II trails adjacent to the campus. In all cases, it would assist students by separating these users from traffic, which is always heavy on East Bidwell Street, and can be heavy at the entrances to campus. The landscaping improvements described would also help by providing some shelter from wind and sun, as well as overall pleasure of the experience. The signage and safety improvements would also assist in attracting users.

In addition, it is likely that this trail will also attract users for recreational purposes not only from the community, but also from college athletic courses in biking, walking, and cross country running. To accommodate these various users, the trail network should be 10 ft wide and paved, with additional unpaved shoulders where possible for running. However, to accommodate cross country running classes, some sections of the trail may be kept unpaved and thus integrated into an approved cross country trail which would likely run from the athletic fields to the north end of campus and back.

Although it is possible to achieve significant improvements in access by implementing portions of the network, ideally the network should include all of the following specific recommendations:

1. Campus Bike/Pedestrian Path, called the “Falcon’s Loop,” that circles campus from the entrance at Scholar Way around the North side of campus to College Parkway (see map

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below; proposed Class I trails are shown in purple). [Refer particularly to Sections III. through VI. of Survey Results].

2. Access trails to the Falcon’s Loop from:

a) Planned City Bike Path along East Bidwell at College Parkway; graded for ADA access.

b) Lakeside church parking lot (see photo below).

(1) This church currently uses our lot for their overflow parking and employs a shuttle to bring congregants from our lot to theirs.

c) South Lexington Street through parking lot of the commercial strip at north side of campus (see photo below).

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View of Lakeside Church parking lot from campus.

View of commercial strip on South Lexington Street on the north side of campus.

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d) Silberhorn Drive, just north of Scholar Way (see photos below).

View onto campus from Silberhorn Drive (note bike lane in foreground).

Arial view showing Silberhorn on the left and Scholar Way running along the top edge.

e) Scholar Way and Cavitt Road (just to the right of the tennis courts in the above photo).

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3. Landscaping along the Falcon’s Loop and access trails with trees and shrubs for shade and wind screens using drought tolerant and native plants.

a) Include sites for sculptural art installation, especially around the Fine Arts complex (to be built where the legend is on the map below).

b) Include sites for picnic tables or benches to appreciate campus views and aesthetic qualities.

4. Signage and trail markers on campus directing walkers and bicyclists to destinations.

5. Two to four emergency phones and solar-powered lighting placed appropriately along the Falcon’s Loop and access trails.

B. Pedestrian and bike access to center of campus from the Falcon’s Loop Trail These improvements would assist not only those who walk or bike to school, but also those

who drive and then have to walk through the parking lots. Pedestrian trails travelling inward from East Bidwell would be useful in improving access to the Fine Arts complex and the campus generally from neighborhoods to the south and a future light rail station (see recommendations for local infrastructure, Section IV) [Refer particularly to Sections III. through VI. of Survey Results.]

1. Sidewalks & bike lanes on key roads and parking lots:

a) Sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of road at Scholar Way entrance all the way to the drop off circle.

b) Bike lanes (or path) in parking lot C along one, or both, of the middle driveways projecting in from the Falcon’s Loop path.

c) Sidewalks in parking lot A, B, and C along all driveways projecting in from the outer parking rings (include the outer parking lot if built).

(1) If not along driveways, sidewalks could be raised pathways that cross the rows as wide concrete type speed bumps (as shown in the map below by the brown lines perpendicular to the rows).

(a) This would require removing one space per row (2 per aisle).

(b) Some medians might be steep enough to need stairs, but these would not be serving handicap parking spots anyway.

2. ADA compliant, graded pedestrian path (or Class I bike) extending from College Parkway entrance up to access road on the south side of building FL1.

a) This could make use of the short stretch of sidewalk that currently exists running west from the top of College Parkway along the perimeter road (the one that circles around the campus internally).

b) After crossing perimeter road at the current crosswalk, it would connect to another current pathway that would need to be modified to accommodate bikes on the ADA pathway.

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3. A pedestrian path (or bike trail) projecting in from Falcon’s Loop path along south and/or west side of the Fine Arts complex to the center of campus.

a) This would cross the perimeter road, and connect to the current access road at the south side of building FL4 (see map below).

C. Heritage Interpretation Program Trail extending from the Fine Arts complex, through the environmental staircase and into the wetlands

This trail will be developed and maintained as part of the Heritage Interpretation Program at the college. Among other things it is designed to take advantage of the proximity of natural and mitigated wetland sites on campus for teaching purposes. The wetlands portion has been approved and designed. Once built, it would be a useful for students in many disciplines, as well as visitors from the community (see photo below).

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1. The Heritage Interpretation Program Trail would be punctuated with placards explaining local

history, culture and biology, as well as artifacts and native plant landscaping (see above map; proposed Heritage Interpretation Program trails are shown in red).

D. Bicycle Parking A few suggested locations are indicated in the map of Folsom Lake College on the previous

page, but their precise location will likely depend on funding, need and the type of facilities installed. However, these are some general guidelines to start out with. [Refer particularly to Section VI. of Survey Results.]

1. 10 bicycle racks areas spread around campus at all major buildings and points of interest.

a) Parallel inverted U shaped racks are preferred for ease of use, and also scalability to fit various locations.

b) Occasionally, more artistic racks such as the one pictured at right may be appropriate.

2. Shelter roof above 25-50% of bike racks, to protect bikes from becoming too hot or wet while parked, and to provide shelter for mounting and dismounting.

a) Solar Panels on the roof of the structure could power charging stations for electric bikes, making this an innovative demonstration project.

3. 30 bicycle lockers distributed among several areas around campus. These are important for attracting users with high end equipment, which is important for longer commutes.

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II. Services for Pedestrian, Biking and Transit Commuters These services collectively make walking, biking and transit much more viable and attractive.

Often they can be funded with revenue from increases in parking fees, which also helps to encourage other modes of transportation. The following are a few examples of well tested and effective services that were deemed appropriate for Folsom Lake College, though there are likely others available.

A. Repair and maintenance services 1. Pumps for tires, wrenches, etc. that can be checked out (perhaps from PE Facility or

Bookstore).

a) Alternatively, a compressor, either free or coin operated, could be installed at a central location for tire inflation.

2. Bookstore should sell inner tubes, patch kits, wrenches, blister treatments, and perhaps biking clothing and umbrellas with college logos.

B. Showers and clothes lockers [Refer to Section VI. of Survey Results.] 1. All faculty, staff and students should have access to Physical Education shower facilities

and lockers.

2. Additional facilities specifically for commuters should be built in the future, if necessitated by demand.

C. A covered bus stop should be erected at the Folsom Stage Line stop on campus. 1. This should be designed to provide substantial shelter during inclement weather because

the hilltop location of Folsom Lake College and the specific location of the bus stop leaves students very exposed to the elements.

2. It should also be larger than the typical bus stop shelter so as to accommodate the number of students likely to be waiting during peak hours.

a) One option is to create an overhang that extends out from the new Physical Education building and is partially enclosed.

b) It may be that the college is asked to contribute all or part of the cost of this structure, given our specific needs, but that would allow us to have more control over the aesthetic and functional aspects of the design.

D. Extend the valid period of the Universal Transit sticker to include the entire

winter and summer breaks

1. This would allow and encourage students to make public transit use a regular habit, rather than an occasional, but incomplete transportation solution.

2. The extension would be negotiated with transit agencies when the current contract expires.

a) One option to achieve this would be to extend it to the next session, so that only students enrolled in a summer class would get the entire summer covered.

(1) Students who do not take summer classes should still receive a discount through the entire summer break.

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E. Education & outreach to students regarding walking, riding and taking public transit [Refer particularly to Section VII. of Survey Results.] 1. The following should occur primarily via the web using innovative approaches such as:

a) Personalized walk, bike and transit route maps, incentives, provided during online registration each semester and based on the student’s address or other manual inputs.

b) Extensive transit information provided via links on the campus website.

c) Education on travelling safely and on available services and facilities.

d) Promotional events and campaigns on campus.

2. The following should occur primarily on campus using innovative approaches such as:

a) Better signage, flyers, and posters about where to get a Universal Transit sticker and the benefits associated with using it.

b) Integrating information about where to get a Universal Transit sticker and the benefits associated with using it with Student Government sponsored and other campus activities.

c) Provide information about where to get a Universal Transit sticker and the benefits associated with using it, as well as public transit information and schedules in or adjacent to the Student Lounge, down stairs from the Falcon’s Roost.

d) Develop and post flyers showing typical cost savings (gas, wear and tear of vehicle, etc.) associated with using public transit.

F. Free bike check out program using purchased or donated bikes G. Guaranteed ride home network

1. A common service, often staffed by volunteers, that provides free rides in emergency situations to those who walk, ride or take transit to campus.

H. Pedestrian & bicycle access & safety subcommittee to advocate for commuter issues

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III. Campus Policies for Pedestrian, Biking and Transit Commuters Appropriate policies at the District-wide and campus levels are critical to the success of

promoting walking, biking and public transit at Folsom Lake College. The following recommendations will assist in the continuous process of coordinating, implementing and supporting the recommendations in this document. I. A Folsom Lake College or Los Rios District transportation coordinator

1. A part or full time position to publicize, promote and coordinate the incentives, facilities and policies for walking, riding and taking public transit.

J. Parking pricing policies that fund and encourage walking, biking and public transit instead of adding parking spaces as the college grows 1. This approach will typically save the college money, while decreasing resentment among

students in the face of rising parking costs, especially those associated with the building of parking structures.

IV. Local Transit Infrastructure The City of Folsom is well known for its bike trails and representatives of the city, including Jim

Konopka, have been active participants in our planning process. Jim has made it clear that he is willing to share his considerable experience and assistance in obtaining funding and the necessary permits for pedestrian and bike related projects to integrate the campus with the city’s Bicycle Master Plan. Other local and regional agencies have also communicated a willingness to work with us to help plan for the future transportation needs of our students and the region.

The following recommendations include both small and large projects. We recognize that some of these are likely to take many years to coordinate and implement, but in the near future, as the population increases, they will be very much in demand.

A. Addition of bike lanes on Scholar Way from Cavitt Drive to Broadstone parkway, and elimination of one lane of traffic in each direction [Refer particularly to Section V. and VI. of Survey Results.]

1. This can be done without widening the road because auto traffic on this stretch is not heavy enough to require 2 lanes in each direction.

2. This should be a priority because it can be done quickly with minimal costs. Although a Class I Access trail connecting Silberhorn to the Falcon’s Loop Trail is preferable, such a trail is likely to be years away.

B. Coordination with local transit operators to provide better evening service and synchronization with class times

1. Extend Sacramento Regional Transit Folsom service to 11pm M-F from the current 7pm.

C. Hourly shuttle from Folsom Lake College Main to and from El Dorado Center [Refer particularly to Section VIII. of Survey Results.]

1. This should be coordinated with the local transit agencies so as not to create competition, but rather synergy between the shuttle and existing service (if students feel they have more schedule flexibility they will be more likely to ride).

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D. Pedestrian staircase connecting Cavitt Road to the North end of Broadstone Marketplace [Refer particularly to Section V. of Survey Results.]

1. This would provide safer and more convenient access from the college to nearby restaurants.

E. Light rail station at East Bidwell and College Parkway, or regular shuttle to and from nearest Sacramento Regional Transit Light Rail Station [Refer particularly to Sections II., V. and VII. of Survey Results.]

1. Route should extend from downtown Folsom to the Sphere of Influence development and eventually up to Placerville and El Dorado Center along the existing, but inactive, railroad right-of-way (see map below). a) The right of way is administrated by the Sacramento-Placerville Transportation Corridor

Joint Powers Authority.

b) The photo below shows the recommended location for the station.

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F. Class I or II bike lane access between El Dorado County roads and Empire Ranch Road at or near the cross streets of Iron Point Road and East Natoma St. (See map below) [Refer particularly to Sections III. through VI. of Survey Results.] 1. This would provide direct access to the campus for the residential community of El Dorado

Hills, which is due East of the campus. Currently, the only bike or pedestrian access between Sacramento and El Dorado Counties is Green Valley Road, which is far to the North.

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G. Bike and Pedestrian bridge over East Bidwell at overhead powerline crossing and connection with bike path to Iron Point (see above map) [Refer particularly to Sections III. through VI. of Survey Results.] 1. A bridge over East Bidwell would be an important route for access to the new Fine Arts

complex and the proposed light rail station.

2. The location of the bridge is represented by the dotted line in the map below.

a) Note that the slope of the bridge would be relatively flat if it extended between the higher ground that exists on either side of East Bidwell (see the photo below).

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One area with exceptionally large potential for increasing walking, biking and mass transit is the proposed development of the Folsom city Sphere of Influence which comprises 3,600 acres south of Highway 50 (see map below). This is expected to add up to 15,000 residential units, and over 10,000 jobs to Folsom city (see map below or http://www.folsom.ca.us/about/whats_new/sphere.asp for more info).

The significant opportunity for Folsom Lake College is that all of the Sphere of Influence resides within a 5 mile radius of the campus. This distance is considered to be easily within reach of biking and transit commuters.

H. Pedestrian, bike, bus and rail connections to the proposed Folsom Sphere of Influence development south of Highway 50 [Refer particularly to Sections III. through VI. of Survey Results.]

1. Service for all transportation modes along the East Bidwell-Scott Road corridor.

2. A bicycle and pedestrian crossing of Highway 50 at, or near, Oak Avenue Parkway.

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Conclusions To summarize, our recommendations consist of the following points. First, the number of access points to the campus should be increased so as to reduce the walking and biking time to campus from the immediate neighborhood and beyond. Second, these access points should be integrated with the Folsom City trail system to connect the community and campus in a seamless transportation network. Third, the campus should create infrastructure, services and incentives to promote walking and biking as a means of healthy and affordable transportation to campus. Fourth, the local and regional public transit systems should develop additional services in anticipation of the college and community’s growth.

It is also our hope to see a coordinator appointed at either the District or the college level who might organize, supervise and be charged with advocating and implementing these recommendations. This individual could work with the Folsom Lake College Planning Team, the Administration, and the Faculty Senate to see that the recommendations are integrated into the overall Folsom Lake College Strategic Plan, properly funded and institutionalized.

Our survey results, combined with those of the District’s, indicate that there are a large number

of students, almost 70% that could be encouraged to use some combination of walking, biking and public transit, at least on an occasion, with the proper incentives. Furthermore, we found that approximately 50% of our students live within a reasonable distance for walking and biking. Such large numbers of students having the potential to adopt sustainable modes of transit suggest that many of our recommendations will be very cost effective in terms of their positive impact on student’s physical, social and financial health.

All available projection data show the Folsom area, and thus Folsom Lake College, will

continue to grow rapidly for some time. When one considers the potential costs to the college of new parking structures, it is clear that all of these recommendations will be financially beneficial to the college as well. The local transit agencies will also benefit from synergies in the growth of the college, the new mall and Kaiser facilities on East Bidwell Street, and the Folsom Sphere of Influence development. Together with our recommendations, this should allow the transit agencies to improve service to the college in a fiscally sound manner.

Based on our experience over the last year, we believe the College administration, faculty and

staff will support these efforts and will supply the necessary resources to implement these recommendations. Therefore, we ask the Los Rios Board of Trustees to make a strong commitment to a sustainable future and adopt these recommendations. The District, in doing so, would maintain its tradition as a far-sighted and visionary organization that invests in the future of its colleges and communities.

The desire to see our recommendations implemented is based on our belief in the

responsibility of the campus community to take a leadership role in community and global sustainability. It is our goal to see a portion of these recommendations instituted this year. It is our hope that additional recommendations will be initiated shortly thereafter, but recognize that others will likely take several years to reach fruition. But we see clearly a scenario—let’s call it a vision—in which each of these recommendations comes to pass within 10 years of this date.

There is enough research and scientific evidence to point the way to a sustainable future that guarantees a quality of life for future generations. In support of this, it is vital that Folsom Lake College become a leader in the drive to improve the quality of the community by assisting our students to improve the sustainability of their own lives through experimenting with, and modeling, sustainable transportation practices. Together, with the support of the district, we can help create a healthy environment for current and future generations.