Temporary traffic calming project to be installed in St. Helena

Authorities are making a section of roadway in St. Helena safer for pedestrian traffic.

A new high-visibility crosswalk, along with temporary sidewalk extensions will be installed Saturday as part of a temporary traffic calming project at the intersection of Kearney Street and Madrona Avenue.

The intersection is a primary route for students walking to Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School and St. Helena Elementary School.

The project is expected to last for about three months, as the city’s Public Works Department gathers community feedback and data on traffic speeds.

Installing the project, including the extended sidewalks and prominent artwork, is set to be a joint effort between volunteers, nonprofits and city staff.

“The quick-build project is a great way for residents to experience and provide feedback on this traffic calming treatment and for the city to measure the success of the treatment before deciding to make the project permanent,” said Carlotta Sainato, program manager for the Napa County Bicycle Coalition.

The project came together as a joint effort between the bicycle coalition, Blue Zones Project Upper Napa Valley, Innovative Health Solutions and the city’s public works department.

If successful, the project could serve as a test model for future similar projects, according to Public Works Director Joseph Leach.

The traffic calming treatments were recommended for that intersection in the coalition’s Safe Route to School audit in 2022, which identified various barriers to students walking or biking to school.

Curb extensions make the road appear narrower, Sainato said, compelling vehicles to slow through the intersection. They also prohibit cars from being parked next to crosswalks, which obstructs pedestrian visibility.

Kelly Bond of the Blue Zones Project, which is funding the project, said the Madrona-Kearney intersection was identified based on the audit and other community feedback.

“I hope this can be kind of a model for our communities we work with in upper Napa Valley, but also other communities in the Bay Area,” Bond said.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.