Sonoma County transportation officials are looking at ways to get more use out of local Park-and-Rides — those lots right off the highway where commuters park and either carpool or take public transit to their final destination.
Caltrans and Cotati have reached a tentative agreement to transfer an under-utilized Park-and-Ride in Cotati to the city for redevelopment. The plan would expand an existing Park-and-Ride lot in southern Petaluma that is perpetually full and build a new lot north of Santa Rosa at Airport Boulevard.
"What I'm seeing is a win for Cotati, a win for north county and a win for Petaluma," said Mark Landman, Cotati councilman and Sonoma County Transportation Authority board member. "It's a good bang for the buck."
Cotati's 166-space Park-and-Ride, which is virtually empty most weekdays, is about a mile south of Rohnert Park's lot, which is typically packed between commute times. Cotati would keep up to 40 spaces under the proposal.
The Old Redwood Highway lot sits on prime Cotati real estate that city officials say could be used to develop its northern gateway.
"The under-utilized Park-and-Ride property would be relinquished to Cotati allowing for development in accordance with their general plan and downtown specific plan," SCTA Chair Sarah Gurney wrote in a letter to the California Transportation Commission. "The community has identified the area as their highest priority for redevelopment and is key in Cotati's future economic well-being."
The SCTA voted unanimously Monday to send a letter in support of the plan to the CTC, which will decide on the proposal later this year.
The plan would nearly double the existing Park-and-Ride at Petaluma Boulevard South. On most days, cars spill out of the 40-space lot and park on the street.
The lot is located in the middle of a construction project that will create a new interchange at Petaluma Boulevard South and improve access to Highway 101. Transportation officials say an expanded lot there would get more cars off the road in a critical spot where the freeway narrows to four lanes through northern Novato.
Highway construction in this area, known as the Marin-Sonoma Narrows, will not widen the freeway, officials say. The project to add carpool lanes through the Narrows has a $250 million funding gap, officials say.
At Airport Boulevard in Santa Rosa, the new 100-space lot would be located at the newly expanded Airport Boulevard interchange near the northern limits of Sonoma County's carpool lanes.
The area north of Santa Rosa, which includes a business park with more than 5,000 jobs, is undergoing an unprecedented transformation of its transportation network.
Besides the new interchange, freeway carpool lanes and an upcoming project to widen Airport Boulevard, a commuter rail station is being built to serve the neighborhood once Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit service starts in 2016.
Another project to expand the runway at the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport a mile away could help airport officials attract commercial air service to eastern destinations.
SCTA board members supported the Park-and-Ride swap plan.
"What remarkable creative thinking," Gurney said. "I'm glad it worked out."
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