Elk Grove Traffic - Here Today, Worse Tomorrow!
https://www.elkgrovenews.net/2025/08/here-today-wrose-tomorrow-elk-grove-traffic%20.html?m=0
By DJ Blutarsky |
When you mention ‘traffic’ to any motorist, cyclist, or pedestrian living in Elk Grove, you will most likely receive a response ranging from a hopeless shrug to extreme anger and an elevated blood pressure. The City acknowledges that traffic is the number one issue with residents of Elk Grove, but what most people don’t realize is that much of the traffic congestion was deliberately created by the City to permit higher building densities and greater economic development. A brief synopsis of how traffic is being used by the City as a reward token to developers makes for an interesting read for those who believe relief is in sight.
Without getting bogged down in unnecessary technical details, the Elk Grove congestion story began in the year 2000, the year Elk Grove became a city. Under County rule, much of the area developed in Elk Grove over the past 10 years would not have been possible because of the County’s urban limit line and agricultural preservation policies.
Remember the ghost mall? Not
allowed by the County, but one of the primary drivers of voter passage of Elk Grove cityhood.
Opportunistic land owners and developers saw undeveloped/underutilized land just waiting to
be turned into cash if Elk Grove became a city.
As required by state law, each city must adopt a ‘General Plan’ outlining long-term policies, and Elk Grove opened up thousands of acres of land for future urbanization that would not have been possible under the policies of the County General Plan. While it can be assumed that the County would have systematically opened up land as the population growth warranted, Elk Grove went all-in with their General Plan and basically started a full blown growth-inducing real estate bonanza.
State law requires an environmental impact analysis before the General Plan (and its subsequent iterations) can be approved. But here’s the kicker–that same environmental law also allows significant impacts to essentially be ignored if the City adopts Statements of Overriding Consideration. And sure enough, beginning in 2005, the City adopted Overriding Considerations for the significant traffic impacts resulting from its ambitious land use plan – essentially stating that the economic development benefits justified the significant traffic impacts that would result.
The original General Plan land use plan has been revised at least 25-30 times on a parcel-specific basis, and the traffic overriding justification of economic development has been used like a hip pouch attached to the City leaders to justify opening the floodgates of development. The developers are spared from having to reduce the density or scope of their projects, and elected City leaders get endorsements and small financial campaign contributions for a job well done.
Developer fees based on land use and square footage are supposed to pay for the construction of new infrastructure that will handle the impact of new development. Do you ever wonder why the City does not have sufficient funds to construct the Whitelock/99 interchange, seeing that it was planned over 10 years ago and used as justification for approving all of the homes in that area?
As required by state law, each city must adopt a ‘General Plan’ outlining long-term policies, and Elk Grove opened up thousands of acres of land for future urbanization that would not have been possible under the policies of the County General Plan. While it can be assumed that the County would have systematically opened up land as the population growth warranted, Elk Grove went all-in with their General Plan and basically started a full blown growth-inducing real estate bonanza.
State law requires an environmental impact analysis before the General Plan (and its subsequent iterations) can be approved. But here’s the kicker–that same environmental law also allows significant impacts to essentially be ignored if the City adopts Statements of Overriding Consideration. And sure enough, beginning in 2005, the City adopted Overriding Considerations for the significant traffic impacts resulting from its ambitious land use plan – essentially stating that the economic development benefits justified the significant traffic impacts that would result.
The original General Plan land use plan has been revised at least 25-30 times on a parcel-specific basis, and the traffic overriding justification of economic development has been used like a hip pouch attached to the City leaders to justify opening the floodgates of development. The developers are spared from having to reduce the density or scope of their projects, and elected City leaders get endorsements and small financial campaign contributions for a job well done.
Developer fees based on land use and square footage are supposed to pay for the construction of new infrastructure that will handle the impact of new development. Do you ever wonder why the City does not have sufficient funds to construct the Whitelock/99 interchange, seeing that it was planned over 10 years ago and used as justification for approving all of the homes in that area?
The homes are already built and the City continues to promote the Whitelock interchange
as a savior of traffic congestion–but why is the project still unfunded and placed on the
back burner of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP)?
We have a few other flies in the ointment of traffic congestion in Elk Grove as well. It is common knowledge among developers that the City will grant parking variances, deviations, exceptions or whatever they are calling it these days, literally just for the asking.
We have a few other flies in the ointment of traffic congestion in Elk Grove as well. It is common knowledge among developers that the City will grant parking variances, deviations, exceptions or whatever they are calling it these days, literally just for the asking.
This means that the City
won’t require some development projects to provide all of their required parking, meaning the
developer can build bigger buildings (more profit). Notwithstanding the housing exceptions
granted under state law, the City essentially creates more traffic by allowing bigger buildings
than would otherwise be permitted–and bigger buildings means more traffic.
The City is quick to promote its real-time traffic monitoring by video cameras mounted at all major intersections. Since the City did not require developers to install traffic loop detectors at the time their construction impacted those intersections, I’m glad the taxpayers have stepped up to pay for the detectors that will allow City engineers to tinker with the signal timing (until they get off work at 5pm I presume).
The City is quick to promote its real-time traffic monitoring by video cameras mounted at all major intersections. Since the City did not require developers to install traffic loop detectors at the time their construction impacted those intersections, I’m glad the taxpayers have stepped up to pay for the detectors that will allow City engineers to tinker with the signal timing (until they get off work at 5pm I presume).
To speed up one roadway, you must slow down the other streets entering that roadway–I call it rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic!
The vehicle trip generation standard used by the traffic engineers is probably too conservative and so the traffic impact fees paid by home builders is perhaps insufficient. Have you ever noticed the new housing tracts built in the last 10 years or so? Five and six-bedroom homes with two and three-car driveways were widened and paved to wipe out most of the front yard landscaping.
The vehicle trip generation standard used by the traffic engineers is probably too conservative and so the traffic impact fees paid by home builders is perhaps insufficient. Have you ever noticed the new housing tracts built in the last 10 years or so? Five and six-bedroom homes with two and three-car driveways were widened and paved to wipe out most of the front yard landscaping.
It is common to see homes with four, five, or even six cars to a family parked on
driveways and the street, and don’t even try to maneuver your car down one of these streets if a car is coming towards you. Lower impact fees mean less money for the City to expand its infrastructure.
Finally, the City is in damage control regarding traffic and has turned to the mass media to convince us that they are on top of the situation. I saw an interview on local channel 10 the other night, and the fancy intersection monitoring TVs were showcased, and the Whitelock interchange was touted as an upcoming project–it’s been 10 years and still no money. But give credit to the City for using the traffic congestion they helped to create to help pass the Measure E sales tax, because it would improve the emergency vehicle response time.
I’m waiting for a future Measure F to pay for wings to install on our police and fire vehicles, because the traffic will only get worse. One good thing about the traffic congestion–you won’t have to worry about getting a speeding ticket!
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#8647 #NoKings #ProDemocracy
Finally, the City is in damage control regarding traffic and has turned to the mass media to convince us that they are on top of the situation. I saw an interview on local channel 10 the other night, and the fancy intersection monitoring TVs were showcased, and the Whitelock interchange was touted as an upcoming project–it’s been 10 years and still no money. But give credit to the City for using the traffic congestion they helped to create to help pass the Measure E sales tax, because it would improve the emergency vehicle response time.
I’m waiting for a future Measure F to pay for wings to install on our police and fire vehicles, because the traffic will only get worse. One good thing about the traffic congestion–you won’t have to worry about getting a speeding ticket!
#8647 #NoKings #ProDemocracy
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