Safe passage on West Napa Street

Here’s what all that construction on Sonoma’s West Napa Street has been all about: 25 new curb ramps and two new crosswalk signals. Caltrans (which maintains what is officially State Route 12) is making the upgrades as part of a project to pave, re-stripe, and make improvements to the 3.8-mile section of SR-12 running through the City of Sonoma and the Springs.

The button-activated crosswalks – officially called “pedestrian hybrid beacons” – are now on West Napa at 3rd Street, and another west of 7th. They have been placed to allow pedestrians to cross the road without walking long distances to signalized intersections, the City says. They should be operational Feb. 16-17.