Empire Grade and countywide road safety improvements
Summary
Residents near the harbor pushed for safety improvements on 6th Avenue, funding the stop signs and speed bumps themselves with a $30,000 donation. The Board approved the ordinance in concept with signs going up 31 days after final adoption.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 2
Rising — discussed at 4 meetings since Sep 15, 2026, up from 1 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
A local resident covered the full ~$30,000 cost; the county normally pays half and has only budgeted for 3-4 bumps a year.
Live Oak neighbors near the harbor get safer streets and less cut-through traffic.
Residents report unsellable homes, lost driveways, and ambulances and fire engines unable to reach them in emergencies.
Mentions & discussions (7)
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Oct 20, 2026
The county is applying for up to $1.8 million in federal grants to make Empire Grade and county intersections safer.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Oct 6, 2026
Mountain residents again urged the Board to fund road repair, citing North Rodeo Gulch's one-lane washouts and evacuation risk. Staff promised a roads funding report in November and said the county spends about $2 million of general fund on roads plus nearly $1 million on disaster bond debt.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Sep 29, 2026
A dozen-plus residents described washed-out, single-lane roads, a failed culvert, stranded driveways and fire-evacuation dangers, asking the county to fund road repair before winter storms. The Board could not respond because no road item was on the agenda, but speakers promised to keep pressing.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Sep 15, 2026
Roughly a dozen residents described three washouts leaving North Rodeo Gulch one-lane for years, warning it is an indefensible evacuation route in a wildfire. Koenig said two slides are funded for 2027 repair; the third remains unfunded.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Aug 11, 2026
Mountain Charlie Road residents warned that failing culverts and deferred road maintenance could trap families during an El Niño winter. Supervisors acknowledged the backlog but no action was taken, pointing to budget constraints.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - May 19, 2026
The county adopted its Vision Zero-rooted Safety Action Plan, finding unsignalized intersections cause most fatal and serious crashes and that the county ranks second in the state for alcohol-involved and young-cyclist crashes. Adoption unlocks federal safety grants requiring a 20% local match.
Board of Supervisors - Regular Meeting - Apr 14, 2026
Residents near the harbor pushed for safety improvements on 6th Avenue, funding the stop signs and speed bumps themselves with a $30,000 donation. The Board approved the ordinance in concept with signs going up 31 days after final adoption.
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