Traffic Study Review for Hidden Falls Regional Park Expansion SEIR
prepared for KORS (Keep Our Roads Safe)

PRISM Engineering recently completed a comprehensive review of traffic conditions associated with the proposed expansion of the Hidden Falls Regional Park in Placer County.  Hired by local residents, our goal was to identify solutions for fire safety and emergency evacuation.

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VIDEOS of TRAFFIC taken by Grant P. Johnson, Traffic Engineer
​(State of California Lic. No. #1453)

“SIMTRAFFIC MODEL: Bell Road at Joeger Road During Wildfire Evacuation.”

Wildfire Evacuation Drive Through Analysis: Detailed Video Inventory, Commentary

In this narrated video, the corridors of Lone Star Road and Bell Road are analyzed for their ability (or lack thereof) to carry the large volumes of traffic in the case of an emergency evacuation situation, such as what happened in the August 2009 wildfire that closed portions of SR 49 in the Auburn area.  This video shows the drive through details, signage, striping, grades, curves, side streets, and where evacuation volumes and conflicts will take place.  It also contains a SimTraffic microsimulation model of the Bell Road and Joeger Road intersection where the bottleneck took place in the massive evacuation, and where motorists escaping the fire were delayed more than an hour.

Horse Trailer, Large Vehicles, and Narrow Road Alignment and Sight Distance Constraints

In this narrated video, several scenarios are depicted to illustrate the various roadway constraints that exist on roadways that would be considered exit routes to get to the S.R. 49 Highway in case of an evacuation.  Currently, there is very limited capacity to carry large volumes of traffic, especially with large and long vehicles in the mix.  This limited capacity means long delays, and in the case of a fire, this would be a very dangerous situation where safety is compromised.

Aerial View of Traffic Count at:
S.R. 49 and Lone Star Road

Traffic Count Sample at:
S.R. 49 and Lone Star Rd.

TRAFFIC SAFETY ISSUES in the Hidden Falls Regional Park Vicinity.
Evaluation of issues by Grant P. Johnson, Traffic Engineer
​(Registered in the State of California, License No. #1453)

Fire Evacuation Scenarios

Fire Risk in the area of Placer County north of Auburn is significant and high, according to the Placer County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update, March 2016

In that document, the Auburn area has been ranked for WILDFIRE risk as: 1) EXTENSIVE geographic extent, 2) very LIKELY to happen,  3) with CATASTOPHIC damage potential, and 4) of HIGH SIGNIFICANCE, the only hazard ranked that high out of 20 categories from earthquakes to levee failure.

 For this reason, fire issues and fire safety (including evacuation plans) are of the highest importance, and are definitely an issue that needs to be addressed in any traffic study that document traffic impacts from future development.  

​There is already a history of evacuation traffic jams in the vicinity of Hidden Falls Park.  

Horse Trailer, Large Vehicles, and Narrow Road Alignment and Sight Distance Constraints

In this narrated video, several scenarios are depicted to illustrate the various roadway constraints that exist on roadways that would be considered exit routes to get to the S.R. 49 Highway in case of an evacuation.  Currently, there is very limited capacity to carry large volumes of traffic, especially with large and long vehicles in the mix.  This limited capacity means long delays, and in the case of a fire, this would be a very dangerous situation where safety is compromised.

Aerial View of Traffic Count at:
S.R. 49 and Lone Star Road

Traffic Count Sample at:
S.R. 49 and Lone Star Rd.

⬇️ Content Share for Wed. May 6, 2020 Zoom Mtg. ⬇️

​No.  Name APN  Acres     Assessed Property Value      Home On Property
                          
1    Emley     075-090-034    20   $865,000      Yes
                          
2    Schafer   075-090-052    20   $740,000      Yes 2
                          
3    Laursen   075-010-066    90   $2,568,000    Yes 1
                          
4    Laursen   075-010-065    56   $866,000      Outbuilding 1
                          
5    Laursen   075-090-051    25   $450,000      No
                          
6    Prince    075-090-036    20   $1,400,000    Yes
                          
7    Deltessandoro  075-010-024    20   $1,000,000    Yes
                          
8    Huntley   075-010-027    20   $400,000      Yes
                          
9    Perdue    075-010-026    20   $40,000 No
                          
10   Schafer   075-010-072    5    $- No
                          
11   Placer Land Trust   075-010-071    92   $- No
                          
12   Placer Land Trust   075-010-068    109  $- No
                          
13   Baziuk    075-010-023    28   $830,000      Yes
                          
14   Lee  075-010-022    28   $100,000      No
                          
15   Placer Land Trust   075-010-025    18   $102,000      No
                          
16   Placer Land Trust   075-010-012    55   $364,000      No
                          
17   Placer Land Trust   075-010-013    16   $91,000 No
                          
18   Placer Land Trust   075-010-014    5    $26,000 No
                          
19   Placer Land Trust   075-010-036    17   $302,000      No
                          
20   Placer Land Trust   075-010-019    28   $68,000 Outbuilding?
                          
21   Hunt 075-010-020    14   $275,000      Yes (A Grow?)
                          
22   Placer Land Trust   075-010-038    5    $46,000 No
                          
23   Fecko     075-020-008    20   $809,000      Yes
                          
24   Lyndon    075-020-006    20   $558,000      Yes
                          
25   Laursen   075-090-038    40   $737,000      No
                          
26   Laursen   075-090-039    20   $425,000      No
                          
27   Roth 075-090-040    20   $525,000      Yes
                          
28   Lonicki   075-090-047    18   $71,000 
                          
29   Laursen   075-080-052    20   $357,000      Outbuilding?
                          
30   Laursen   075-010-056    6    $5,431,000    Yes 1
                          

• 1    For Sale - $7,990,000 (151 acres)                                      
• 2    Sale Pending - $1,800,000                     

Alternate Route To Harvego Bear River Preserve

Alternate Route To Harvego Bear River Preserve
The safest and most cost effective access to the Hidden Falls expansion to the Harvego Bear River Preserve (HBRP) would be along State Highway 49 connecting to a west-bound access road just south of the Bear River.
This fact takes into consideration:

1. 1)  the anticipated high volume of traffic for a Northern access point for the expansion of the Hidden Falls Regional Park to HBRP
2. 2)  emergency access for fire and medical and quick access to State Highway 49 from HBRP
3. 3)  safe passage for trucks with horse trailers without blind corners to and from HBRP
4. 4)  proposed upgrades to State Highway 49 with roundabouts
5. 5)  access via Auburn Valley Road (a private road) and Curtola Ranch Road (a private driveway) would require $6,000,000 to upgrade to handle the anticipated high volume of traffic.
6. 6)  to keep costs down, portions of the road from Hwy 49 to the HBRP could be compacted gravel
7. 7)  the distance from Highway 49 heading due west to the first logical, existing road (Sisson Lane) is only 0.78 miles; Sisson Lane then, ties in directly to the HBRP

There are less than ten (10) properties along this west-bound route, many of which are already owned by Placer Land Trust. Depending on the topography and the cooperation of property owners along this route, only 3 or 4 properties would be required to participate in Placer County purchasing access rights to approximately fifty feet of an easement road.  One property owner along this proposed access route is the Laursen family. The Laursens sold 361 acres to Placer Land Trust in November 2018 ... and, they might be willing to allow an access road across their remaining property.

     Traffic Study Under Construction
        soon available for viewing below...