Sacramento, California – A pair of school-zone crossings on Royal Oaks Drive is getting a visible safety overhaul, with Sacramento crews adding features designed to make drivers slow down, pay closer attention and give people on foot more protection.
The work is especially important because Royal Oaks Drive is part of Sacramento’s high-injury network, a group of streets where serious traffic crashes are a concern. The two crossings also sit in an area used every day by Woodlake Elementary students, parents and staff, along with employees from nearby businesses.
The City’s Traffic Signs & Markings team began installing the improvements over the weekend in District 2. The project follows an evaluation by the City’s traffic safety response team, which reviewed conditions along the corridor and developed a set of quick-build changes for the crossings.
Those upgrades include tough-curb pedestrian islands, curb extensions and enhanced high-visibility pavement markings. Together, the features are intended to make the crossing areas easier for drivers to recognize while also encouraging lower vehicle speeds.
The location adds another layer to the project. Both crossings are within a quarter mile of the Royal Oaks light rail station on Arden Way, meaning the area serves more than just school traffic. People traveling to and from transit, nearby workplaces and surrounding destinations also regularly walk through the corridor.
Rather than relying on a single change, the project combines several relatively fast-to-install elements to reshape how drivers approach the crossings. Pedestrian islands can create a more defined space within the roadway, while curb extensions and brighter markings make the crossing points more prominent.
The work is not finished yet. The Traffic Signs & Markings team is expected to complete the project this week by installing white curb extensions at the two locations.
Once that final step is complete, the crossings will have a more noticeable street design aimed at improving safety for students, families, workers and other pedestrians using Royal Oaks Drive.
More information about Sacramento’s transportation programs and street-safety work is available through the city’s Transportation Division.