Green DOT worked on a consultant team for the El Dorado County Transportation Commission, El Dorado Parks, and California State Parks to develop a Sustainable Transportation Plan for Coloma-Lotus.
The Plan outlines multimodal and parking improvements needed for an important recreational corridor. Lotus Road and Highway 49 connect several campgrounds and other recreational tourism lodging to Henningsen Lotus Park, the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park, and countless other recreation destinations along the South Fork American River for activities such as kayaking, rafting, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming. Marshall Gold Discovery Park experiences thousands of visitors, including students visiting for school field trips and many active transportation users passing through to recreate along the river. There has been an urgent need for improved multimodal accommodation and safety improvements along this corridor.
Highway 49 is also an important inter-regional corridor for vehicle traffic, with residents commuting to cities such as Placerville, Roseville and Sacramento for work. Furthermore, tourists use Highway 49 to experience the natural landscapes and outdoor amenities the Coloma has to offer. Green DOT conducted a connectivity and parking analysis to identify conflict zones between vehicles and active transportation users. Our team contributed heavily throughout the planning effort to improve the corridor to increase safety and access for active transportation users traveling along the corridor.