FOLSOM, Calif. — Inga Buckendorf, an El Dorado Hills resident of nearly 30 years, says Folsom roads are getting busier. She frequently drives through the area to shop and visit her mother-in-law.
There's one spot on East Bidwell at Iron Point where she sees illegal U-turns despite the signage. She says people heading northbound on East Bidwell turn around to get back onto Highway 50.
"They are still proceeding to make a U-turn so the people that are turning right to get back onto the freeway in front of Fat's don’t see them coming and they're slamming right into one another," said Buckendorf.
A couple years ago, the city installed four signs at the intersection of Iron Point and East Bidwell to improve traffic flow. Buckendorf believes this helped, but still sees people disobeying the law.
She’s hoping for more enforcement there to keep the roads safer for herself, Folsom residents, and her mother-in-law who lives nearby.
"We've told her by no means is she to get on the freeway, just because of that corner. We said, 'When you leave your place, you go in the middle lanes. Don't get in the left lane, don't get in the right lane to get on the freeways,'" said Buckendorf.
The city says they communicate any changes on roadways in advance so people know what to expect. Often, city planners will work hand-in-hand with police to educate people and enforce those changes. Lt. Chris Emery with the Folsom Police Department says they will also monitor problem spots.
"We do look at our crash stats for areas that are higher than normal or where we see more collisions and we try to put a presence out there," said Lt. Emery.
City engineer Zach Bosch says they’re implementing new traffic technologies to improve safety, and using and testing a number of new traffic technologies like video detection and signal controllers.
Folsom is working on two new big projects, one at the intersection of Iron Point and East Bidwell.
"We’re going to add an additional westbound left turn lane coming down from Costco and create another auxiliary onramp lane to Highway 50 westbound," said Bosch.
They're working with Caltrans, designing ways to improve the intersection of Iron Point Road and East Bidwell. A spokesperson with the city says this will help reduce traffic along Iron Point Road where there are shopping centers.
The second project is at the Empire Ranch interchange, working with the community and Caltrans to improve the intersection and onramp to reduce congestion.
The Folsom Traffic Safety Committee meets once a month to work with the city and residents to improve traffic and roadways overall.
If you want to submit a concern or request enforcement in one particular spot in Folsom, there's a form on the city of Folsom website or you can call the Folsom non-emergency line at 916-461-6400.
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