Construction crews are beginning a phased redesign of Lincoln Avenue in Napa this fall. The 1.4-mile project will reduce the road from four lanes to three and add buffered bike lanes. The first work is between Soscol and California avenues, according to The Press Democrat.
The overhaul, first reported by The Press Democrat, includes a new two-way center turn lane alongside the buffered bike lanes, replacing a layout in which drivers could get stuck behind vehicles turning left, amid concerns about cyclist safety. The current 1.4-mile project runs between California Boulevard and Soscol Avenue, with a later extension planned to Silverado Trail.
Why Lincoln Avenue Made the List
The redesign isn't cosmetic. Napa's local roadway safety plan identified Lincoln Avenue as one of the city's top 10 high-injury corridors, as reported by The Press Democrat; the intersections at Soscol and at Silverado Trail were both counted among Napa's worst for fatal and severe-injury crashes, as noted by the newspaper. The Press Democrat reported that city data cited in its coverage also found Napa's overall road safety ranked in the bottom 10% of similarly sized cities in five of the last seven years.
What the collision data shows
City of Napa safety-plan materials report 17 injury collisions at the Lincoln Avenue-Soscol intersection and nine additional injury collisions between Yajome and Silverado Trail during the same five-year period; the latter stretch included two fatal or severe-injury crashes, according to the City of Napa. For countywide context, the Napa Valley Transportation Authority reports 4,908 injury collisions in Napa County from 2015 through 2021, including 571 severe or fatal injury collisions.
The previous layout could leave drivers waiting behind vehicles turning left, prompting some to pass around them, The Press Democrat reported. The new arrangement, with two through lanes and a center turn lane, is intended to address that traffic pattern.
A Close Call on the Vine Trail
The Press Democrat reported that a Napa County Bicycle Coalition board member was struck by a car while crossing Lincoln Avenue on the Vine Trail. The report said the crossing's double-blind design blocked the cyclist's and driver's views of each other, and that the oncoming driver ran a red light. It also noted that many cyclists avoid Lincoln Avenue when they can.
Trading Seconds for Safety
The redesign is expected to add about 30 seconds to end-to-end travel time and could slow morning peak-hour trips by 12% to 15%, according to The Press Democrat. Some community members opposed the project, citing concerns that reducing the number of lanes would worsen congestion.
Kara Vernor said the project should make the road safer and feel safer for everyone, and argued that the safety gains would come with little effect on travel times. In February, Farid Javandel said Napa wants to become one of the safer cities rather than one of the least safe cities. The Napa City Council approved the project that month.
What's Happening on the Ground Now
Right now, most of the visible work involves underground utilities and concrete, including new sidewalks and Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant ramps, according to Jaina French. Paving is planned to begin in early November, followed by roadway striping, a process officials say could take three to four weeks. Jessica Lowe cautioned that the construction timeline ultimately depends on the weather, and the same reporting notes that cold temperatures or an early rainy season could stall the paving and striping plans.
City officials say the broader goal is to improve safety for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists alike throughout the corridor, choosing what the reporting describes as proven traffic engineering measures to back up that goal. For now, the project remains focused on the Soscol-to-California segment, with construction eventually extending to Silverado Trail.
