Celia McAdam, AIM Consulting

(PLACERVILLE, CALIFORNIA) July 18, 2022 — What would it be like to consistently get a green light during the weekend while driving on US 50 through Placerville? The public will soon find out through the innovative Trip to Green program set to take place for three weekends this fall. Led by the El Dorado County Transportation Commission (EDCTC), the City of Placerville, and CalTrans District 3, the Trip to Green program will set the signals for eastbound and westbound traffic on US 50 in Placerville to stay green so that interregional traffic can flow freely.

To ensure safe travel, north and southbound movements across US 50 at Canal Street, Spring Street (SR 49), and Bedford Avenue will be closed to public traffic, allowing for emergency vehicle access only. Detours will be available, and signage will be placed along each detour route. Right-in and right-out access will remain available at Spring Street, Center Street, and Bedford Avenue. Canal Street will remain closed.

Trip to Green will take place on the first weekends of August, September, and October beginning August 6-7, with subsequent weekends being September 3-5 (including Memorial Day, Monday September 5th) and October 1-2. Each day during the weekend, the closure will begin at 8am and end no later than 8pm.

“Traffic congestion on US 50 in Placerville has been a huge problem for our community for a long time,” said Placerville Mayor Kara Taylor. “The Trip to Green project gives us a great opportunity to test an innovative way to fix traffic backups, make it easier for people get around, and improve the quality of life for our area residents and downtown businesses.” Trip to Green aims to reduce congestion on local roads from through travelers using mobile directional applications to avoid the stop lights, which has created gridlock on local streets, impacting Placerville residents’ ability to safely and efficiently move around.

Trip to Green is a low-cost way to simulate how a near term technology or permanent infrastructure solution might make a difference when it comes to local and regional traffic. Officials will then evaluate the real-world effectiveness and impacts on the community before any permanent short or long-term solutions are identified or pursued.

After the closures, technical data, such as the changes to traffic speeds, traffic delays, air quality, as well as feedback from the residents and businesses in the area, will help inform

EDCTC, the City of Placerville, and Caltrans as they evaluate what does and does not work for the community.

For more information on the Trip to Green project and available detour routes, visit
https://www.edctc.org/trip-to-green or follow us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/TripToGreen
For questions, call the project hotline at (530) 323-9668 or email US50TripToGreen@gmail.com