by Isa Gaillard, Nellie Graham
In July 2025, Equitable Cities joined city staff, local partners, and community advocates in Santa Rosa, California for a two-day Thriving Communities Program (TCP) site visit. TCP is a Department of Transportation (DOT) technical assistance program that facilitates the planning and development of transportation and community revitalization activities and provides tools and capacity building support to communities to help them secure funding for transformative infrastructure projects.
The visit focused on strengthening walking and biking connections between the existing Prince Memorial Greenway and the future Southeast Greenway, a corridor that will become a vital link in the city’s active transportation network and connect communities to green spaces. The visit highlighted the need to address gaps in sidewalks, crossings, and bike routes to increase safe and comfortable use to and within the corridor. Participants worked together to identify practical strategies such as traffic calming, improved wayfinding, and more consistent infrastructure along key streets. These efforts are intended to ensure the Southeast Greenway becomes both a destination and a reliable connector between neighborhoods across Santa Rosa.
This regional map highlights the future Southeast Greenway in relation to nearby parks, highways, and trail systems. It also shows the existing Prince Memorial Greenway and trail network on the west side, emphasizing the importance of creating continuous east-west active transportation connections across Santa Rosa.
This regional map highlights the future Southeast Greenway in relation to nearby parks, highways, and trail systems. It also shows the existing Prince Memorial Greenway and trail network on the west side, emphasizing the importance of creating continuous east-west active transportation connections across Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa’s Southeast Greenway is a community-driven vision decades in the making. Originally a planned Highway 12 extension that would have cut through residential neighborhoods, the corridor was reimagined thanks to years of local advocacy. In 2024, the City of Santa Rosa formally acquired the 49-acre former Caltrans right-of-way, transforming what was once an unused stretch of land into a bold opportunity for public recreation, environmental restoration, and community connection. The future Greenway will include a two-mile urban park with trails, gardens, gathering spaces, and art, helping knit together neighborhoods through accessible green space and non-motorized transportation.
The Southeast Greenway and the link included in this study will close connectivity gaps in the broader active transportation network that currently limits access for neighborhoods that have experienced less investment and greater barriers, such as Roseland and Downtown. The current study is focused on identifying safe and practical walking and biking routes that link these areas with the Greenway and with each other. By creating stronger east–west connections, the project can help knit together different parts of the city and expand access to parks, trails, and community destinations.
A highlight of the visit was a walk and bike audit across key segments of the proposed corridor. Together with city staff and local organizations, stakeholders observed existing conditions—ranging from scenic creekside trails to wide arterial streets like Sonoma Avenue—and identified both strengths and barriers along the route. Participants identified missing sidewalks, uneven pavement, lighting gaps, and safety concerns at major intersections and driveways. Stakeholders also explored the potential for improved bike lane infrastructure and traffic calming measures to create a more seamless and user-friendly corridor.
Examples of existing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along the corridor; during the walk audit, the group assessed driver yielding behavior and considered potential crossing upgrades.
Examples of existing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along the corridor; during the walk audit, the group assessed driver yielding behavior and considered potential crossing upgrades.
As part of the visit, the team reviewed several draft tools designed to support transparent decision-making, effective public engagement, and coordinated implementation. These resources aim to help the project team evaluate trade-offs between different route options, ensure community input is meaningfully integrated, and guide outreach efforts that are culturally responsive and locally grounded. Discussions focused on refining how these tools define priorities like feasibility, transformation potential, and visibility, and how they can help communicate complex decisions in ways that are clear and accessible to the public.
Participants collaborated during the site visit to refine tools that support transparent and inclusive decision-making.
Participants collaborated during the site visit to refine tools that support transparent and inclusive decision-making.
Partners emphasized that these tools should go beyond route selection to spark broader conversations with the community about what success looks like for the project. The tools are being shaped to reflect both technical considerations and lived experiences, allowing the planning process to balance data-driven analysis with input from those most impacted. Ultimately, they are intended to support a corridor that meets community needs, builds public trust, and strengthens neighborhood connections across Santa Rosa.
Another core focus of the visit was laying the groundwork for upcoming community engagement activities. Together with Sonoma Land Trust and Latino Service Providers, city staff and partners co-designed outreach strategies that use visual, interactive, and community-centered formats. From resident bike ride events and pop-up demonstrations to walking tours and immersive mapping activities, the group identified a range of tools that could demystify project goals and build community trust.
Throughout the visit, there was an emphasis on building lasting relationships and shared ownership of the process. Whether walking the corridor, sketching out engagement materials, or swapping stories over lunch, the group found meaningful opportunities to connect across roles and perspectives. These relationships will be critical to ensuring that the Southeast Greenway becomes more than just a path—it becomes a project that reflects and supports the communities it serves.
Santa Rosa City Hall served as the central meeting space for local leaders and project partners to collaborate on the Thriving Communities Program project. In the coming months, the team plans to host public engagement events at various locations along the study site.
Santa Rosa City Hall served as the central meeting space for local leaders and project partners to collaborate on the Thriving Communities Program project. In the coming months, the team plans to host public engagement events at various locations along the study site.
By blending on-the-ground observation, technical planning, and collaborative design, the Santa Rosa site visit set the stage for an active transportation network that is safer, more inclusive, and deeply rooted in local values. Learn more about the project here.