Folsom Blvd lane width? (Sacramento: dangerous, vehicles, bike)

[MidtownSacto]

Just a curiousity from someone who is newer to the Sac area... whats the deal with the extremely narrow left lanes in both directions on Folsom Blvd between 34th and 47th? I'm guessing the bike lanes were added more recently and that's what caused the squeeze on the center lanes, but it seems like a 4 lane street barely fits into those blocks as it is. It always struck me as dangerous, and I've never seen a lane that narrow anywhere else on a multi-lane street in California.

[Majin]

Never really understood why folsom blvd was so narrow through that area.

[wburg]

The alignment of Folsom Boulevard hasn't really changed since it was the old Folsom Road during the Gold Rush. As a dirt road intended for wagons, it didn't need to be very wide. When it became part of Highway 50 they paved it, but just one lane in either direction. The bike lanes have been there for a while. They are necessary at least in some sections, like at the edge of the cemetery, because there isn't a sidewalk there, and there is a lot of bike traffic to and from Sacramento State. If you're driving at the speed limit (35 MPH) it's perfectly safe, although personally I think it would make more sense to have one wider lane in either direction with a middle turning lane, and slightly wider bike lanes.

[MidtownSacto]

Thanks for the background. I too figured the most logical configuration would be one lane in each direction with left turn pockets. Even at 35mph, every time I drive through that section of Folsom Blvd, I see people in the left lane encroaching into the right lane in order to leave space by the center divider, and larger vehicles almost always spill over into the right lane. Also, vehicles waiting to make left turns while inching into the intersection leave practically no clearance for traffic going in the opposite direction.

[KC6ZLV]

I don't think it's all that narrow and I don't see the point in excessively wide streets. But the reason probably originates from the time that area was built up. That was wide back then and chances are the extra width had something to do with it being the original route of US-50 before the current freeway was built.