Since You Asked: New stop sign at Royo Ranchero?
Q: Are there any plans to put in another stop sign at the intersection of Royo Ranchero Drive and Jefferson Road? A lot of people speed down these roads and I think another stop sign would help.
A: No, there are no plans for an additional stop sign at that intersection, according to Diana Langley, Yuba City Public Works Department deputy director.
"We looked at that intersection and decided it doesn't warrant a four-way stop," Langley said.
After receiving a few questions from residents, city officials collected accident data and conducted studies on traffic volume last September. Authorities also looked at the intersection of Royo Ranchero Drive and Monroe Drive and came to the same conclusion.
Langley said stop signs are not an effective way of reducing speeding problems.
"Studies show that people slow at the stop signs, but then accelerate faster at intersections where a stop sign is not correct for traffic conditions," Langley said.
Earlier this month, Yuba City police started a traffic speeding program targeting some problem neighborhoods. One of those neighborhoods is on Royo Ranchero Drive.
For more information about the Neighborhood Speed Awareness Program, contact the department's traffic unit at 822-4795.
No luck for center
Q: Now that the economy is slowly starting to improve, are there any plans to reopen the shuttered Sierra Vista Behavioral Health Center that was closed a couple years ago on Stabler Lane in Yuba City?
A: Rideout Health hopes to find a company or program that would use the space for a behavioral health program, but they've had no luck so far.
"We still intend to see the property utilized for health services for our community," said Terri Hamilton, Rideout's chief executive.
Closed in 2009 amid state budget cuts, Sierra Vista operated in Yuba City for nearly a decade, employing 130 people. The program offered round-the-clock care for up to 50 in-patient residents, ages 18 to 60, helping them with everything from therapy to medication and eating.
Officials said in 2009 that operating the program came with a $14.2 million price tag.
Since the program was shut down, Rideout has maintained care of the facility in hopes of keeping it attractive for potential partnerships.
