February 26, 2021: What is at the core of a safe and inviting community? It begins with how it’s built and its infrastructure. Sidewalks, bike lanes, and new asphalt may not be the most exciting development, but these details can make a place thrive by allowing residents to move more freely and acting as the catalyst for future growth and development. The City of Auburn is now cruising on a fresh new project on Nevada Street with new sidewalks, bike lanes, ADA ramps, and adding connectivity to a once separated community.  

The Chamberlain neighborhood is mostly separated by large roads on all sides – CA-49 to the east, I-80 on the south, Nevada Street with mostly open space to the west, and in the north finally a tapering off of the neighborhood to a variety of businesses and amenities – but it was missing accessibility. The improvements to Nevada Street, between Placer Street and Fulweiler Avenue, provide the Chamberlain neighborhood and the Old Town District more connectivity to the Auburn multi-modal station, Auburn Library, and the E.V. Cain Middle School. The new sidewalks and bike lanes, enhanced crosswalks, wheelchair ramps, and new streetlights and signals make this area scootable, walkable, and bikeable for all.  

This project invested almost $800,000 in this disadvantaged community to create a safer and more walkable neighborhood. Connecting the neighborhood to transit, resources at the library, and a safe route to a middle school are examples of smaller scale attributes in a community that go a long way for a student getting to school, or someone needing computer or internet access, or needing to travel to get to transit safely. Additionally, improvements like these are key in thinking about future growth and economic development. As areas invest in infrastructure that can support small business, people being active, and overall support for everyday travel, everyone wins.