SOSRoads, a Sonoma County-wide citizen’s group, was formed to advocate for appropriate allocation of public funds to roads.  SOSroads requested all ten candidates to provide written responses to three questions about the county roads crisis.  

SOSRoads made its endorsement decisions based on the candidates responses to our questions, our interviews with some of the candidates and their positions stated at candidates forums over the last month. 

For the 1st district, SOSRoads endorses Joanne Sanders, Mayor of Sonoma and for the 3rd district SOSRoads endorses Shirlee Zane, the incumbent supervisor. 

Please read our complete endorsement and analysis of the candidates, click here.  

To read the candidates' complete statement, click here.

SOSroads has submitted the following questions to the Supervisor candidates for the 1st, 3rd and 5th Districts and requested their responses by April 27. 

1. Is Sonoma County responsible for maintaining all county roads? If not, what criteria would you use to determine which roads are not a county responsibility? What standard should be used for defining  "maintenance?"

2. What current spending would you cut to provide more general funds for roads?

3. What measures do you support to provide funds for roads and what principles would guide your decisions?

Click here to read SOSroads Supervisor endorsements and analysis. 

Click here to read Supervisor candidates' answers to our road questions. 

About 100 people turned out Wednesday evening, March 7, to hear about the future of Sonoma County roads. Sponsored by SOSroads.org, the event featured Phil Demery, Sonoma County’s Director of Transportation and Public Works.

The standing room-only audience of concerned citizens heard Mr. Demery explain how funding for county roads is “woefully inadequate” and that road maintenance levels are projected to worsen.

This website is intended to provide an opportunity for residents to communicate who are concerned about the deterioration of the roads system in Sonoma County.

We encourage you to share your thoughts on how our community can improve the situation and to draw attention to roads that are in particularly bad shape. Discussions about the general condition of the county road system are worthwhile and ultimately solutions will be required at the county level.

We also encourage establishing neighborhood discussions on the Roads Forum. SOS Roads began when a group neighbors in Bennett Valley and a group of neighbors on Lichau Road discovered that they were working within their own communities on similar road issues.

We believe that there are concerned citizens working locally all over Sonoma County. The website and the Roads Forum are an opportunity to communicate our ideas and thoughts about our roads. We have much to learn from each other, and working together we have a better chance of influencing public officials. Please be courteous especially with those with whom you might disagree.

Click to view comments or to comment on this article in the SOS Roads Forum (Login Required)

It didn't take long for the potholes to appear after the first significant rain of fall. Many county roads have a failing road base which means the pot holes appear rapidly with wet roads.

Potholes will appear more rapidly and will be more wide spread as roads reach the end of their life. Over 50 percent of county roads are at or near the end of their useful life and will need to be rebuilt.

But the County's default policy is to let these roads continue to deteriorate until the only option is to grind them up into gravel or spend millions of dollars to rebuild the roads.

The County has a test section of dirt/gravel road on Sonoma Mountain Rd. in Bennett Valley. If you like dust and bumps, you will love this section of road.

Driving on pothole roads can damage your suspension, which is expensive to fix. Rough roads can also be dangerous for drivers and bicycle riders. Cars swerve or drive on the wrong side of the road to miss pot holes. Numerous bicycle accidents have occurred when bicyclist weren't able to avoid a pothole.

Take action now and join SOS Roads to us persuade the Board of Supervisors to not abandon our county roads.

Click to view comments or to comment on this article in the SOS Roads Forum (Login Required)

Save Our Sonoma Roads is a citizens group whose purpose is to improve the condition of our county and city roads and streets.  Good roads are vital to public safety, property values and our economic well-being.

But after years of neglect, the official County policy is to let 84 percent of county roads degrade to gravel. SOS Roads says this is unacceptable.

The deterioration of county roads and city streets is at a crisis level and is directly correlated to insufficient funding for road maintenance and preservation. 

How bad are our roads? Click here to see roads in red that the county considers to be failed roads.

Our goal is to adequately fund the restoration of our county road and city streets.

SOS Roads will accomplish its mission by educating individuals, groups and businesses on how roads are funded and by advocating for appropriate allocation of public funds to roads. 

What You Can Do:

  1. Join SOS Roads as a Road Supporter or Road Champion. Your membership will help us in our effort to convince policy makers that letting roads deteriorate is unacceptable.

  2. Make a donation to SOS Roads to support SOS Roads efforts to advocate on behalf of our roads.   

  3. Read our position statements and the various reports and studies that detail the crisis in road conditions and the devastating shortfall in funding for the rehabilitation and preservation of our roads system. 

  4. Put up a Tired of Potholes sign in your neighborhood and on the bad roads you drive. Go to Contact Us to request signs. 

  5. Write your County Supervisor and/or city council person to express your concern for the condition of our roads. 

  6. Start a SOS Roads Forum for your neighborhood and email your neighbors about the forum. 

  7. Write about your experience on county roads on the Road Forum.

  8. Sign up for our email list so we can keep you informed.

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