Updated 11:30 a.m. July 22: Additional roadwork has been added, for a project along Hutchison Drive adjacent to Surge 4 and the Silo.

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Roadwork began this week on Hutchison Drive west of La Rue Road, one part of the Davis campus’s summer schedule of street, sidewalk and path improvement projects, as well as pavement repair. Drivers should expect lane closures and other traffic controls at all the project sites.

The Hutchison Drive project, scheduled to run through Aug. 2, will lengthen the left-turn lane for vehicles going from eastbound Hutchison to northbound La Rue, and modify the median at Health Sciences Drive to allow for U-turns on Hutchison, say, for drivers coming off Extension Center Drive, who are blocked from turning left onto Hutchison.

Also on tap this summer: reconstruction of the northbound lanes of La Rue Road between Garrod Drive and Hutchison. During the project, July 29-Aug. 30, northbound traffic will be diverted to the southbound side of the road, which will be converted to two-way traffic. The campus rebuilt La Rue’s southbound lanes last year.

Following the completion of paving work on the northbound side of La Rue Road, get ready for a major change: New striping will be put down to reduce each side of the La Rue Road to one lane between Garrod and Hutchison. Parking spaces (approximately 55) and bike lanes will fill the freed-up width, along with a 3-foot buffer in between to protect cyclists from car doors as they swing open. (The La Rue bike lanes will extend between Russell Boulevard and Garrod Drive.)

Rancho Cordova-based Martin General Engineering Inc. won the contract with a low bid of $1.4 million. Other elements:

• Install a “No Turn on Red” light at the northwest corner of La Rue Road and Hutchison Drive to protect pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Install concrete sidewalk, in place of asphalt, on the east side of Old Davis Road between Arboretum Drive and Hutchison Drive on the east side of campus.
• Rebuild the mixed-use path (and two driveways) on the east side of Toomey Field along A Street between Russell Boulevard and Third Street. During construction, southbound bicyclists will be diverted to Howard Way (to avoid conflicts with northbound cars on one-way A Street).
• Rehabilitate the bicycle path between Art Annex and Mark Hall.
• Repair potholes on Dairy Road, to be scheduled after the completion of work on La Rue Road.
• Pothole and crack repairs in Lot 47 off La Rue Road, next to the Tercero Residence Area, completed.

More work along Hutchison Drive

A separate construction project on Hutchison Drive will bring a partial closure of the road near the center of campus, adjacent to Surge 4 and the Silo, starting Monday, Aug. 5, and continuing through Monday, Oct. 28. Traffic will be restricted to one lane in alternating direction, controlled by flag personnel, for pipeline installation underground. The road will revert to two-way traffic during off-construction hours. Maps show Hutchison Drive construction zones for two time periods: Aug. 5-Sept. 11 and Sept. 12-Oct. 28.

Bee garden reports $1,000 loss in break-in

The Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven reported a break-in during the weekend in which someone got away with $1,000 in cash and property. The garden is south of Hutchison Drive west of Highway 113.

Christine Casey, academic program management officer with the outdoor museum, gave this inventory of missing property: a portable public address system, a GreenWorks battery charger and an Apple laptop power cord.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact the campus Police Department by email or phone, 530-752-1727.

A Honey Bee Haven Facebook post says the theft “adds insult to injury,” referring to a budget cut coming Oct. 1. A fundraising drive is underway.

Aggies vs. USC Trojans in 2021

In a first-time match-up, UC Davis football will open its 2021 season against the University of Southern California, the schools announced last week. The game — Saturday, Sept. 4, in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — also marks the first time the Trojans of the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) have scheduled a game against a school from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

Last year, in his second season as coach, Hawkins led his alma mater to a share of the Big Sky Conference championship — the Aggies’ first title in the Big Sky. The team then made its first appearance in the FCS postseason tournament and ended the year with an overall record of 10-3.

This coming season, 2019, the Aggies will open their season against Cal of the FCS in the second meeting between the schools since 2010. The game is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 31, in Berkeley.

The Aggies’ regular season schedule includes five home games, starting Saturday, Sept. 14, versus Lehigh. Season tickets are available online, in person or by phone.

• In person at the UC Davis Ticket Office (northeast corner of the stadium) — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday
• Phone — 530-752-AGS1 (2471) 
• Email

Read more about the Aggies' upcoming season.

City seeks input on Jump bike parking

Jump bikes are a common sight around Davis, but, sometimes, they are being seen parked in the wrong places.

The city, like UC Davis, says Jump bikes when not being used must be locked to bike racks. But the city acknowledges bike parking is limited outside of the downtown area — which leads to users leaving the bikes on sidewalks and in other public areas. 

A survey from the city proposes three possible solutions:

• “Allowing Jump bikes to park perpendicular to the curb anywhere vehicular parking is permitted”
• Creating “designated on-street painted parking areas”
• Designating “on-street parking areas with bike racks”

The proposed changes would not apply in downtown Davis. The survey is open until July 26, and is open to all those who live or work in Davis. 

A news release from the city of Davis comments on the success of Jump bikes in Davis and notes that “Jump wants to expand to 700 bikes in Davis” from its current inventory of 200, split between campus and the city.

They say the community survey will help “inform which parking option(s) to test.” Then, after approximately one year, the city plans to have “city staff evaluate the effectiveness of the parking option and if Jump parking satisfaction has improved.”

Learn more about Jump bikes on the UC Davis Transportation Services website.

— Leigh Houck

‘Gatekeepers’ for mental health

“Gatekeeper Training” for staff members and teaching assistants and other faculty will be presented three times the last two weeks of July.

Offered as part of a study sponsored by the Division of Student Affairs, the free training provides skills and knowledge “to comfortably and confidently speak with students about mental health concerns and refer them to appropriate mental health resources.” The term “gatekeeper” derives from the fact that TAs, faculty and staff often serve as students’ gateways to help.

Here is the upcoming schedule (all sessions to be held at the Student Health and Wellness Center on the Davis campus)::

• Tuesday, July 23 — 10 a.m.-noon
• Thursday, July 25 — 10 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday, July 30 — 10 a.m.-noon

If you or your department is interested in a training, send an email to the study team, specifying one training date and time. In return, you will receive an email from “Support UCD Wellness Study” with the subject line, “Invitation to a UC Davis Pilot Study of Training to Support Student Mental Health,” and instructions for completing a pretraining questionnaire.

For more information, contact Professor Carolyn Dewa by email.

Pérez takes over as regents’ chair

John A. Pérez presides this week over his first Board of Regents meeting since being elected chair in May. The regents are meeting today through Thursday (July 16-18) at UCSF Mission Bay. See the agenda.

“I am honored to serve as chair of the board and continue advocating for our students and their families, in addition to the UC community at large,” said Pérez, a former speaker of the state Assembly. “I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members to continue UC’s tripartite mission of education, research and public service, while giving our students the tools and resources they need for success at UC and beyond.”

Perez was sworn in July 1, the first day of his term as chair. Former state Sen. Art Torres administered the oath of office.

Regent Cecilia V. Estolano is serving as vice chair, and committee chair assignments are as follows:

• Academic and Student Affairs Committee — Maria Anguiano
• Compliance and Audit Committee — Gareth Elliott
• Finance and Capital Strategies Committee — Hadi Makarechian
• Health Services Committee — Sherry L. Lansing
• Investments Committee — Richard Sherman
• National Laboratories Committee — Charlene Zettel
• Public Engagement and Development Committee — Richard Leib

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