Forward-looking residents in four sections of Amador County gathered this month to talk local transportation.

"In Jackson, people talked about not having the county's Regional Transportation Plan focus so much on automobiles - to consider moving people, not just cars," said Charles Field, executive director of the Amador County Transportation Commission.

The Jackson Civic Center session was held Oct. 22.

A planned Sutter Hill Transit Center could feature solar-generated electricity hookups for what are known as "neighborhood electric vehicles. In related discussions on the update of Amador County's General Plan, discussion has concerned running electric jitney vehicles between Sutter Creek and Jackson.

At the Pine Grove Town Hall Oct. 27, citizens were concerned that the region known as Upcountry receive adequate representation in the update of the Regional Transportation Plan, Field said.

At the Plymouth City Hall Oct. 20, a topic was the planned safety upgrade of the town's main intersection, at Main Street, Highway 49 and Shenandoah Road, Field said.

"I got a comment card on a roundabout," Field said.

The state Department of Transportation favors a roundabout-style upgrade of the intersection because roundabouts are demonstrably safer than a stoplight and right-angle intersections and lower vehicle emissions by avoiding the idling of stopped vehicles.

In Ione, transportation planners remain at work on the West Ione Roadway System project, formerly known as the Ione Bypass project. An Ione City Hall session was held Oct. 28 on the regional transportation plan update. Ione's roadway-system project is long-term.

"We've got laid out where the alignment is at, and we're looking at finalizing costs," said Kim Kerr, city manager.

The system's multiple segments will be built at various times, with varying funding sources being tapped, including developer fees, as it becomes apparent, "who's responsible for what," Kerr said.

Federal and state laws require regular updates of county regional transportation plans.