It’s time for the first highway page update for 2024. This has been a relatively quiet period (as the last headline post demonstrated). But still, there’s a bunch of interesting stuff here. So, as always, “ready, set, discuss”. Next up: Starting to write Season 3 of the podcast.
This update covers January and February 2024, and perhaps some of March 2024, depending on how long it takes me to finish the last little bits. Before we dive into the updates to the California Highways site, an update on the California Highways: Route by Route podcast. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcaster or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted since the last update:
- January | CA RxR 2.06: Route 1: Pacifica and San Francisco. Episode 2.06 of California Highways: Route by Route continues our exploration of Route 1 by exploring everything about Route 1 from Pacifica, just N of the Tom Lantos Tunnels near Montara (in San Mateo Couny) to and through San Francisco up to the Golden Gate Bridge. This includes communities such as Pacifica, Daly City, and of course, San Francisco. As always, we go over the history of this segment of the route, the history of the route through various communities , the freeway plans, discuss relinquishments, names, and some current plans (although there’s not much in the relinquishment or plans area). As part of the freeway plans in the area, we include a discussion of the freeway revolt and some broader plans for San Francisco. (Spotify for Podcasters)
- January | CA RxR 2.07: Route 1ish: Golden Gate Bridge. Episode 2.07 of California Highways: Route by Route continues our exploration of Route 1 by exploring an interesting gap in the route: The Golden Gate Bridge (GGB). The GGB is not part of the state highway system, and thus (from the point of view of the state) not part of either Route 1 or US 101. It is part of US 101 per AASHTO, and is run by its own district. We’ll cover what was there before the bridge, the construction of the bridge, and current projects along the bridge (such as the singing bridge retrofit, the suicide barrier, and the earthquake retrofit. We’ll also discuss how one pays tolls on the bridge. (Spotify for Podcasters)
- February | CA RxR 2.08: Route 1: Marin and …. Episode 2.08 of California Highways: Route by Route continues our exploration of Route 1. We’ve now crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, and are continuing north from the Marin Headlands, up along the coast through Sausalito and Marin, Muir Beach and Stinson Beach, Point Reyes, Bodega Bay, Jenner and Fort Ross until we reach the Marin Headlands. As always, we’ll cover the history of the route, and some current projects along the route (Spotify for Podcasters).
- February | CA RxR 2.09: Route 1: The Redwood Forest. Episode 2.09 of California Highways: Route by Route continues our exploration of Route 1, as we complete discussing present-day Route 1 in Medocino County from Gualala to Leggett and current Route 1’s end at US 101. Along the way, we’ll discuss the communities of Gualala, Point Arena, Albion, Mendocino, Fort Bragg, Westport and Rockport, and Leggett. As always, we’ll cover the history of the route, and some current projects along the route. (Spotify for Podcasters)
Turning to the updates to the California Highways pages: Updates were made to the following highways, based on my reading of the (virtual) papers and my research for the podcast in January and February 2024 (which are posted to the roadgeeking category at the “Observations Along The Road” and to the California Highways Facebook group) as well as any backed up email changes. I also reviewed the the AAroads forum (Ꜳ). This resulted in changes on the following routes, with credit as indicated [my research(ℱ), contributions of information or leads (via direct mail or ꜲRoads) from bing101(2), Tom Fearer(3), Will Poundstone(4): Route 1(ℱ,4), I-5(3), US 6(3), I-8(ℱ,3), I-10(ℱ), I-15(ℱ), Route 14(4), Route 17(ℱ), Route 23(ℱ), Route 25(ℱ), Route 33(4), Route 37(ℱ), Route 40 [S Postmiles] (3), Route 41(ℱ), Route 46(ℱ), Route 58(ℱ,3), US 66(3), US 80(3), Route 92(4), Route 99(ℱ,3), Route 101(ℱ,2), Route 110(ℱ), Route 126(ℱ), Route 128(3), Route 134(3), Route 152(ℱ), Route 156(ℱ), Route 163(3), Route 166(ℱ), Route 170(4), I-580(ℱ,2), I-710(ℱ).
(Source: private email through 3/3/2024, Highway headline posts through the February 2024 Headline post, AARoads through 3/3/2024)
Updated the Links pages to reflect the return of ORoads: The Roads of Oregon, and its companion sites the Beaver State Blog and the Beaver State Wiki. Additionally, capture the movement of All Things NC to Gribblenation, and the NCRoads Annex at VA Highways. Added a link to the CSUN Maps library to the Maps page. Added a section to the Maps page about other research tools. Yeah, it doesn’t fit with maps, but it doesn’t really fit anywhere else either, and the maps are also used for research. Added links to the Caltrans Library Digital Collection, the California Digital Newspaper Collection, and the San Jose Public Library: CA Dept. of Highways (CALTRANS) Right of Way Assessment (h/t kurumi) to the Useful Research Tools page.
Reviewed the Draft 2024 SHOPP, The goal was to identify new projects that would be of interest to the highway pages. Continuing projects should already be in the pages if they are of interest. Note that Caltrans now has a wonderful interactive project page making it easy to find a project. Hmmm, I should probably add that to the front page of the site. * rummages around *. Oh, it’s already in the FAQ! Caltrans also has an interactive SHOPP dashboard. I added that to the FAQ, under how Caltrans spends its money. Per the 2024 Draft SHOPP: “The 2024 SHOPP is comprised of a portfolio of 617 projects (197 new and 420 “carryover” projects from the 2022 SHOPP), spanning the four fiscal years 2024-25 through 2027-28. More than half of these projects focus on condition improvements across four primary asset classes (i.e., pavement, bridge, drainage, and Transportation Management Systems) (TMS), supporting Caltrans’s progress in meeting the required 2027 performance targets set forth by the Commission and outlined in SB 1.” This review resulted in updates to the following routes: Route 1, Route 13, Route 14, Route 49, Route 72, Route 84, US 101, Route 113, Route 120, Route 126, Route 299, US 395.
Added some links for the National Pony Express Trail. This impacted the following routes: Route 24, US 50, I-80, Route 88, Route 89, I-680, I-780.
Made more updates to pages based on podcast research: Route 2, Route 99, Route 138, LRN 59.
Reviewed the Pending Legislation page, based on the California Legislature site, for bills through 2023-12-25. As usual, I recommend to every Californian that they visit the legislative website regularly and see what their legis-critters are doing. As many people are unfamiliar with how the legislature operates (and why there are so many “non-substantive changes” and “gut and amend” bills), I’ve added the legislative calendar (updated for 2024) to the end of the Pending Legislation page. Mostly, this was new bills being introduced; however, two naming resolutions passed in January:
- SCR 59 (Ochoa Bogh) Senator Bob Dutton Memorial Overcrossing.Designates the overcrossing on State Route 210 at Archibald Avenue (~ SBD 5.889) in the City of Rancho Cucamonga as the “Senator Bob Dutton Memorial Overcrossing”.
01/18/24 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 1, Statutes of 2024.
- SCR 74 (Nguyen) Officer Jon Coutchie Memorial Bridge.Designates the Aliso Creek Bridge, Bridge № 55-0003, on Route 1, in the County of Orange, at post mile 6.49, as the “Officer Jon Coutchie Memorial Bridge”.
01/18/24 Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 2, Statutes of 2024.
Reviewed the online agenda of the California Coastal Commission. There was no meeting in January; in February, there were no items of interest for the highway pages.
I checked California Transportation Commission page for the results of the December 2023 meeting of the California Transportation Commission. As always, note that I tend not to track items that do not impact these pages — i.e., pavement rehabilitation or replacement, landscaping, drainage, culverts, roadside facilities, charging stations, or other things that do not impact the routing or history, unless they are really significant. As such, the following items were of interest:
