Another 30 days, another month down the [assignment: noun]. But that also means its time for another headline post. It’s been another busy month. I finally got a copy of my daughter’s prize-winning essay for the Skirball on Bobby Fieldler and Choice. I’ve been doing more investigation into Medicare and Medicare Advantage (and I highly recommend this episode of An Arm and a Leg). If anyone has personal experience with the Anthem Medicare Preferred (PPO) with Senior Rx Plus Plan, which is commonly offered to retiree teachers, union members, and government contractors, please let me know.
In any case, it is the start of a new month. The Morris Dancers have done their part, and the sun has risen for Spring. For those unfamiliar, this post generally contains headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.
So what has happened in April for me. Lots of shows: Funny Girl at the Ahmanson, Xanadu at Canyon Theatre Guild, and The Spongebob Musical at CSUN Theatre. We also saw Gordan Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, which reminds me yet again that Thousand Oaks does not understand risk assessment, having more draconian security to get into a concert than TSA (you can’t bring in a knitting needle—even wood ones, and you can’t bring in a refillable non-spillible water bottle). My wife also had the metal removed from her leg in preparation for knee surgery later in the summer, and we had a great Bakersfield Road Meet.
The podcast continues apace. One more episode dropped in April, and we’re we’ve recorded the last episode of Season 2, which is ready for editing. I’ve started writing Season 3, but it is going slow. Route 3 and the first episode on Route 4 is done. I’m also going to start work on the next round of highway page updates. Episode 2.07 prompted a friend at Caltrans to offer to do an interview to talk about Fastrak and tolling in California; we’ll coordinate that as a bonus episode during the Season 2/3 break. I’m hoping to talk not just about Fastrak and tolling, but all those fake license plates going around, and placement of the transponder (article in the headlines). We also hope to do a bonus episode on Auto Trails. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. 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 podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:
- CA RxR 2.11: Route 2: In the Flatlands (Santa Monica and Los Angeles). Episode 2.11 of California Highways: Route by Route is the first of two episodes on Route 2. In this episode we explore the general history of all things Route 2: What was the second state route defined; what was legislative route (LRN) 2, what was Sign Route 2, and what is today’s Route 2. We focus on the flatland segment: From Santa Monica to the Glendale Freeway. We do a detailed exploration of the relationship of the Pacific Electric and Santa Monica Blvd; the history of Route 2 and US 66 — and the ever changing routing in Los Angeles and Santa Monica — and the whole story of the never-constructed Beverly Hills Freeway. The last episode of the season will complete our exploration of Route 2 by looking at Route 2 in the hills — the Glendale Freeway and the Angeles Crest Highway. (Spotify for Podcasters)
Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for April.
Key
[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. 🎧 indicates an primarily audio article. 🎥 indicates a primarily video article. ]
Highway Headlines
- ＄ Big Sur tourism ‘on standstill’ after its roadway crumbles into the sea (Los Angeles Times). Tourists and locals alike found themselves stranded overnight in Big Sur on Easter weekend after Caltrans shut down a portion of Highway 1 that was falling into the ocean. It was merely the latest time that the outdoor tourist hot spot was nearly cut off from the outside world. Officials discovered a slip-out on the southbound lane early Saturday evening and quickly closed the road to further vehicle travel to assess damage. With the 1.4-mile stretch shut down, there were no other exit roads and about 1,600 people were forced to seek accommodations for the night.
- Crews escorting cars around damaged section of California’s Highway 1 after lane collapsed in storm (AP News). Authorities urged motorists to avoid California’s Highway 1 along the central coast after a section of the scenic route collapsed during an Easter weekend storm, forcing closures and stranding motorists near Big Sur, authorities said. The collapse occurred amid heavy rain Saturday afternoon near Rocky Creek Bridge about 17 miles (27 kilometers) south of Monterey, sending chunks of asphalt tumbling into the ocean from the southbound side of the two-lane road. The highway was closed in both directions in the mountainous area of California’s central coast as engineers assessed the damage, said the state Department of Transportation, or Caltrans.
- Caltrans crews work on permanent solution for Highway 1 collapse (KSBY). The slip-out and closure of Highway 1 happened Saturday afternoon just south of the Rocky Creek Bridge north of Big Sur. According to a statement released by Caltrans on Sunday, crews are working at the site trying to stabilize the edge of the roadway and put together a permanent repair. Travelers from down south are having to make the adjustments through the Central Coast.
- ＄ Paving on several Santa Rosa roads gets underway in April as rain subsides (Press Democrat). Work to repave neighborhood streets and two major downtown thoroughfares in Santa Rosa is expected to start in April pending additional rain. Road work will take place in a neighborhood near Steele Lane Elementary and in the Grace Tract area where construction crews have been replacing aging water and sewer infrastructure, the city announced last week. Paving is also expected to start in Coffey Park and Fountaingrove where more than three dozen miles of neighborhood roads were damaged during the 2017 Tubbs Fire and work will get underway again on a section of Santa Rosa Avenue following a winter pause during the rainy season.
- California’s Highway 1 road conditions will only get riskier, experts say | California (The Guardian). A long stretch of California’s famed Highway 1 is closed yet again after a large chunk of the scenic route lining the central coast in Big Sur crumbled into the sea on Saturday. The slide, which occurred just south of the Rocky Creek Bridge, is the latest challenge along the winding roadway, which is facing surges in both popularity and peril. Caught between rising tides and crumbling cliff sides, conditions are becoming more extreme as the climate crisis exacerbates the issues. No one has been injured this week, according to officials – but the risks of travelling this road are only going to grow.
- ＄ The Old Road, used when The Grapevine is closed, set for $250 million widening (Daily News). When the Route Fire burned about 5,000 acres near Castaic in August 2022, prompting closure of the 5 Freeway at The Grapevine followed by weeks of lane closures for repairs, motorists exited onto The Old Road detour, bringing traffic misery to the Santa Clarita Valley. Detours from the primary north-south freeway link between Southern and Northern California also occur during snowstorms, fog, flooding and road work, repeating the scenario ad nauseam with miles of snarled traffic both on the freeway and along the deteriorating side road.
- Dagget Ag Station (FB). The third Agricultural Inspection Station on U.S. 66 was built east of the Daggett Marine Corps Base and opened to traffic in July 1952 replacing the former one that was located in Daggett, just west of Yermo Road. A separate two-story building was also built which included restroom facilities for travelers, a conference room, and many storage rooms.
- Marin road safety projects get $7.5M from state (Marin Independent Journal). The California Transportation Commission has allocated $7.5 million for road improvement work in Marin County. The commission announced the funding last week as part of a $930 million, four-year investment plan across the state. A plan to repair and upgrade Tiburon Boulevard from the Highway 101 interchange to Main Street in Tiburon is getting a $4.4 million infusion. The commission also approved $1.7 million to support the construction of a retaining wall against the hill on the north side of Tiburon Boulevard east of Trestle Glen Boulevard, and $1.4 million for road repair on Highway 1 near Tomales. Caltrans is leading the projects.
- Editorial: Richmond Bridge bike lane compromise raises questions (Marin Independent Journal). After a five-year trial and paltry results, the bike lane on the upper deck of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is getting a second look. Some $20 million later, Bay Area and state transportation planners are considering pivoting to a different scheme, one that removes the bike lane four days a week so that space can be used for bridge maintenance crews. How that is going to make life better for the 40,000 motorists stuck in traffic getting on the westbound deck is perplexing. For the few bike riders who have pedaled across the bridge during this costly trial, the lane would be reopened to them Friday through Sunday.
