🛣 Changes to the California Highway Website covering September-October 2021

Time for the penultimate update to the highway pages for 2021. Before I paste in the change log, I should insert enough text so that folks don’t get bothered by the masterpiece of an introduction that I’ve written. So suffice it to say that these changes include updates from my usual review of headlines, AARoads posts, and material sent to me, as well as bills and resolutions approved by the legislature and actions of the California Transportation Commission. Read it, enjoy it, and you’ll find it a real “shot in the arm”, if you get my drift. Oh, and “Ready, Set, Discuss”.

Here’s the change log:

Welcome to the penultimate update of 2021, capturing happenings in September and October. Whenever I write up these things of late, I’m always including a reminder for people to get (noun), I also advise people to (action). I’ve made comments about (event in the past), and even have expressed my opinion about (political figure). Invariably, when I share this on AAroads, some (noun) makes a comment about how I’m injecting politics into the forum. I want to make one thing absolutely clear: My highway pages are about the truth, without opinion, and discussion about the pages and these updates should be focused on the highways.  But (noun) is real, and measures must be taken to reduce its spread and get us out on the roads again — and those roads must be safe and not filled with (plural noun) waiving their (plural nouns) and driving their (plural nouns). Oops. Did I say that with my public voice?

I thought about making the paragraph above in the form of a Mad Libs, but it was harder to format. Those who know me should know how to fill in the words. Those who are offended by the above, well, it is your mind that is filling in the blanks, and I think you should (anatomically impossible action).

As for the real introduction: September and October were interesting months. Newsom survived the recall attempt, and it will be interesting to see the impact of his survival on the roadbuilding and road rehabilitation programs of the state, as well as the future of High Speed Rail. There have been massive wildfires in the Northern and Eastern parts of the state that have impacted roads. I normally don’t note fire damage here because it will be repaired, but these fires have resulted in major closures on roads such as US 50, Route 88, Route 299 and much more. Let’s hope for their speedy and complete repair. As road lovers, we are all too aware of the impact of (noun) on highways, be it flooding on Route 37, fires on the roads in the Sierra Nevada or other forests, or damage from flash flooding out in the desert. This is one reason why emphasis of transportation programs is changing from building more roads and getting more vehicles from place to place faster to increasing capacity and improving the movement of people.

For those reading this on AAroads: Go over to the 2021 Changes page ((web page link)), and you can read the incredibly clever and witty introduction that I wrote, but decided not to post here because I didn’t want to deal with (username)‘s reaction this time. Trust me, it was really good.

On to the updates:

Updates were made to the following highways, based on my reading of the papers in September and October 2021 (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 PDERocco⁽²⁾, Tom Fearer⁽³⁾, HeyNow415⁽⁴⁾, Rick Kelly⁽⁵⁾, Michael McThrow⁽⁶⁾: Route 1^(ℱ), Route 2^(ℱ), I-5^(ℱ), LRN 5⁽⁵⁾, I-10^(ℱ), Route 11^(ℱ,2), Route 24^(ℱ), Route 26^(ℱ), Route 49^(ℱ), US 50^(ℱ), Route 73^(ℱ,3), US 97⁽³⁾, Route 99^(ℱ,3), US 101^(ℱ), Route 107^(ℱ), Route 108^(ℱ), Route 113^(ℱ), Route 133^(ℱ), Route 139⁽³⁾, Route 148^(ℱ), Route 154^(ℱ), Route 161⁽³⁾, Route 190⁽³⁾, Route 213^(ℱ), LRN 232^(ℱ), Route 238⁽⁴⁾, Route 239⁽⁶⁾, Route 241^(ℱ), Route 299⁽³⁾,  I-580^(ℱ,5), Route 710^(ℱ), Route 905^(ℱ), County Sign Route J4⁽⁶⁾.
(Source: private email, Highway headline posts through October 2021 as indicated, AARoads through 11/13/2021)

Thanks to a question, I learned that there is an online version of “2020 Named Freeways, Highways, Structures and Other Appurtenances in California“. Did an audit against my names list. Discovered that Caltrans has errors in their document :-).

Reviewed the Pending Legislation page, based on the California Legislature site. 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 to the end of the Pending Legislation page. Noted the passage of the following:

• AB 37 (Berman) Elections: vote by mail ballots.
  Existing law requires county elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter for all elections proclaimed or conducted prior to January 1, 2022. Existing law requires county elections officials to use a specified Secretary of State vote by mail tracking system or a system that meets the same specifications.This bill would extend the requirements to mail a ballot to every registered voter to all elections and apply them to all local elections officials. This bill would require a vote by mail tracking system to be accessible to voters with disabilities. The bill would also make various conforming and technical changes.

  Existing law requires county elections officials to permit voters with a disability, and military or overseas voters, to cast a ballot using a certified remote accessible vote by mail system, and required county elections officials to permit any voter to cast a ballot using a certified remote accessible vote by mail system for the November 3, 2020, statewide general election.

  This bill would require county elections officials to permit any voter to cast a ballot using a certified remote accessible vote by mail system for any election.

  Under existing law, a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is voted on or before election day and, if returned by mail, received by the voter’s elections official via the United States Postal Service, or a bona fide private mail delivery company, no later than 3 days after election day.

  This bill would provide instead that a vote by mail ballot is timely cast if it is voted on or before election day and, if returned by mail, received no later than 7 days after election day. This bill would authorize an elections official to consider any information from the United States Postal Service or a bona fide private mail delivery company that indicates the date on which the ballot was mailed, in order to determine whether a vote by mail ballot was timely cast.

  Existing law authorizes a jurisdiction in which vote by mail ballots are cast to begin processing vote by mail ballot return envelopes 29 days before the election. Existing law authorizes a jurisdiction having the necessary computer capability to start processing vote by mail ballots on the 15th business day before the election, except, for the statewide general election held on November 3, 2020, these jurisdictions were authorized to start processing the ballots on the 29th day before the election. Existing law authorizes all other jurisdictions to start processing vote by mail ballots at 5 p.m. on the day before the election.

  Existing law authorizes a county elections official to establish vote by mail ballot drop-off locations, as defined. Existing law authorizes a county to conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election under certain specified conditions.

  This bill would require any county that does not conduct an all-mailed ballot election to provide at least two vote by mail ballot drop-off locations within the jurisdiction where the election is held, or at least one vote by mail ballot drop-off location for every 30,000 registered voters within the jurisdiction where the election is held, whichever results in more vote by mail ballot drop-off locations. In a jurisdiction with fewer than 30,000 registered voters, the bill would require at least one vote by mail ballot drop-off location, and would require the elections official to make a reasonable effort to provide a ballot drop-off location in the jurisdiction where the election is held. This bill would require the operation of vote by mail ballot drop-off locations to meet certain specified criteria.

  This bill would authorize a jurisdiction having the necessary computer capability to start processing vote by mail ballots the 29th day before any election.

  By requiring local elections officials to mail a ballot to every registered voter, and to take other actions, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

  The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
  09/27/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 312, Statutes of 2021.

• AB 604 (Daly) Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account: apportionment of funds: accrued interest.
  Existing law creates the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program to address deferred maintenance on the state highway system and the local street and road system. Existing law provides for the deposit of various funds, including revenues from certain fuel taxes and vehicle fees, for the program in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account. Existing law requires funds available for the program to be allocated for various specified purposes and requires the remaining funds available for the program to be continuously appropriated 50% for allocation to the Department of Transportation for maintenance of the state highway system or for the State Highway Operation and Protection Program and 50% for apportionment to cities and counties by the Controller pursuant to a specified formula.This bill would continuously appropriate interest earnings derived from revenues deposited in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account to the department for maintenance of the state highway system or for purposes of the State Highway Operation and Protection Program.
  09/22/21    Vetoed by Governor. Veto Message: I am returning Assembly Bill 604 without my signature. This bill would continuously appropriate interest earnings from revenues deposited in the Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for maintenance of the state highway system or for purposes of the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP). Interest earnings from the RMRA, including accumulated revenue and future earnings, have already been appropriated in the 2021 Budget Act through 2028. I look forward to re-engaging with the Legislature to finalize and pass a comprehensive transportation package early next year that invests in a wide variety of critically-necessary projects including high speed rail, connectivity projects in advance of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, road and bridge repair, and a variety of other rail system improvements. That comprehensive package, and the corresponding budget process, would be the appropriate venue to consider any continuous appropriation of RMRA interest earnings, such as that proposed in this bill..
• AB 744 (Rodriguez) State highways: State Route 83: reduction.
  Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of all state highways. Existing law describes the authorized routes in the state highway system and establishes a process for adoption of a highway on an authorized route by the California Transportation Commission. Existing law authorizes the commission to relinquish to local agencies state highway segments that have been deleted from the state highway system by legislative enactment or have been superseded by relocation, and in certain other cases. Existing law designates State Route 83 from Route 71 to Route 10 near the City of Upland.This bill would authorize the commission to relinquish to the City of Ontario all or a portion of State Route 83 within the city’s jurisdiction and prescribe conditions that apply upon relinquishment.
  09/22/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Chapter 198, Statutes of 2021.
• SB 231 (McGuire) Department of Transportation: transfer of property: Blues Beach property.
  Existing law vests the Department of Transportation with full possession and control of all state highways and all property and rights on property acquired for state highway purposes. Various provisions of existing law specifically provide for the acquisition, transfer, and use of property owned by the department.This bill would authorize the department, upon terms, standards, and conditions approved by the California Transportation Commission, to transfer the Blues Beach property located in the unincorporated community of Westport in the County of Mendocino at no cost to a qualified nonprofit corporation, which the bill would define as a nonprofit corporation that is organized by one or more specified California Native American tribes for the purpose of environmental protection. The bill would require a nonprofit corporation that is transferred the Blues Beach property to be responsible for the future maintenance of the property, would require the property to only be used to provide public access, maintain natural habitat, and protect Native American cultural resources, and would require the property to revert to the department if the property is not maintained.
  09/24/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 289, Statutes of 2021.
• SB 381 (Portantino) Surplus residential property: priorities, procedures, price, and fund.
  (1) Existing law establishes priorities and procedures that any state agency disposing of surplus residential property is required to follow. Under existing law, specified single-family residences must first be offered to present occupants, as specified. Existing law then requires the property to be offered to housing-related entities, as provided, prior to placing the property up for sale for fair market value, subject to specified priorities. Existing law also requires historic homes, as defined, to be offered first to a housing-related public entity or to a nonprofit private entity, as described.This bill would, with respect to surplus residential properties located within the State Route 710 corridor in the City of South Pasadena, require surplus single-family residential properties, which includes any applicable locally-designated historic home as defined, and any historic home to be offered to the City of South Pasadena after the properties are offered to present occupants, including present occupants who have occupied the property for 5 years or more and meet certain conditions, pursuant to specified provisions and the present occupants either decline to purchase or do not qualify and close on the property within 274 days of the Department of Transportation adopting emergency regulations. The bill would require a multifamily residential property in the State Route 710 corridor area of the city to first be offered to certain present occupants who have formed a limited equity cooperative housing entity or an entity for the ownership of common interest developments before offering those properties to the city. The bill would also require all other occupied, unoccupied, and unimproved surplus residential properties in the State Route 710 corridor area of the city to first be offered to the city. The bill would set forth procedures that apply to properties under the bill’s provisions, including that each property be subject to a recorded covenant requiring the property remain available and affordable for ownership or rental by persons and families of low or moderate income, except as specified. The bill would require all proceeds from the city’s sale of any property purchased pursuant to the bill’s provisions to be reinvested into low- or moderate-income housing within its jurisdiction. The bill would require, following an offer of these properties to the City of South Pasadena, the properties to then be offered in accordance with the priorities and procedures in existing law relating to the sale of the property to a private housing-related entity or housing-related public entity and sale for fair market value.

  (2) Existing law, known as the Administrative Procedure Act, governs the procedures for the adoption, amendment, or repeal of regulations by state agencies and for the review of those regulatory actions by the Office of Administrative Law. Existing law establishes procedures for the adoption of emergency regulations, including requiring that the state agency make a finding that the adoption of a regulation or order of repeal is necessary to address an emergency, as defined. Under existing law, a regulation, amendment, or repeal adopted as an emergency regulatory action may only remain in effect for up to 180 days, unless the adopting agency complies with specified requirements relating to notice of regulatory action and public comment.

  This bill would require the Department of Transportation to adopt emergency regulations within 60 days of the effective date of the bill’s provisions, to implement the above-described requirements relating to the disposal of surplus property. The bill would include findings that an emergency exists for purposes of specified provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act. The bill, notwithstanding the 180-day limit for emergency regulations, would provide that emergency regulations adopted under its provisions would remain in effect for 2 years after adoption, or until the adoption of permanent regulations, whichever occurs sooner.

  (3) Existing law creates the SR-710 Rehabilitation Account, which is continuously appropriated to the Department of Transportation, and into which proceeds from the sale of surplus residential property by the department are deposited. Existing law requires that the total funds maintained in the account not exceed $500,000 and that funds exceeding that amount, less any reimbursements due to the federal government, be transferred to the State Highway Account in the State Transportation Fund to be used for allocation by the California Transportation Commission, as specified.

  This bill would authorize an increase in the amount of the total funds maintained in the account up to $1,200,000. By authorizing an increase in the funds held in a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation.

  (4) Existing law requires a surplus residence or property to be sold to present occupants at an affordable price, as described.

  This bill would require that a surplus residence or property located in the City of South Pasadena that is offered by a selling agency to a present occupant of the residence or property be offered at a price based on the appraisal of the residence or property in 2016 if certain conditions apply. The bill would require an offer made or accepted prior to January 1, 2022, that is not in compliance with this provision to be corrected so the price is based on the 2016 appraisal. The bill would provide that an offer made based on the 2016 appraisal shall only be effective until December 31, 2022.
  09/28/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 362, Statutes of 2021.

• ACR 19 (Gallagher) National Purple Heart Trail.
  This measure would designate Route 20 from YUB 0.000 to YUB R3.389 and Route 70 from YUB 13.604 to YUB 15.850 in the City of Marysville in the County of Yuba for inclusion in the National Purple Heart Trail.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 106, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 21 (Megan Dahle) Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge.
  This measure would designate the South Yuba River Bridge over Route 49 (NEV R21.857, South Yuba River Bridge No. 17-07) in the County of Nevada as the “Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 107, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 27 (Gallagher) Farm-to-Fork Corridor.
  This measure would designate the portion of Route 99 from TEH 20.400 at Eldrid Avenue near the community of Dairyville to TEH 24.529 near Arch Street in the City of Red Bluff in the County of Tehama as the “Farm-to-Fork Corridor”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 109, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 32 (Megan Dahle) High Desert State Prison Correctional Officer Richard Bianchi, Jr., Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designates Route 36 near Susanville from LAS 25.356 at State Route 139 to LAS R29.390 at Junction US 395, in the County of Lassen as the “High Desert State Prison Correctional Officer Richard Bianchi, Jr., Memorial Highway”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 110, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 40 (Mathis) Harry Tow Memorial Highway Overcrossing.
  This measure would designate the highway overcrossing in the City of Visalia off Plaza Drive and Route 198 at TUL R4.796 as the “Harry Tow Memorial Highway Overcrossing”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 112, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 47 (Stone) Staff Sergeant Robert Scott Johnson Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designate the portion of Route 1 between Exit 406 for Lightfighter Drive, MON R82.759, and Exit 404 for Fremont Boulevard and Del Monte Boulevard, MON R80.970, in the City of Seaside as the “Staff Sergeant Robert Scott Johnson Memorial Highway”.
  09/17/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 135, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 51 (Gabriel) Dr. Sally Ride Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designate the portion of US 101 between the junction with I-405, at LA 17.165 and Balboa Boulevard, at LA 19.217, as the “Dr. Sally Ride Memorial Highway”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 114, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 52 (Patterson) Tom Seaver Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designate the portion of Route 41 from the East Jensen Avenue Overcrossing No. 42-268 (FRE R21.113) to the South Fresno Viaduct No. 42-226 (FRE R22.107) as the “Tom Seaver Memorial Highway”.
  09/17/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 136, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 64 (Fong) Harvey L. Hall Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designate the portion of Westside Parkway between the Coffee Road offramp and the Allen Road offramp on Route 58 in the County of Kern as the “Harvey L. Hall Memorial Highway”.
  Note: Technically, the Westside Parkway is not Route 58 yet (per the Postmile Tool), and the segment of existing Rosedale Highway (shown by Google as part of Route 58) between Coffee Road and Allen Road has been relinquished to the City of Bakersfield.
  09/17/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 138, Statutes of 2021.
• ACR 67 (Quirk-Silva) Tommy Lasorda Memorial Highway.
  This measure would designate I-5 from Ball Road OC 55-670 at ORA 37.638 to Eastbound exit Route 91 at ORA 42.671, within the County of Orange as the “Tommy Lasorda Memorial Highway”.
  09/07/21    Chaptered by Secretary of State – Res. Chapter 115, Statutes of 2021.

I checked California Transportation Commission page for the results of the California Transportation Commission meetings from September through October 2021. 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: