🛣 Headlines About California Highways – October 2023

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We’ve made it to November. Two months to go and 2023 will be in the history books. Then comes the election year of 2024. Oh. Boy.

October has seen me finish the “scripts” for the first 10 episodes of the podcast; my attention will now turn to Route 2. The first two episodes of season 2 are now up. 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 this month:

A side effect of the new season is that I’ve discovered a number of interesting historical articles and sources. Some will be in the entries for the episodes themselves, but I’ve also saved some to the headlines list so that I’ll go through them again to update the pages. These articles will be marked in the headlines list with the Historical (Ħ) flag. Next up is recording episodes 2.03 (Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties) and 2.04 (SLO and Big Sur), and working on the Highway Pages — specifically the October and November headlines, AAroads posts, and the CTC minutes.

One last plug: For those in the cybersecurity field: Registration for the Annual Computer Security Conference is now open. Look at the program — which is strong — register for the conference, and make your hotel and travel. I hope to see you in Austin in December.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for October:

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.]

California Highways: Route by Route Podcast

California Highways: Route by Route logoThe podcast is currently on a break between Season 1 and Season 2. Back episodes are available at the Podcast’s forever home, as well as on its Spotify for Podcasters home. The Spotify (nee Anchor.FM) link also has links to the podcast’s page on most major podcasting services.

Highway Headlines

  • Ħ Proposed Parkway System – 1949 – Los Angeles (FB/Sharrye Hagins). Map of 1949 Proposed Parkway System
  • Caltrans: We Need Complete Streets at Freeway Interchanges (CalBike).\ When Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed CalBike’s Complete Streets bill in 2019, he assured Californians that we didn’t need the mandate for safer streets. Caltrans, he noted, had new leadership and would implement the needed changes without legislation. Caltrans does appear to have made some positive changes in the past four years. CalBike is working on a report to assess how well the agency has done and where Complete Streets upgrades are lacking. Take our Complete Streets Survey.
  • Monthslong closure of Highway 35 in Santa Cruz County begins (KSBW 8). Caltrans fully closed Highway 35 in the Santa Cruz Mountains as they began winter storm damage repairs on Monday. Highway 35 closed starting Monday, Oct. 2, three miles north of the junction of Hwy 35 and Hwy 17, near Bear Creek Road. Caltrans hopes to complete construction by Dec. 10. Once the work is completed, this section of Hwy 35 will remain under one-way traffic control for several weeks.
  • Caltrans held a public meeting to discuss Highway 46 widening project (KSBY). Caltrans held a remote public meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to discuss a proposal about converting a 3.6-mile section of Highway 46 East to a four-lane expressway in San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties. The project will include modifications such as changes to the highway alignment, avoiding high utility relocation costs, and reducing the existing grade of the highway., According to Caltrans, the antelope grade stretch sees the most volume of trucks on the central coast. The steep grade makes it harder for larger trucks to speed up causing bottleneck congestion.
  • Report: Bike Lanes Can’t Make up for New Roads (Planetizen News). A new report calls on California to rethink its “traffic-creating, pave-the-earth approach to transportation,” highlighting the environmental and public health impacts of rampant freeway construction. According to an article by Melanie Curry in Streetsblog California, despite the state’s efforts to support clean air and water policies, the inertia of the status quo and a fear of change “has led to focusing on difficult but politically plausible solutions like electric vehicles, cleaning up the electricity sector, and calling for low-carbon fuels.” For the authors of the report from NextGen, those efforts are in part a distraction from lower-hanging, but more politically challenging, fruit: “As long as California keeps expanding highways to accommodate driving, all the other efforts – to increase EVs, to produce clean energy, to add bike lanes – will have been a waste of time.”
  • Caltrans details plans for elevated Highway 37 causeway near Novato (Marin Independent Journal). The first phase of a massive plan to elevate Highway 37 to prevent regular inundation from sea-level rise is set to begin with an estimated $1.6 billion project in Marin. Caltrans officials held a presentation recently on the agency’s plan to rebuild a 2.5-mile section of the 21-mile North Bay commuter route as an elevated causeway from the Highway 101 interchange in Novato to the Atherton Avenue exit. The project would be the first in the agency’s plan to elevate the entire highway onto a causeway before the road connecting Marin and Solano counties becomes regularly inundated by rising sea levels, which Caltrans projects will begin in 2040.

  • Resurfacing completed on six miles of Crosstown Freeway (Fox 40 Stockton). Driving through Stockton got a little bit smoother on Monday with the completion of the $41.8 million State Route 4/Crosstown Freeway project. The partially Senate Bill 1-funded project improved more than half-a-dozens lanes on the eastbound and westbound sides of SR-4 from Fresno Avenue to El Dorado Street. “Projects supported by SB 1 funding continue improving experiences for those traveling in the region,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said. “This latest effort in Stockton improves the road for commuters, truckers and all who rely on this key route through the San Joaquin Valley.”
  • San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s Moss Beach State Route 1 Congestion & Safety Improvements Project Offers 3 Alternatives for Lights, Roundabouts and Medians (Coastside Buzz). From Coastside Video News. Video recording & edit by Coastside Video. Much more information, including the slides and exhibits from the meeting (which were the source of graphics used in the video above), and Coastside transportation planning history, can be found on the County of San Mateo website, planning page: smcgov.org/planning/moss-beach-sr-1
  • Full closure of Hwy 46 to start October 2, last through mid-November (Santa Maria Times). An upcoming road widening project on California State Route 46 (Highway 46) will lead to a full closure of the roadway from just west of Lost Hills Road to just west of Brown Material Road/Holloway Road. Drivers planning on traveling from the coast to the valley can still use Hwy 41, which will still directly connect to Interstate 5 near Kettleman City. Drivers can still use Hwy 46 if needed, however a detour around the section of closed roadway for construction will be located at Hwy 33 on the west side of closure and at the Interstate 5 connection to Lerdo Highway at the east. The construction project is being completed through a partnership between Caltrans and Granite Construction. The closure is scheduled to start at 6 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 2 and last through mid-November.
  • ＄ Major revamp of Highway 37 in North Bay has a start date (SF Chronicle). Transportation officials are preparing to take the first step in a long journey that will lift Highway 37 above projected sea-level rise and relieve traffic congestion on the critical North Bay route. Environmental studies are being completed, money has been lined up and initial designs released for the first phase of the project, targeting a low-lying area of Highway 37 in Marin County where it crosses Novato Creek and makes its way northeast to Atherton Avenue. The area is among the lowest stretches of Highway 37, which runs for 21 miles across levees and through fragile bay marshlands in Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties, connecting Novato to Vallejo.
  • Historic Placer County bridge to be retired and replaced over American River (Fox 40 News). For nearly a century, Yankee Jims bridge has served as the only means of passage between Colfax and Foresthill over the North Fork of the American River but Placer County intends to change that. Placer County Engineering Manager Kevin Ordway said in a video that the bridges maximum weight limit of three tons is no longer adequate for the average weight of modern vehicles and is showing some significant structural damage. According to a September 2017 report from the county, Ordway said the bridge has the lowest safety ratings of any in-service bridge in California.
  • Officials announce $298 million to rehabilitate 605 Freeway in Southern California (KTLA 5). Drivers will receive a major upgrade to their commute as a $298 million project to rehabilitate the 605 Freeway is set to begin. The construction will span nearly 200 “lane miles” of the freeway beginning from the San Gabriel Valley all the way down to Long Beach, according to Caltrans. Funds for the major project include: (a) $273 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (b) $23 million from S.B. 1 also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. Construction and rehab efforts will extend the pavement’s lifetime up to 40 years, officials said. Other benefits include reducing costly repairs, providing a smoother ride for motorists and creating a safer environment for Caltrans workers by reducing the frequency and duration of pavement maintenance.
  • Caltrans Completes Storm Repairs On SR 1 Near Tomales Bay (Mill Valley, CA Patch). Caltrans crews have wrapped up repairs along a stretch of State Route 1 that was damaged by heavy winter storms in early January. Officials announced the project’s completion on Friday, fully restoring two-way traffic between Marconi and Millerton along Tomales Bay. One-way traffic controls had been in place for months as maintenance crews worked to replace a drainage culvert and install a new retaining wall to rebuild the shoulder. The stretch of road is now fully reopened, with the northbound and southbound travel lanes operating normally.
  • ＄ A big 605 freeway project from Long Beach to San Gabriel is coming – Daily News (SOURCE). State and local transit officials and leaders on Wednesday, Oct. 4, kicked off a major freeway project along Interstate 605, designed to enhance the corridor from Los Alamitos to the San Gabriel Valley. The $298.3 million, multi-phased effort — dubbed the Super 605 Freeway Enhancement Project — aims to improve overall ride quality along the route while bolstering safety for drivers and for state highway workers. The new pavement itself will extend the life of the roadway from Long Beach to the San Gabriel Valley for up to 40 years, officials said. “I-605 is a major artery for residents of the Gateway cities and the San Gabriel Valley and is a vital resource for commuters and the movement of goods throughout Southern California,” said District 7 Director Gloria Roberts. “Made possible by federal funding and continued support from SB 1, these projects will also lengthen the service life of this key thoroughfare.”
  • Opinion: An Inexpensive Barbwire Barrier Could Stop the Coronado Bridge Suicides (Times of San Diego). More than five years ago, a proposal to prevent suicides using inexpensive barbwire barriers on the Coronado Bridge drew significant attention. Unfortunately, nothing happened. The Coronado Bridge suicide machine continues unabated, as do the interminable bridge shutdowns causing massive traffic problems on both sides of the bridge and on Interstate 5. Our beautiful Coronado Bridge shockingly remains the number two suicide magnet in America. It is estimated that more than 450 people have jumped to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1969, with an annual average of 15 in recent years. In total, the Coronado Bridge averages 35 traffic shutdowns each year based on suicide attempts.
  • US 101 Two-Way Traffic at Last Chance Grade (FB/Caltrans District 1). 🥳👏🎉 Good news for U.S. 101 in Del Norte County! Last Chance Grade south of Crescent City is now open to two-way traffic for the first time in approximately nine years. While traffic is flowing freely there for now, the landslide-prone area remains a top priority for Caltrans as we’re focused on constructing a long-term solution for continued U.S. 101 connectivity in the area.
  • A plan could convert L.A.’s Marina Freeway into a linear park (The Architect’s Newspaper). By the 1950s, the community of Del Rey, Los Angeles was a thriving home to Mexican- and Japanese-Americans, a place where recent emigres could plant roots. That changed with the construction of the Marina Freeway, a three-mile long stretch of highway completed in the 1970s meant to connect Angelenos to East Anaheim. Like hundreds of working class, communities of color across the country, Del Rey’s heterogeneous, welcoming ecosystem was damaged by the highway which, at present, is the shortest and least utilized freeway in Los Angeles county.
  • ＄ Cayucos developer wants to build homes near Highway 1, ocean(San Luis Obispo Tribune). A proposal to build eight homes just off Highway 1 in Cayucos is on its way to the San Luis Obispo County Planning Commission, but with some caveats from the North Coast community’s advisers. After a long, intense meeting late Wednesday night, the Cayucos Advisory Council voted unanimously to “recommend denial of this project until the developer completes a comprehensive stormwater management plan for the entire project.” The council recommended another denial based on proposed home designs. The all-volunteer Cayucos Advisory Council can’t make any binding decisions on its own. Instead it can advise SLO County planners, the Planning Commission and the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors. The council made its recommendations based on input from community members. The property is comprised of two lots that make up a wedge-shaped parcel tucked between Highway 1, Ocean Avenue and the Bella Vista by the Sea mobile home park, with only Lucerne Road and a few homes between it and the Pacific Ocean.
  • Caltrans Announces $300 Million “Super 605” Freeway Enhancement Project (Streetsblog Los Angeles). Today in Norwalk, Caltrans District 7 leadership, federal partners, and local electeds gathered to break ground on Caltrans’ nearly $300 million Super 605 Freeway Enhancement Project. According to a Caltrans press statement, the Super 605 Freeway Enhancement Project project cost totals $298.3 million, including $273.2 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and $23.2 million from S.B. 1 (state gas tax) funds.
  • New Project Aims to Reconnect MacArthur Park (MyNewsLA.com). The city of Los Angeles received a $500,000 grant Thursday to fund the first phase of a project that aims to reconnect MacArthur Park near downtown by permanently closing a section of Wilshire Boulevard. The office of Councilwoman Eunisses Hernandez, the city’s Department of Transportation and the Central City Neighborhood Partners will be working together on the project. Funded by the Southern California Association of Governments, the grant will fund a traffic analysis to study the permanent closure of Wilshire between Parkview Street and Alvardo Street. The study will be overseen by LADOT. Hernandez’s office and the CCNP will host community outreach and engagement efforts.
  • Ħ USGS Topoview (USGS). A very useful map tool that allows you to look at historical maps of anywhere in the US, and overlay them with current maps.
  • Ħ Route 1 through Westchester and Environs (FB/California Historic Highways). I’m looking for information or leads on information regarding the history of Lincoln Blvd (Route 1) — specifically, the stretch from Santa Monica through Venice, Playa Del Rey, and Westchester — and specifically in the era before LAX and before Marina Del Rey. What was the highway like then? What is the history of the road across the wetlands (i.e., through Port Ballona, the Lincoln/Culver intersection, through pre-WWII Westchester). I’m presuming it was built in the mid-1920s with the rest of Route 1, but I can’t really find much information.
  • ＄ Researchers map ancient tribal villages of Los Angeles (Los Angeles Times). For millions of Los Angeles-area motorists, the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area flashes by in an instant — a tattered oasis of wetlands, sycamore and oak that punctuates the monotonous sprawl of industrial parks, cinder-block sound walls and residential cul-de-sacs along the 60 Freeway and Rosemead Boulevard. But to Andrew Salas, chairman of the Gabrieleño-Kizh tribe, this area still echoes with the voices of his ancestors, who called it Shevaanga. “What Beverly Hills is to Los Angeles, Shevaanga was to the true first people of the Los Angeles Basin,” Salas said.
  • Major realignment on Highway 20 finished, Caltrans says (Fox 40 News). Highway 20 is officially open, according to Caltrans. The Department of Transportation, which began construction on the highway on Sept. 24, announced that it has finished its project between the Interstate 80 interchange and Grass Valley. The goal of the project was to improve safety and reduce collisions by realigning curves near White Cloud and Lowell Hill, which is east of Nevada City. “Expect two sections of one-way traffic control with pilot cars, so still give yourself extra time,” CHP said in a social media post.
  • Goleta Roadway Costs Go Through the Roof (The Santa Barbara Independent). To make the streets safer in Goleta’s historic Old Town, the city has built sidewalks and parking over the past few years. The next scheduled phase is to reconfigure Hollister Avenue to one lane for cars and bicycles in each direction, part of the city’s Complete Streets design. Facing a budget crunch, the city decided in 2021 to temporarily stripe the lanes and redistribute parking spaces. However, the council was surprised at Tuesday’s meeting to learn that the two recent bids on the project came in at more than $4 million each — far exceeding the city’s original estimated cost of $1.8 million.
  • California’s SR 67 (sic) [SR 37] North Bay commuter route set for $1.6 billion reconstruction (World Highways). A 4km stretch of California’s busy North Bay commuter route will be reconstructed at a cost of US$1.6 billion. The road connects I-80 with SR 101 and the project is being planned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The 34km North Bay commuter route, SR 67, suffers heavy traffic congestion at peak periods ‘and is also impacted by uneven subsidence and intermittent storm-related flooding in several areas’ according to Caltrans. The flooding is expected to worsen so the road will be reconstructed along a raised causeway. This work will be carried out in two stages and the first will see the Novato Creek Bridge being reconfigured, taking until mid-2029 to compete. The second stage will see the rest of the highway being built on a causeway, which will include facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. Once the 34.75m-wide causeway has been completed in 2049, the current road link will be removed.
  • Highway Huddle: SR-95 oversight discussion set (Havasu News). Bullhead City brass will be meeting Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) leaders in Phoenix today, continuing discussion regarding the proposed transfer of State Route 95 from state to municipal oversight. The City Council approved staff proposed pursuit of formal transfer of highway authority through the Colorado River community during its July 18 meeting. “Asking the state of Arizona to transfer the jurisdiction and the rights of ways is a pretty big deal and this starts that process,” Cotter said. He said an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) must be approved, spelling out highway transfer terms.
  • Hollywood Freeway beautification project gets $2.1 million in funding (Fox 11 LA). Construction has begun on a beautification project along the 170 Hollywood Freeway in the Valley Glen area, Caltrans announced Tuesday, Oct. 10. The project received $2.1 million in state funding through the Clean California initiative. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative is a $1.3 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash and partner with communities to beautify public spaces, while also creating jobs. The 170 Freeway project in Valley Glen will include climate-resilient landscaping along ramps at Victory Boulevard, Sherman Way and Roscoe Boulevard.
  • Los Angeles Metro awarded millions to fix dangerous train crossing (KTLA 5). The Federal Railroad Administration has awarded millions to L.A. Metro to help cover the costs of a grade separation project at one of the most dangerous crossings in Los Angeles County. The $38.3 million grant will be put toward Metro’s plans to construct a grade separation at Doran Street and San Fernando Road in Glendale. That railroad crossing has one of the highest numbers of safety-related incidents in Los Angeles County, including dozens of incidents involving vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles, according to the State of California.
  • San Mateo County Continues 101 Widening (Streetsblog San Francisco). The San Mateo County Transportation Authority, in a unanimous vote during its regular meeting Thursday, October 5, overruled its own citizen advisory committee and opened the door to continue widening Highway 101 in the northern part of the county. “Widening highways will make people sick, especially people of color. Childhood asthma and traffic violence disproportionately impact low-income and diverse communities, many of whom live adjacent to the 101,” commented Mike Swire, Peninsula advocate and a member of the SMCTA Citizen Advisory Committee, shortly before the vote. Swire and everyone else who spoke at the meeting urged the SMCTA to take widening off the table, to no avail.
  • Old Priest Grade Reopening Following Storm Repairs (myMotherLode.com). After a multi-month closure due to storm damage, Old Priest Grade is reopening later this morning. There will be a short ceremonial ribbon cutting at 11:30 am (Monday, October 9) and the road will reopen immediately after that event. Old Priest Grade was closed on March 21 when geotechnical engineers assessed the site and discovered notable public safety concerns that arose following winter storm damage. Design work was conducted and the Board of Supervisors awarded a $387,000 contract in mid-August to the Fresno contractor Kroeker to do the emergency repairs. Over the past seven months, New Priest Grade has been the alternate route.
  • When Freeway Removal Goes Wrong (Jalopnik). The removal of the shortest freeway in the U.S., the I-375 interstate in Detroit, was lauded as a step in the right direction in terms of both honoring historical racial justice and digging out a useless, polluting, alienating piece of infrastructure. But instead of green space and quiet streets, Detroiters will get… a seven-lane road, which will reach nine lanes at its widest. Boy, if there’s one thing my home city of Detroit really knows how to screw up, it’s a good thing. At a little over a mile long, the eight-lane stretch starts and ends on the East Side of Detroit’s downtown. Outlier Media reminded me of this ridiculously depressing bit of infrastructure shenanigans just this week:
  • ＄ City receives $2.9 million for Ellis Lake improvements; Yuba County awarded $2.2 million grant for Friendship Park (Appeal-Democrat). As local officials prepare to revamp the look and conditions of Ellis Lake, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced this week that Marysville will receive nearly $3 million for long-awaited improvements to a landmark that has become a primary focus of the city council and city staff. Included in the nearly $115 million in Clean California grants that will help fund 60 projects statewide, Marysville will get $2.9 million for Ellis Lake enhancements that will seek to add new recreational features, renovate the walking path around the lake, and add amenities to beautify Ellis Lake Park, according to Caltrans.
  • County kickstarts Moss Beach traffic project (Half Moon Bay Review). County and state officials have formally started taking public input on a proposed project designed to slow down vehicles on Highway 1 in Moss Beach. The effort comes as the county nears a decision on whether to approve a controversial 71-unit affordable housing complex in Moss Beach that is forecasted to bring in a surge of traffic above county standards. “We don’t know what will or won’t get developed,” said county Senior Transportation Planner Chanda Singh. “What this project is trying to take into account is the future of what traffic impacts would be if we have a build-out.”
  • Fork in the Road: Marina Central Park project stirs emotions | News | argonautnews.com (MDR Argonaut). The idea of converting the 90 freeway into Marina Central Park has remained on Los Angeles citizens’ minds since the project was endorsed by city officials just a few weeks after it was publicly unveiled this summer. Ladera Heights resident Daphne Bradford created the petition “Stop the 90 Freeway Tear Down!” on Sept. 26. In six days, Bradford’s petition collected 4,066 signatures. Her goal is 7,500 at https://bit.ly/Stopthe90Teardown. In Bradford’s petition, she wrote that residents of District 2 — including Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, Westchester and Marina Del Rey — should be able to comment before any federal funds would be granted for the feasibility study by Pete Buttigieg, secretary of U.S. Department of Transportation. [Note: Yours truly was quoted in the article]
  • ＄ Expansion of express lanes north of Interstate 380 moves closer (San Mateo Daily Journal). Efforts to add an express lane north of Interstate 380 are one step closer to securing additional funding, as the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Board approved a resolution on Thursday, Oct. 5, that allows county staff to apply for measures A and W grant funds to complete the current project phase. The San Mateo 101 Managed Lanes Project North of I-380 is part of a larger initiative that aims to decrease congestion in the county, particularly along Highway 101. Construction on express lanes from the Santa Clara County line to Interstate 380 was finalized in March of this year, and the county is now looking to expand the project up to the San Francisco county line. Express lanes charge drivers a use fee depending on traffic conditions at the time. Carpool users can use the lanes for free with a FasTrak Flex.
  • Telegraph Avenue in North Oakland is going to see big changes (Oaklandside). The northernmost section of Telegraph Avenue, running from 52nd Street to the Berkeley border, is going to undergo a big transformation soon. Starting in 2025, Oakland will repave this roughly one-mile span or roadway, completing Telegraph’s Avenue transformation from a dangerous driver’s paradise to a road with extensive speed-slowing designs, dedicated bus lanes, and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • San Mateo County to use $400,000 Caltrans grant to make it easier to cross Highway 101 (Local News Matters). Crossing U.S. Highway 101 in San Mateo County will be more user-friendly for pedestrians and bicyclists after a Caltrans grant was approved to be used for highway improvement projects, county officials said. San Mateo County Transportation Authority officials said in a statement Monday that their Board of Directors recently authorized the receipt of a $400,156 funding from Caltrans for sustainable transportation planning. County officials plan to use the funding for the Active 101 project aimed to improve crossings and intersections for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders within a quarter-mile of Highway 101.
  • Four Projects in District 1 Awarded $15.3 Million in Clean California Grant Funding (Redheaded Blackbelt). Caltrans [yesterday] awarded nearly $115 million in Clean California grants to cities and local agencies. The grants are a key part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative, which is a sweeping $1.2 billion, multiyear commitment led by Caltrans to clean up trash, create thousands of jobs and help communities beautify their public spaces. With [yester]day’s announcement, Clean California grants have funded nearly 300 projects statewide to revitalize and beautify underserved communities, some of which are already complete and now sources of community pride. The projects will improve public spaces, tribal lands, parks, neighborhoods, transit centers, walking paths, streets, roadsides, recreation fields, community gathering spots, and places of cultural importance or historical interest in underserved communities. The 42 Clean California local grants announced today are in addition to the nearly $300 million in grants Governor Newsom announced in March 2022 to more than 100 local Clean California projects statewide. In District 1, serving Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake and Mendocino counties, seven projects were awarded approximately $11.5 million in Clean CA grant funds in the first round. In this second round, four projects were awarded approximately $15.3 million. [MG1]
    Key projects include:
  • Signed Into Law On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Holden’s Legislation Renames Route 210 Foothill Freeway to Commemorate Tribal Lands (Pasadena Now). Monday, Governor Newsom signed Pasadena Assemblymember Chris Holden’s legislation that renames the Route 210 Foothill Freeway and requires the California Department of Transportation, through the erection of highway signs, to identify locations of historical and cultural importance to the California tribes local to or historically located along Route 210. The bill specifies that Route 210 shall be known and designated as the “Southern California Native American Freeway” or by the name developed by the local Native American community.
  • Petition · Stop the 90 Freeway Tear Down! (Change.org). The proposed 90 freeway tear down has raised significant concerns among Los Angeles County District 2 residents of Ladera Heights, Marina del Rey, Windsor Hills, Culver City and Westchester regarding its potential consequences. While we understand the need for infrastructure improvements and urban development, it is crucial that these decisions are made with careful consideration for those who will be most affected by them. Our input should be valued and taken into account before any federal funds are granted by Pete Buttigieg, Secretary U.S. Department of Transportation, for the proposed feasibility study justifying the demolition of the the CA 90 freeway. The decision to tear down the CA 90 freeway should not be in the hands of California State Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas and California Assemblymember Issac Bryan. Senator Smallwood-Cuevas believes the 90 Freeway is a freeway to nowhere.
  • Public gets first look at defunct employee-only BART magazine (SF Gate). Engaged BART riders might know about the rail system’s anime mascots, its ugly holiday sweaters and its slabs of raw meat. But few remember the days when BART had its own periodical. That’s because few, if any, people saw it who weren’t BART employees. BARTalk was a monthly periodical, part newsletter and part magazine, that was distributed amongst BART staff from the mid 1970s through the start of the new millennium. Its pages contain a mixture of BART-related news (updated ticket designs, new train cars, “Prime Minister rides BART”), resources for employees (tuition assistance, hotlines), event announcements (BART staff Christmas parties and picnics) and human interest stories.
  • Richmond-San Rafael Bridge toll plaza damaged after crash, 3 lanes closed indefinitely, Caltrans says (ABC7 San Francisco). Caltrans says the three right westbound lanes of the toll plaza at the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge will be shut down indefinitely until repairs can be made. This comes after a semi-truck crashed into a toll booth on the westbound lanes of the bridge Monday night. Both the truck and the toll booth went up in flames. The driver was killed.
  • Legislation Will Rename Route 210 and Commemorate Tribal Lands (ColoradoBoulevard.net). “All along Route 210, an unseen history has gone unacknowledged for decades. It is too easy to jump in your car and cruise down the 210 without thinking of the sacred lands once untouched by modern industrialism. It is not only important to continue fostering change but also to acknowledge the vital impact of change, and whose immeasurable suffering played a part in where we are today,” said Assemblymember Chris Holden. “This bill is important to the Southern California Native American Community because it provides visibility of our continued presence. Acknowledging this route acknowledges our ancestors who established the route. We are the First People of Los Angeles. There are many contributions our ancestors made on our ancestral homelands, this provides honor and awareness. We are still here,” said Mona Morales Recalde, on behalf of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians.
  • ＄ Highway 101 overpass project at Hearn Avenue to start soon in Santa Rosa. Here’s what’s planned (Press Democrat). Work on a long-awaited project intended to improve traffic flow on a key corridor in south Santa Rosa while also enhancing bike and pedestrian facilities so residents can more easily cross over Highway 101 will soon get underway. The Hearn Avenue interchange project calls for replacing the existing overpass at Hearn and Highway 101 with a wider bridge to accommodate more traffic. New bike lanes and improvements to the highway ramps also are planned. The project is expected to ease congestion in the growing region. The area includes some of the city’s busiest retail centers, with hundreds of new housing units planned and under construction. “This has been a project that the city has been working on for more than 20 years and will improve quality of life for residents in my district,” Council member Eddie Alvarez said.
  • West Marin bridge replacement plan survives court appeal (Marin Independent Journal). The California Department of Transportation has defeated another legal challenge against a bridge project near Point Reyes Station. The project involves the Lagunitas Creek Bridge, also known as “the green bridge,” on Highway 1. The bridge crosses the creek just north of the Sir Francis Drake Boulevard turn toward Inverness and the coast. The bridge was built in 1929 and sits near the San Andreas Fault. About 15 years ago, Caltrans determined the bridge does not meet safety and seismic design standards. It also determined that retrofitting was not a viable option because of the structure’s advanced age, according to court filings. Caltrans proposed a bridge replacement project and began its first community meetings in 2015. In 2018, a group called Friends of the Green Bridge filed a lawsuit alleging that the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act.
  • 🎤 Factually! with Adam Conover Podcast – How Roads Actually Divide Us with Ben Goldfarb (Podbean). We often perceive roads as connectors, expanding our world and improving our quality of life. However, roads, from the smallest hiking trails to vast multilane highways, have profound and unseen effects on the fundamental ecology of our environment. They divide us in unforeseen ways, influencing everything from the survival of wildlife to the average human lifespan. In this episode, Adam is joined by Ben Goldfarb, a conservation journalist and the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet, to discuss responsible approaches for preserving our interconnected world. Find Ben’s book at factuallypod.com/books
  • 🎤 FREEWAY EXIT PODCAST BONUS: In defense of freeways (KPBS Public Media). Gustavo Dallarda, director of Caltrans District 11, explains some of the engineering behind freeways and makes the case that they provide an efficient means of travel compared to surface roads. He acknowledges the need to reduce vehicle travel, but says infrastructure doesn’t get built overnight and that our transition away from cars and freeways has to be slow and gradual.
  • State OKs adding truck lane on eastbound Highway 58 near Keene (Tehachapi News). One of Kern’s oldest unmet transportation priorities finally got the attention it needed Thursday with state approval of $91 million to build a 3.5-mile truck climbing lane on eastbound Highway 58 between Bakersfield and Tehachapi. Design work remains to be done as part of a larger rehabilitation project on the highway, but once construction is finished by around 2028, drivers on a vital freight corridor will face less safety risks from tractor-trailers interrupting traffic flow along what are now just two lanes in each direction from Caliente to Keene.
  • San Mateo County Applies for $4M for the Connect the Coastside’s Moss Beach SR-1 Congestion and Safety Improvements Project Environmental Documents (Coastside Buzz). From the San Mateo County Supervisor’s meeting on Tuesday, October 16th, 2023 at 9:00am as a hybrid meeting. Adopt a resolution supporting the Moss Beach SR-1 Congestion and Safety Improvements Project and authorizing submittal of an application for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority’s 2023 Measure A and Measure W Highway Program Call for Projects and committing to the completion of the proposed project scope.
  • Ħ LA as Subject (USC Libraries). L.A. as Subject is a research alliance dedicated to preserving and improving access to the archival material of Los Angeles history. Much of the city’s history is preserved in libraries, museums, and other cultural institutions. Other valuable and unique collections – those that reveal the stories of neighborhoods, families, and influential Angelenos – are scattered across Southern California, curated by smaller institutions and individual enthusiasts. With an online directory of more than 230 separate collections, L.A. as Subject ensures that researchers know what materials are available, where they are located, and how to access them. L.A. as Subject’s biggest undertaking is the annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, a congregation of members that brings their unique collections together into one place. The event allows scholars, researchers, archivists, librarians, students, and history enthusiasts to browse the broad collections of the alliance’s members. In addition to the annual Los Angeles Archives Bazaar, members also meet every two months at the Archives Forum. The meetings allow members to network with others in the profession and share best practices. Held in a different location each time, the Archives Forum allows participants to see how other members’ collections are organized and observe different preservation methods.
  • Roadwork Continues As The End Of October Nears (myMotherLode.com). Some road projects will impact traffic in the Mother Lode this week, here are the projects scheduled from October 22nd to the 28th. On Highway 4 expect traffic breaks from Bonanza Mine to Appaloosa Road for the Highway 4 Wagon Trail Realignment Project detailed here. Work begins this week on Monday and continuing through Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. On Highway 4 in the area of Mckenzie Avenue and Cedar Lane/Meadow View Road one of the two lanes and the shoulders of the road will be closed for utility work. The night work is planned Monday through Friday from 6 pm to 6 am.
  • San Rafael I-580 connector proposal heads to environmental review (Marin Independent Journal). Marin transportation officials are gearing up to launch a two-year environmental review of the proposed connector between Highway 101 and Interstate 580 in San Rafael. The Transportation Authority of Marin board passed a resolution last month authorizing a cooperative agreement with Caltrans to begin the process. The Transportation Authority of Marin is leading the project, while Caltrans is serving as the reviewing agency. The project, which has an estimated cost of $192 million to $315 million, would create a new freeway connector allowing northbound Highway 101 drivers to merge directly onto eastbound Interstate 580. The proposed alternatives would position the new connector south of Bellam Boulevard in east San Rafael. As it stands, northbound Highway 101 drivers must use Bellam Boulevard and local streets in San Rafael or Sir Francis Drake Boulevard in Larkspur to get to Interstate 580 and onto the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.
  • Over $12M allocated to improve Fresno Hwy 198 (YourCentralValley.com). A project has been approved in Fresno to repair Highway 198 as part of a $3.7 billion funding that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) approved for projects along the state, officials announced on Thursday. The project, Fresno 198 Culver Rehab, will repair, replace, and reline numerous culverts along Highway 198 from 0.51 miles east of the Monterey County Line to 1.7 miles west of Firestone Avenue. Officials say more than $2.3 billion is from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Ac of 2021 (IIJA), the bulk of which is going to over 600 cities, counties, and regional agencies to improve bridges, travel times, and air quality, as well as increase highway and rail safety.
  • San Diego County to receive millions in funding for road infrastructure (KPBS Public Media). The California Transportation Commission this week allocated more than $3.7 billion for projects to rebuild the state’s transportation infrastructure to enhance safety and create more convenient options for travelers — including millions for projects in San Diego County. According to Caltrans, of those funds, more than $2.3 billion is from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Nearly $169 million in funding is from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017. “These investments will help California maintain and build a safer, more reliable and more climate-resilient transportation system,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares said. “Commuters, bicyclists, pedestrians and freight movers in local communities will all benefit as we continue to improve and rebuild our infrastructure.”
  • Local Roadways Benefit from CTC Allocation of $3.7 Billion For Transportation Infrastructure (Redheaded Blackbelt). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) this week allocated more than $3.7 billion for projects to rebuild the state’s transportation infrastructure to enhance safety and create more convenient options for travelers. […] Projects the CTC approved [in Caltrans District 1] include:
  • Wonder if construction on Highway 99 will ever end? Here are some answers | Opinion (Yahoo News). Highway 99 construction in the San Joaquin Valley is eternal. Or at least it feels never-ending for those of us forced to drive on California’s workhorse freeway, where semi trucks comprise more than 25% of the total traffic in some stretches. For the last five years, I’ve been making frequent trips on Highway 99 between Fresno and Visalia. And if someone placed me under oath, I’d swear the same stretch of freeway has been under construction the entire time.
  • Paul’s Slide aerial photos (BigSurKate). Paul’s Slide and Mud Creek Aerial photos, 10/28/23
  • ＄ State to invest $3.7 billion to rebuild transportation (Times Herald Online). Caltrans has announced that California is investing $3.7 billion to continue rebuilding transportation. Of this amount, $13,487,000 will be allocated in District 4 and in Solano, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Mateo, on various routes at locations. The project is to modify and enhance ramp metering systems to improve TMS performance and install guardrail at ramps. There is also $944,000 allocated in the county, in various cities on Routes I-80 and I-580 through various locations. That project will install pavement delineation and markings to alert motorists of wrong-way driving at exit ramps. More than $2.3 billion is from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA), the bulk of which is going to over 600 cities, counties, and regional agencies to improve bridges, travel times and air quality; reduce planet-warming pollution; increase highway and rail safety; and provide transportation services. Nearly $169 million in funding is from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
  • Marin officials plan changes to dicey ‘Four Corners’ intersection (Marin Independent Journal). Marin County officials are considering changes to a busy Mount Tamalpais intersection that has been the site of repeated crashes. The intersection, known as “Four Corners,” is where Panoramic Highway, Muir Woods Road and Sequoia Valley Road. The gateway to coastal Marin is used by visitors headed to attractions such as Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais and Stinson Beach. According to the county’s Department of Public Works, more than 4,000 vehicles per day pass through the intersection on weekdays, and that number swells to over 7,000 per day on weekends with nice weather. The department will hold an online public meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 30 to review a proposal to realign striping to increase the clarity and safety of the intersection in the next year. The link to the meeting is at bit.ly/3FvuxA8.
  • Ħ October 23: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History (Metro’s Primary Resources). 1926: Construction crews complete 16.13 miles of roadway grading through the “famous Rancho Malibu” (from Arroyo Sequit to Las Flores Canyon), paving the way for construction of the Roosevelt Highway (later, Pacific Coast Highway).
  • Running on Empty: The Highway Trust Fund (The Eno Center for Transportation). On Wednesday, October 18th, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee on Highways and Transit met to discuss the solvency challenges associated with the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). The committee called on several witnesses to provide insight on HTF challenges and opportunities for improvement of transportation funding to ensure a sustainable and reliable surface transportation system.
  • Ħ October 20: This Date in Los Angeles Transportation History (Metro’s Primary Resources). 1935: The Sepulveda Pass (Sepulveda Boulevard between Sunset Boulevard in West Los Angeles and Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks) is opened amid great fanfare.
  • City of Merced, locals show frustration over Highway 99 project (YourCentralValley.com). According to Caltrans, construction on Highway 99 through Merced is projected to be complete by spring 2024. However, locals say the project, which was supposed to be finished in August, has continued to cause headaches, confusion, and even fear for drivers. Those taking a drive through this corridor of Highway 99, will likely notice the winding, narrow freeway lanes, which have been reduced to 45 miles per hour. People may also face frustration as a result of one closed on-or-off ramp after another. Those in a rush will likely be faced with heavy traffic. Merced Mayor Matt Serratto says the Highway 99 repaving project now, has become one of the city’s most pressing issues.
  • Hwy 1 is still closed at Paul’s Slide. How that’s impacting North Coast visitors (KSBY). Repairs at Paul’s Slide are moving along on Highway 1 following the winter storms. While some businesses in local communities say they haven’t been too impacted, others are seeing something different. Highway 1 brings visitors to the Central Coast from both the north and the south. During the winter storms, Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide was closed due to debris flooding the roadway.
  • Major 405 Freeway expansion project coming to a close (KTLA). One of the busiest roadways in Southern California will look a little different in December once a major improvement project is completed. The I-405 Improvement Project is expected to be completed on Dec. 1, and with it, two new regular lanes and new Express Lanes will open in Orange County. The project, which was overseen by the Orange County Transportation Authority, has been in the works since 2018. The project was born out of the notion that population, employment and housing would continue to bloom along the 16-mile segment of which the project spans, and OCTA expects that these improvements will have a major impact on traffic and travel times.
  • California invests $3.7 billion to continue rebuilding transportation infrastructure (The Bay Link Blog). The California Transportation Commission last week(link is external) allocated more than $3.7 billion for projects to rebuild the state’s transportation infrastructure to enhance safety and create more convenient options for travelers. […] Projects the CTC approved include several in the Bay Area:
  • ＄ Ready for more tolls in San Mateo County? (San Mateo Daily Journal). A study on how to enact tolls on Bay Area freeways is entering its second phase of community feedback, with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission continuing to assess ways to decrease traffic congestion and demand long term. The three options on how to enact regional tolls were presented earlier this year, in addition to a “no pricing” option that would not introduce additional tolling. The potential paths could include tolls heading into San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose downtowns; tolls in all lanes of roads that have express bus services or existing or planned regional rail; or all-lane tolls in highways as well as highly-trafficked parallel roads. Tolls would vary by place and time for all options, and there would be no cost if no congestion was present. The Next Generation Freeways Study began in early 2022 in partnership with Caltrans and will be a yearslong initiative to boost alternative modes of transportation aside from driving.
  • California Invests $3.7 Billion to Continue Rebuilding Transportation Infrastructure for All Travelers (The Santa Barbara Independent). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) this week allocated more than $3.7 billion for projects to rebuild the state’s transportation infrastructure to enhance safety and create more convenient options for travelers. […] [Projects in District 5 include…] · $49 million in federal funding (IIJA) and $1.2 million in SB 1 funding to replace the Refugio Bridges on US 101 northwest of Goleta in Santa Barbara County.
  • DECADES IN THE MAKING: Funding approved for major Highway 58 project (ABC 23 Bakersfield). Highway 58 is one of the most popular trucking routes in California, and now, new funding approved by CalTrans is going to help make it safer for all travelers. A project decades in the making. Highway 58 is a major east-to-west highway, popular for both commuters and truck drivers. Tehachapi Councilmember Phil Smith has been driving this road improvement project since the turn of the century after CalTrans identified the need for truck climbing lanes along Highway 58. That was more than 20 years ago.
  • ＄ Sharp curves, speeding cars: PCH in Malibu takes a deadly toll (Los Angeles Times). Three years ago, Channing Frykman was going through the crosswalk at Pacific Coast Highway and Trancas Canyon Road in Malibu when a speeding car struck her, throwing her across the iconic highway. Her head slammed into the pavement as she landed on the right side of her body. She required three months in brain rehab neurosurgical care for a central spinal fluid leak, neurological and orthopedic procedures, and physical, cognitive and vestibular therapies. Today, she is finally beginning to walk without a cane but still suffering from trauma. The curving 21-mile stretch of PCH through Malibu is one of California’s most famous and picturesque roads, a ribbon where the sand and ocean meet the green coastal hills.
  • CalTrans dedicates $3.7 billion to rebuild state’s transportation infrastructure (Fort Bragg Advocate-News). The California Transportation Commission (CTC) announced allocating more than $3.7 billion for state-wide projects that will “improve bridges, travel times and air quality.” Of that amount, $39.9 million was awarded to Mendocino County. According to CalTrans Director Tony Tavares, “These investments will help California maintain and build a safer, more reliable, and more climate-resilient transportation system.” He added, “Commuters, bicyclists, pedestrians, and freight movers in local communities will all benefit as we continue to improve and rebuild our infrastructure.” Mendocino County’s allotment will fund two projects, one on Highway 1 and the other on Route 162. Approximately $38 million designated as “emergency” funds are slated for an area on Highway 1 near Westport. The other is a $1.9 million emergency project provided for an area on Route 162 near Dos Rios.
  • Clean California project along Highway 25 underway (BenitoLink). As part of Clean California, a state beautification project to upgrade a 1.6-mile section of State Route 25 with new planting and transportation art is underway, Caltrans officials today announced. This $1 million project was made possible by Governor Newsom’s Clean California program, a historic, $1.2 billion, multi-year clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, reclaim, transform, and beautify public spaces, and engage and educate communities. “We’re thrilled to begin another one of 12 beautification projects along our central coast state highways,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades. “This is a great example of how Clean California is positively impacting our neighborhoods and encouraging local pride in our public spaces.”
  • Father hopes deaths of Pepperdine University sorority sisters can drive change on dangerous stretch of PCH in Malibu (ABC7 Chicago). Pacific Coast Highway runs for 21 scenic miles through Malibu, a route of magnificent beauty – and the scene of great pain. It’s where four young women lost their lives last week: Four sorority sisters from Pepperdine were struck by a speeding driver as they stood along the side of the highway. And it’s where Michel Shane lost his daughter, Emily, more than a decade ago. For Shane, hearing about the latest fatalities only resurfaces the grief he felt all those years ago, and reinforces his mission to bring safety improvements to that stretch of state roadway.
  • ＄ Why L.A. caved to NIMBYs in debate over removing a freeway (Los Angeles Times). Until a few days ago, Michael Schneider truly believed that his nonprofit, Streets For All, had solid enough political support to pursue what was certain to be an unpopular idea in L.A.: a study of whether it makes sense to rip up a Westside freeway and replace it with affordable housing and a humongous park. He was a man about town, excitedly touting the letters and statements of “immense enthusiasm” from elected officials. Like from the office of Mayor Karen Bass, who called the Marina Freeway — a three-mile, lightly trafficked stretch of Route 90 that was left unfinished after a plan to link it to Orange County was abandoned in the 1970s — a “freeway to nowhere.”
  • Vote Scheduled on 710 Stub Historic Report (Pasadena Now). The City Council continues to take steps on the 710 property reclaimed from Caltrans. On Monday the City Council is scheduled to vote on a $200,000 contract for the citywide historic report on the 710 displacement project. On November 18, 1964, the California Highway Commission determined the routing for the final five miles of freeway – now known as the SR 710 – through the communities of El Sereno, South Pasadena, and Pasadena to complete the adoption of the Long Beach Freeway. At least 4,000 residents were displaced and 1,500 homes and commercial buildings demolished. A majority of the homes were owned or rented by low-income residents and people of color.
  • Why a 7-mile-long steel net once ran under San Francisco’s Golden Gate (SF Gate). Sept. 1, 1941, was a bad day for the Daisy Gadsby. As the 400-ton lumber schooner from Oregon sailed into San Francisco Bay that morning, the captain and crew of 24 had no idea what lay in store as the vessel veered off course due to fog and a racing ebb tide. Suddenly, not long after passing under the Golden Gate Bridge, the boat became snared in a giant steel trap. The ship could not move, and its rudder was badly damaged. It was stuck.  The captain was forced to signal for help.
  • Caltrans District 9 celebrates 100 years (Tehachapi News). Earlier this month, Caltrans District 9 marked a milestone with 100 years of operation in Kern, Inyo, and Mono counties. District 9 is one of 12 districts of the state agency and includes the Tehachapi area. Its headquarters is in Bishop. The agency’s website reports that the California State Highway System dates back to 1895 when Gov. James Budd established the Bureau of Highways, one of several precursors to the agency we know today as Caltrans. A year later, the Department of Highways replaced the bureau, which operated as an independent agency until 1907, when the Division of Highways was created within the newly established Department of Engineering. In 1910, California voters passed an $18 million bond to fund the construction of the state highway system. Seven divisions were created in 1912 to facilitate the construction, with the Fresno office managing Inyo, Mono and Kern counties.
  • ＄ Highway 33 in Ventura County to remain closed into 2024 (VC Star). A stretch of Highway 33 in Ventura County will remain shut down into 2024 — a year after winter storms damaged the mountain route, officials said. The state highway was one of the hardest hit when January storms dumped as much as 18 inches in just over 24 hours in the mountains above Ojai. Parts of the road collapsed and others were buried in mud and rocks. As repairs started, Caltrans said the work likely would continue through the summer and later extended the timeline to late November. Now, a 32-mile stretch is expected to remain shut down into the first quarter of the new year, Caltrans spokesman Marc Bischoff said. The closure runs from Matilija Hot Springs Road to the Ozena Fire Station near Lockwood Valley Road.
  • Walnut Interchange Options Shown at Council (Galt Herald Online). At its regular meeting on Oct. 17, Galt City Council reviewed early concepts for an interchange at Walnut Avenue and Highway 99. Plans to hear the results of community outreach on cannabis retail were postponed in response to anti-Semitic and racist public comments. A city consultant presented multiple initial possibilities for an interchange where Walnut meets 99, saying the designs involve a balance between factors like cost, disruption to surrounding roads and property, and following the requirements of Caltrans. The next step is seeking community input, including at an upcoming public meeting. Heather Anderson, a product manager at GHD, said an interchange would complete traffic circulation in Galt, improving sustainability, efficiency and safety.
  • Hacker Body Shames Overweight Roosters Using Caltrans Sign Near Redwood Valley (Redheaded Blackbelt). This is definitely not a reference to human anatomy, but a commentary on the state of modern poultry. [Picture provided by David Brown] Yup, that’s what the sign said. Commuters along Highway 20 got a chuckle this week when someone reprogrammed an electronic Caltrans sign to read “Fat Cock”, rather than the safety message it was intended to display. A reader told us the sign was near the intersection of State Route 20 and Road 144 where Caltrans is working on the Calpella Two Bridge Replacement project. The steps required to reprogram electronic road signs are easily accessed online but those caught in the act could face criminal charges of felony vandalism
  • Caltrans is getting serious about replacing I-980 and wants your ideas (Oaklandside). When the I-980 freeway was completed in 1985, it separated West Oakland from the rest of the city. To build it, 500 homes, 22 businesses, and four churches were demolished or moved, and valuable land was taken from a predominantly Black community. Now, after years of conversations between transportation engineers, city planners, politicians, and residents, the city and state are finally moving ahead with a plan to try to make the community whole again. State transportation officials recently told members of Oakland’s Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission that they are at the beginning of a process to “identify a new concept and vision for transportation and land use” of the freeway. They hope to start getting feedback from the public in January 2024.
  • Ħ Throwback Thursday | Infamous Off-Ramp at Fair Oaks  (South Pasadena News). The maximum speed limit for Arroyo Seco Parkway was 45 mph when it opened on December 30, 1940. Taking the Fair Oaks Avenue exit in South Pasadena was easily manageable – even when the off-ramp was backed up with vehicles. Soon after its completion, however, the Arroyo Seco Parkway was dubbed the “Arroyo Speedway” due to speeding vehicles. When rounding the curve at high speed from Pasadena, the off-ramp materialized suddenly becoming a blind exit ramp for many motorists. Stopped vehicles in the inner lane trying to exit the Arroyo Seco created a particularly hazardous condition.
  • What’s open and closed on Angeles Crest Highway (NBC Los Angeles). A 20-mile stretch of Angeles Crest Highway that had been closed for most of the year has reopened. The road was closed due to storm damage during Southern California’s winter storms. Portions of the road in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles were washed away or blocked by dirt, rocks and debris. Some parts of the road will likely remain closed through the rest of the year. Here’s an update from Caltrans.
  • I-5 Weldon Canyon Rd Bridge (LA Metro). As part of the I-5 North County Enhancements Project, Metro’s contractor OHLA-USA, will be removing the existing Weldon Canyon Rd Bridge as the new one will be ready for use in late August. Activities will include the removal and demolition of the existing Weldon Canyon Rd bridge superstructure and columns, requiring a full freeway closure will take place from SR-14 to Calgrove Bl starting Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 8pm to Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 8am. Additional closures will take place as a contingency on December 2, 2023 from 8pm to 8am, if needed
  • Neighborhood Meeting on US 101 Interchange Improvements on November 9th (Redheaded Blackbelt). The City of Arcata Building and Engineering Department invites members of the community to join them at a neighborhood meeting for an update and discussion about the City’s US 101-Sunset Avenue Interchange Improvements Project. The project includes three study intersections along Sunset Avenue at the US 101 Southbound Ramps on G Street and H Street, the US 101 Northbound Ramps and L.K. Wood Boulevard. Currently, all three intersections have poor operations for all modes of transportation and lack bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The purpose of the project is to improve operations, connect the local and regional bicycle and pedestrian facilities across US 101, and create a gateway into central Arcata and Cal Poly Humboldt. This project has been in the works since 2014, and the City team is looking forward to providing an update to the public.
  • Caltrans details proposed Tiburon Boulevard upgrades (Marin Independent Journal). Plans are in the works to repair and upgrade about 4.6 miles of Tiburon Boulevard. Caltrans presented the proposed changes at a meeting it organized on Thursday. The project, estimated to cost around $23 million, would take about a year and be completed in three segments — the western, central and eastern parts — beginning in spring of 2026. The plan calls for upgrading or replacing guardrails, road signs, and drainage and electrical systems. It also includes upgrading curbside ramps to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, repaving roads and the addition of bike lanes. The western segment of the project, spanning from Tower Drive in Mill Valley to Reed Ranch Road in Tiburon, includes changes to two intersections. At East Strawberry Drive, the right turn lane onto
  • ＄ A 20-mile stretch of Angeles Crest Highway reopens (Los Angeles Times). After a months-long closure due to winter storm damage, a major stretch of Angeles Crest Highway has reopened, restoring public access to a variety of trails and mountain vistas along the scenic byway through the San Gabriel Mountains. Following nearly eight months of road repair work, officials this week reopened a nearly 21-mile section of the highway, which winds through the Angeles National Forest, known for its stunning wooded landscapes and views. The stretch from Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Islip Saddle was repaved after a particularly wet winter — with storms that brought both rain and snow — had washed out a segment of the roadway, sweeping debris across the pavement, said California Department of Transportation spokesperson Marc Bischoff, who covers District 7, including Los Angeles County. He said crews removed loose boulders and debris from dangerous slopes and replaced a cable mesh protection system aimed at preventing further rock slides.

Gribblenation Blog (Tom Fearer)

  • Drum Valley Road (Tulare County Diagonal Route 152). Drum Valley Road (Tulare County Diagonal Route 152) is an approximately fifteen-mile one lane highway located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Drum Valley Road begins at California State Route 245 and ends at Road 152 near the Friant-Kern Canal. Drum Valley Road was originally constructed during the nineteenth century and can be found on numerous Tulare County Atlases in Township 15 Ranges 25-26. Drum Valley Road while sparse on traffic is very narrow and largely has a severely deteriorating asphalt surface.
  • Eshom Valley Road and Stagecoach Drive (Tulare County Mountain Routes 469 and 453). Eshom Valley Road and Stagecoach Drive are located in the Badger area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Both highway corridors are dated to the logging heyday of the Badger area during the nineteenth century. Eshom Valley Road and Stagecoach Drive service traffic accessing Eshom Valley and Hartland Christian Camp. Eshom Valley Road forms an approximately ten-mile loop of Whittaker Forest Road and is designated as Tulare County Mountain Route 469. Stagecoach Drive is a two-mile connector from Dry Creek Road (County Route J21) to Eshom Valley Road. Stagecoach Drive is designated as Tulare County Mountain Route 453.
  • Thousand Palms Canyon Road. Thousand Palms Canyon Road is a four-mile highway which is located in Indio Hills of Riverside County. Thousand Palms Canyon Road is named after the Thousand Palms Oasis which is home to a grove of Californian Palms. Thousand Palms Canyon Road begins at the intersection of Washington Street/Ramon Road and ends at Dillon Road.
  • Arizona State Route 95 Detour in Needles, California. Arizona State Route 95 Detour is a signed highway which is located in Needles, California. From Interstate 40/US Route 95 Exit 142 the Arizona State Route 95 Detour alignment follows J Street, Broadway Street, Needles Highway and K Street to Arizona State Route 95 at the Needles Bridge. Arizona State Route 95 Detour in Needles came into existence due to the relinquishment of Arizona State Route 95 north of Interstate 40 to Mohave Valley during June 1992. The below sketch depicts Arizona State Route 95 Detour as it signed through Needles.
  • California State Route 14 (i). The original California State Route 14 was one of the initial Sign State Routes defined during August 1934 and was located in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area. The original California State Route 14 began at California State Route 3 (later US Route 101A) near Hermosa Beach and ended at California State Route 18 at Santa Ana Canyon. The early freeway segments of California State Route 14 east of Anaheim would be multiplexed with US Route 91 and California State Route 18 during the 1950s. California State Route 14 would ultimately be replaced by California State Route 91 in 1964. The original California State Route 14 is associated with the history of the Gardena Freeway, Artesia Freeway and Riverside Freeway. California State Route 14 can be seen on Artesia Boulevard approaching California State Route 19 at Lakewood Boulevard during 1953 as the blog cover photo. California State Route 14 can be seen below as a partially completed Legislative Route Number 175 on the 1938 Division of Highways Map.
  • Interstate 10 in the Sonoran Desert between the Colorado River and Coachella Valley. Interstate 10 from the California/Arizona state line at the Colorado River to Coachella Valley passes through the rural Sonoran Desert of Riverside County. Interstate 10 was completed to freeway standards between Blythe and Coachella during the early 1970s. The Blythe-Coachella segment of Interstate 10 is historically tied to US Route 60 and US Route 70.
  • Legislative Route Number 172 (Future California State Route 60 and the Pomona Freeway). Legislative Route Number 172 was a highway located in the Los Angeles area which was added to the State Highway System during 1933. Legislative Route Number 172 was initially intended to connect from Boyle Avenue in downtown Los Angeles east to Legislative Route Number 19 near Walnut Station. As originally conceived the planned routing of Legislative Route Number 172 would never be constructed from San Gabriel Boulevard east to Anaheim Puente Road. During the early 1950s through to the early 1960s the corridor was consolidated into the initial planned 30.6 miles of the Pomona Freeway. The Pomona Freeway between Los Angeles and Pomona in the lead up to the 1964 State Highway Renumbering was announced as a realignment of US Route 60. Following US Route 60 being truncated to Blythe during 1965 the Pomona Freeway would become part of California State Route 60.
  • The final stand of US Route 60 in California during 1982. US Route 60 officially entered California in 1931 following the purchase of the Colorado River Bridge near Blythe. US Route 60 was truncated to US Route 95 in Blythe in October 1965 as the Interstates of California were being constructed. Following the completion of Interstate 10 in California, the final removal of US Route 60 in the state was overlooked. This oversite allowed US Route 60 to officially terminate in Blythe at US Route 95 on AASHTO logs until 1982. Featured as the blog cover photo is the original Colorado River Bridge near Blythe as it was upon opening in 1928.
  • California State Route 230 and the planned Hunters Point Freeway. California State Route 230 is an unconstructed State Highway largely in San Francisco which comprises the four miles of the once proposed Hunters Point Freeway corridor. The Hunters Point Freeway was originally adopted by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors during December 1956. The Hunters Point Freeway would have been the landing point for the fourth iteration of the proposed Southern Crossing of San Francisco Bay. The Hunters Point Freeway was adopted into the State Highway System as part of Legislative Route Number 253 and Legislative Route Number 289 during 1959. During 1964 the California Highway Commission adopted routing for the Hunters Point Freeway which had been renumbered to as California State Route 230 and California State Route 87. Following the truncation of California State Route 87 during 1970 the entire Hunters Point Freeway corridor was transferred to California State Route 230. The Hunters Point Freeway was ultimately cancelled by the California Highway Commission during October 1976, but California State Route 230 was never deleted from the State Highway System. The adopted alignment for the Hunters Point Freeway can be seen as the blog cover as illustrated in the March/April 1964 California Highways & Public Works.
  • Bridgeport Covered Bridge. The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is a historic crossing of the South Fork Yuba River located in Nevada County, California near Nevada City. The Bridgeport Covered Bridge opened as a tolled crossing during 1862 as part of the larger Henness Pass Road. The Bridgeport Covered Bridge closed to vehicle traffic during 1972 and was recently restored during 2021. The Bridgeport Covered Bridge is historically California’s longest covered span is thought to likely be the longest such structure surviving in the world. Featured as the blog cover is the Bridgeport Covered Bridge during 1950 when it was an active part of Pleasant Valley Road.
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