California

[pderocco]

There was an S-less S17 at the end of Bonita Rd, and it had an arrow pointing the wrong way:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/m6WdtPbxmhAbxETs5

It was also bent, so I reported it on the county website, and about six months later they fixed it. All the others in the area say S17. It's amazing how nearly universal sloppy signage is. A lot more common than sloppy traffic signal installation, sloppy striping, or sloppy road building.

[RZF]

In strange news (at least it's strange to me), CA-27 from the bottom of the mountain in Woodland Hills to CA-1 will be closed from December 9-11 to everyone but Topanga residents - in anticipation of a big Santa Ana Wind event.

This is the first time I've seen a road closure before Santa Anas or any other weather event. Is there a particular reason why? Has this happened before? Will there be any other preemptive road closures?

[pderocco]

In strange news (at least it's strange to me), CA-27 from the bottom of the mountain in Woodland Hills to CA-1 will be closed from December 9-11 to everyone but Topanga residents - in anticipation of a big Santa Ana Wind event.

This is the first time I've seen a road closure before Santa Anas or any other weather event. Is there a particular reason why? Has this happened before? Will there be any other preemptive road closures?

I lived a few miles from there for years, and I don't recall it ever being closed for wind. In fact, I don't recall any roads ever being actually closed for wind, although advisories are frequently posted on VMSes. And the only winds I've ever seen that were strong enough to blow over tractor trailors or campers were winter north winds from the Great Basin, not Santa Anas.

[kernals12]

I found this map of Sacramento County's 1965 general plan and it really goes to show how shortchanged Sac was on freeways.

[Max Rockatansky]

I mean hey, this is why CA 244 is on the Sacramento Meet tour route. 

[DTComposer]

I found this map of Sacramento County's 1965 general plan and it really goes to show how shortchanged Sac was on freeways.

It's interesting to compare to the 2011 version, which reflects what actually happened 50 years later.



When I was a child in Carmichael I was down the street from the CA-143 corridor (the one that parallels Walnut Avenue) and remember "NO TRESPASSING - FREEWAY" signs. It was sold off and developed a couple years after I left.

Nowadays, I feel like the ones that were really needed are CA-65 (Sunrise Blvd. corridor) and CA-244 (the version that goes all the way to US-50). CA-102 and CA-143 are being built out in theory as the Placer Parkway and the Capital Southeast Connector, respectively, which is good.

[Max Rockatansky]

In general a significant percentage of the planned state highways ended up being built by local authorities.  You mentioned Vasco Road today, that corridor is largely an overlay of the what was planned for CA 84.  It isn't a freeway but still an improvement over how Vasco used to be.  The Stockton area has fair amount of corridors planned as state highways but got built by local authorities.

In general, the hobby tends to overvalue state highway branding.  A lot of the counties and some cities are plenty capable of constructing modern highway corridors. 

[TheStranger]

Nowadays, I feel like the ones that were really needed are CA-65 (Sunrise Blvd. corridor) and CA-244 (the version that goes all the way to US-50). CA-102 and CA-143 are being built out in theory as the Placer Parkway and the Capital Southeast Connector, respectively, which is good.

IIRC, the Capital Southeast Connector resembles 148 more than 143 - 143 was planned as essentially a direct north-south from 99 in Elk Grove to the 244/880/80 junction, roughly parallel to Watt Avenue (with 143 running east of there in a trajectory approximating Mayhew Road).  Essentially a bypass of Midtown Sacramento and the Arden Fair area - as it stands, commuters on 99 north do not have any freeway paths at all to avoid the congestion around the downtown/midtown core.

148 in its original form was around the trajectory of Calvine Road, though the Capital Southeast Connector is notably south of that and centered much more around Elk Grove.

[kernals12]

Nowadays, I feel like the ones that were really needed are CA-65 (Sunrise Blvd. corridor) and CA-244 (the version that goes all the way to US-50). CA-102 and CA-143 are being built out in theory as the Placer Parkway and the Capital Southeast Connector, respectively, which is good.

IIRC, the Capital Southeast Connector resembles 148 more than 143 - 143 was planned as essentially a direct north-south from 99 in Elk Grove to the 244/880/80 junction, roughly parallel to Watt Avenue (with 143 running east of there in a trajectory approximating Mayhew Road).  Essentially a bypass of Midtown Sacramento and the Arden Fair area - as it stands, commuters on 99 north do not have any freeway paths at all to avoid the congestion around the downtown/midtown core.

148 in its original form was around the trajectory of Calvine Road, though the Capital Southeast Connector is notably south of that and centered much more around Elk Grove.

More importantly, it won't be a freeway and will have signalized intersections

[DTComposer]

Nowadays, I feel like the ones that were really needed are CA-65 (Sunrise Blvd. corridor) and CA-244 (the version that goes all the way to US-50). CA-102 and CA-143 are being built out in theory as the Placer Parkway and the Capital Southeast Connector, respectively, which is good.

IIRC, the Capital Southeast Connector resembles 148 more than 143 - 143 was planned as essentially a direct north-south from 99 in Elk Grove to the 244/880/80 junction, roughly parallel to Watt Avenue (with 143 running east of there in a trajectory approximating Mayhew Road).  Essentially a bypass of Midtown Sacramento and the Arden Fair area - as it stands, commuters on 99 north do not have any freeway paths at all to avoid the congestion around the downtown/midtown core.

148 in its original form was around the trajectory of Calvine Road, though the Capital Southeast Connector is notably south of that and centered much more around Elk Grove.

My bad, I meant 148.

[kernals12]

Apparently Caltrans revived the 65 freeway idea in 1986 as part of a "Sacramento Beltway". It went over like a lead balloon.

[Max Rockatansky]

The corridor from 104 north to 80 had been added back to the legislative description of 65 the year prior.  The 1985 legislative definition of 65 is still what is on the books.

[bing101]

https://www.sfgate.com/la/article/palmdale-americas-worst-work-commute-20009079.php?utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1hbDZ78q9aVYPdAAs05GHiLEodQ2YKYREfodnJEdnrPjIkrRxGTUpx92A_aem_zInaLm3s2MvnFQDlPEEBfA



Here is one on Palmdale as having some of the longest commutes in California.

[Max Rockatansky]

Palmdale is the Los Angeles area analog to Tracy.  Neither should be on anyone's short list of aspirational places to live.

[pderocco]

While I've never done that commute, I've driven that road a million times, and expect that a lot of the time is due to clogs at the numerous lane drops. If they convert 14 to a solid eight lanes, then the remaining time will just be due to the I-5 merge plus the sheer distance. Personally, I've done a lot of long distance commuting in my life (Plymouth to Woburn MA back in the 80s), and a long drive at reasonable freeway speeds isn't nearly as bad as inching along merge lanes.

I believe that over time, the Antelope Valley and the Victor Valley will slowly converge, and develop into a more self-sufficient economic area, so it won't be as necessary to go to LA (or the Inland Empire) to find a good job.

[Max Rockatansky]

The only viable career options out Palmdale/Lancaster are probably are at Edward's AFB.  If you have to live that far from where you work it just plain isn't sustainable long term. 

[Plutonic Panda]

SR-14 really needs to be widened. 4 GP lanes and 1 HOV lane each way would help tremendously. But even just having a consistent number of lanes would help. People start driving like crazy during the few areas where the road widens to more lanes to pass traffic. Hell, if they don't widen it eliminating the wider sections might even make the road safer. It's just a fucked up road. I much prefer taking the Angeles Highway to the SR-2 even if takes longer.

[FredAkbar]

I'm sure there is talk on the Fictional boards about making a tunnel freeway due south from Palmdale to Pasadena. Commute problem solved!

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm sure there is talk on the Fictional boards about making a tunnel freeway due south from Palmdale to Pasadena. Commute problem solved!

Why fictional when it was actually once seriously considered?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/09/angeles-forest-highway-los-angeles.html?m=1

[pderocco]

The only viable career options out Palmdale/Lancaster are probably are at Edward's AFB.  If you have to live that far from where you work it just plain isn't sustainable long term. 

There's about 3/4 of a million people in the Antelope and Victor Valleys, and not all the Dads are driving down into the lowlands for work. At this point, the jobs up there are probably not the greatest (not much aerospace left), but as the population increases, it will attract light industry looking for cheaper space. If that happens, the commuting on 14 may level off even as the population grows.

[Max Rockatansky]

The only viable career options out Palmdale/Lancaster are probably are at Edward's AFB.  If you have to live that far from where you work it just plain isn't sustainable long term. 

There's about 3/4 of a million people in the Antelope and Victor Valleys, and not all the Dads are driving down into the lowlands for work. At this point, the jobs up there are probably not the greatest (not much aerospace left), but as the population increases, it will attract light industry looking for cheaper space. If that happens, the commuting on 14 may level off even as the population grows.

Likewise not everyone in Tracy and Modesto works in the Bay Area.  All the same, these areas are in the process of being overrun by white collar workers with unhealthy urban hyper commutes.  Doesn't make for prospective friendly real estate future for anyone.

[ClassicHasClass]

The only viable career options out Palmdale/Lancaster are probably are at Edward's AFB.  If you have to live that far from where you work it just plain isn't sustainable long term. 

When I was a kid, Dad had a vet job in Van Nuys and we lived in Lancaster, and he would stay the night there in the clinic basement rather than commute back and forth each day. We'd sometimes visit him there.

On the other hand, a current acquaintance of mine lives in Palmdale and commutes to Santa Monica right now. He does have some WFH options but I think he does it several days during the week.

[Max Rockatansky]

The only viable career options out Palmdale/Lancaster are probably are at Edward's AFB.  If you have to live that far from where you work it just plain isn't sustainable long term. 

When I was a kid, Dad had a vet job in Van Nuys and we lived in Lancaster, and he would stay the night there in the clinic basement rather than commute back and forth each day. We'd sometimes visit him there.

On the other hand, a current acquaintance of mine lives in Palmdale and commutes to Santa Monica right now. He does have some WFH options but I think he does it several days during the week.

When I was working in Orlando there was a guy who worked for us that slept in his car overnight Monday-Friday in MCO airport parking.  He did it because he was close to 20 years on a Federal job and didn't want to lose his pension.  I'm to understand that his wife insisted they move to Miami two years prior.

[Voyager]

I'm sure there is talk on the Fictional boards about making a tunnel freeway due south from Palmdale to Pasadena. Commute problem solved!

Why fictional when it was actually once seriously considered?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/09/angeles-forest-highway-los-angeles.html?m=1

I still think its wild how almost none of the freeway corridors in that area ever were built (138 comes to mind). Doesn't seem like any of those paper highways ever will be either.

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm sure there is talk on the Fictional boards about making a tunnel freeway due south from Palmdale to Pasadena. Commute problem solved!

Why fictional when it was actually once seriously considered?

https://www.gribblenation.org/2023/09/angeles-forest-highway-los-angeles.html?m=1

I still think its wild how almost none of the freeway corridors in that area ever were built (138 comes to mind). Doesn't seem like any of those paper highways ever will be either.

At this point there is probably much resistance to expanding anything to limited capacity in the desert.  The whole High Desert Corridor wasn't exactly well received.