🛣 Headlines About California Highways – April 2023

[cahwyguy]

So, how's about the weather? 🙂 We're finally starting to dry out and we've even had a few warm days (although this week we're back to cold and dreary). But the calming of the atmospheric river has allowed construction crews to fan out and start work... and that's a good thing. As for me, I've started work on the next round of updates to the Highways Site, and theatre attendance has picked up (although I haven't had the urge to start writing reviews return yet – they are a lot of work).

The podcast continues. As I noted last time, we've decided that the fight for interviews is slowing things down. If we can get them, we'll generally release them as a bonus episode. That should shorten our episodes. I'm pleased to note that our sample episode just crossed the 100 listens boundary, but some of the other episodes need to catch up. So go to your favorite podcatcher application and search for our podcast. You can also listen through the Spotify page. Please explore our back catalog, as we wind down season one. I'll probably take a month or two break between seasons (I need time to start on the next season's episodes)

OK. You should be caught up now. Here are the headlines that I found about California's highways for April:

===> https://cahighways.org/wordpress/?p=16537 <===

As always, "ready, set, discuss..."

[Quillz]

looking to eventually address sea-level rise and protect marshland habitat and reduce transportation inequities.

What are "transportation inequities?"

[cahwyguy]

looking to eventually address sea-level rise and protect marshland habitat and reduce transportation inequities.

What are "transportation inequities?"

My best guess would be that transportation inequities would be the differences in the ability to travel based on a person's wealth / income / etc (and you can fill in that etc). We're talking Route 37 across the top of the bay, here. If that road becomes tolled, that makes it harder for those who are financially strapped / lower income to be able to use the road (yes, there are other ways to get from A to B, but they have significant cost in terms of time).

The article notes: "Nearly the entire length between Novato and Vallejo is predicted to become permanently submerged as sea levels rise if modifications are not made. The result would be additional traffic congestion on distant roadways, economic loss and reduced opportunities for commuters from disadvantaged communities.". It also talks about tolling "The project proposes adding a lane in each direction and converting the existing lane in each direction into an HOV lane. The new lane is proposed to be tolled to encourage HOVs – including transit users and rideshare – to avoid inducing vehicle miles traveled and to raise funds needed for direct contribution and as match for federal and state funds."

So my guess would be they want to discuss solutions that might help lower income folks with the cost of that transit.

[Quillz]

It seems kind of contradictory, though: they are considering tolling CA-37, which seems like it would hurt transportation equity. Unless I'm misreading and there will be a non-tolled HOV lane alongside the tolled one?

[cahwyguy]

It seems kind of contradictory, though: they are considering tolling CA-37, which seems like it would hurt transportation equity. Unless I'm misreading and there will be a non-tolled HOV lane alongside the tolled one?

It sounds like a two lane facility (each direction): An HOV lane and a tolled HOV lane, but I would still expect a single non-HOV lane. We might have to wait until we see more of the proposal.

[thsftw]

It seems kind of contradictory, though: they are considering tolling CA-37, which seems like it would hurt transportation equity. Unless I'm misreading and there will be a non-tolled HOV lane alongside the tolled one?

It sounds like a two lane facility (each direction): An HOV lane and a tolled HOV lane, but I would still expect a single non-HOV lane. We might have to wait until we see more of the proposal.

I guess from what I read in an article last night, they want to make the whole thing 4 lanes temporarily between Sears Point and Mare Island since that is the bottleneck by making the shoulders into lanes, but tolling that entire stretch as a "extra toll bridge" which everyone is not ok with since people take 37 to avoid paying tolls who work in Marin but live in lower income Vallejo.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/plan-to-add-toll-to-highway-37-for-safety-funding-faces-opposition/

[Max Rockatansky]

Calwa and Magala could use all the modern infrastructure they can get.  Much of the infrastructure (including CA 99) in the area is the same as it was when the freeway opened in 1962.  I actively try to avoid driving through either since it's easier to negotiate the farm roads to the east. 

The Paige Avenue connection to CA 99 in Tulare is ugly.  The Loves brought a ton of extra freight traffic and ripped up the roads accessing the southbound ramps. 

CA 99 north of CA 180 in Fresno has way too many exits near the interchange.  They are the cause of most of the traffic back ups in the area.  My wife's commute will likely be five-ten minutes quicker once some of the exits close.  That particular segment of 99 opened in 1959.