Pre-Bridge alignments of US 101, US 40 and US 50 in Oakland/San Francisco

[Max Rockatansky]

I'm getting started on working on my blog series regarding the surface alignments of US Routes in San Francisco and Oakland before the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge were opened.  The first part of that was getting some maps snipped from the old State Highway Map City Inserts and 1935 Division of Highways Maps.  Below is what I drew up for the series:

Edit:  Scrapped the maps since there is so much unexacting information as to where US Routes were in Oakland before 1936.  That said I did complete my blog which has all the non-historical photo evidence I could find.

https://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2019/03/california-state-route-123san-pablo.html

[nexus73]

Kewl beans on a fine collection of maps illustrating the changes from no bridges to both big bridges being open.  My mother was born in SF back in 1932 but was not raised there.  For those alive at the time, getting these two bridges finished must have made SF seem like a whole new world.

While that is going down in that Bay Area, Oregon's Bay Area saw the McCullough Bridge finished in 1936.  The Thirties saw so many bridges built on the Oregon coast.  101 was no longer a segmented worm!  The only gap was where the Astoria-Megler Bridge now is. 

Not until the Interstate era got it going, did we who lived on the Pacific Coast see so much upgrading in travel capabilities when all those bridges were built.

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

Kewl beans on a fine collection of maps illustrating the changes from no bridges to both big bridges being open.  My mother was born in SF back in 1932 but was not raised there.  For those alive at the time, getting these two bridges finished must have made SF seem like a whole new world.

While that is going down in that Bay Area, Oregon's Bay Area saw the McCullough Bridge finished in 1936.  The Thirties saw so many bridges built on the Oregon coast.  101 was no longer a segmented worm!  The only gap was where the Astoria-Megler Bridge now is. 

Not until the Interstate era got it going, did we who lived on the Pacific Coast see so much upgrading in travel capabilities when all those bridges were built.

Rick

I'll have to revisit the Oakland Maps, it seems US 101E was probably around likely as US 101A until 1935.  It seems my own research contradicts the time frame when US 50 was shifted to Oakland or even Hayward.

"Originally US 99 had an elongated alignment south of Stockton.  US 99 southbound entered Stockton on Wilson Way where turned west on Charter Way and south on McKinley Avenue.  US 99 continued south to French Camp onto French Camp Road where it met US 48 at Harlan Road.  US 99 continued southeast on French Camp Road to Main Street in Manteca.  This alignment appears to have been in use until 1929 according to USends.com.

USends.com on US 48 (i)

Starting in 1929 US 99 split into US 99E at Mariposa Road and US 99W at Charter Way.  US 99E largely followed the current freeway south to Manteca.  US 99W followed McKinley Avenue and French Camp Road south to French Camp.  From French Camp US 99W continued south to Lanthrop on Harlan Road and Manthey Road where it met the new terminus with US 48. At Yosemite Avenue US 99W turned eastward towards US 99E in Manteca.  The split in US 99W and US 99E in Stockton can be observed on the 1930 State Highway Map.

1930 State Highway Map

1930 State Highway Map City Insert

CAhighways.org states that by 1935 US 50 was extended from Sacramento to Hayward.  State Highway Maps however don't show US 50 extended to the Bay Area until the 1936-37 edition.  Whenever US 50 was extended it was multiplexed US 99 from Sacramento to Stockton where the former took over the routing of US 99W and US 48.  Yosemite Avenue became part of CA 120 when the Signed State Routes were created in 1934.  The changes described above can be observed by comparing the State Highway Maps from 1934 through 1938.

CAhighways.org on US 50

1934 State Highway Map

1936 State Highway Map"

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

[TheStranger]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

[Max Rockatansky]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

Yeah I'm just not seeing the old LRN 5 alignment appear on any official State Highway Map.  The 1935 Alameda County map shows a pretty clear shift towards MacArthur.  I think that would make more sense to wait to replace US 48, US 99W and US 101E until new the alignment to the Bay Bridge was ready. 

[TheStranger]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

Yeah I'm just not seeing the old LRN 5 alignment appear on any official State Highway Map.  The 1935 Alameda County map shows a pretty clear shift towards MacArthur.  I think that would make more sense to wait to replace US 48, US 99W and US 101E until new the alignment to the Bay Bridge was ready. 

In that vein:

Old Route 17/238 (Warm Springs Blvd./Oakland Road etc.) south of today's 262 from Fremont to SJ is the only part of Route 17 that is former US 101E and former US 48, correct?  With the rest of that surface street routing always having been Route 17 (though proposed in 1934 as Route 13) all the way up to Oakland.

[Max Rockatansky]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

Yeah I'm just not seeing the old LRN 5 alignment appear on any official State Highway Map.  The 1935 Alameda County map shows a pretty clear shift towards MacArthur.  I think that would make more sense to wait to replace US 48, US 99W and US 101E until new the alignment to the Bay Bridge was ready. 

In that vein:

Old Route 17/238 (Warm Springs Blvd./Oakland Road etc.) south of today's 262 from Fremont to SJ is the only part of Route 17 that is former US 101E and former US 48, correct?  With the rest of that surface street routing always having been Route 17 (though proposed in 1934 as Route 13) all the way up to Oakland.

Off the top of my head without looking back at my map research I believe that's right.  The 1934 State Highway Routes add another caveat to the equation.  A good chunk of the highway mileage for the Signed State Route program came from 1933 legislative acquisitions.  With the 1934 State Highways coming in I would doubt the legislature would want to mess with any US Route swaps before then.  It seems like the majority of those additions were in 1935 which lends more weight to US 50 not being extended until then. 

[TheStranger]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

Yeah I'm just not seeing the old LRN 5 alignment appear on any official State Highway Map.  The 1935 Alameda County map shows a pretty clear shift towards MacArthur.  I think that would make more sense to wait to replace US 48, US 99W and US 101E until new the alignment to the Bay Bridge was ready. 

In that vein:

Old Route 17/238 (Warm Springs Blvd./Oakland Road etc.) south of today's 262 from Fremont to SJ is the only part of Route 17 that is former US 101E and former US 48, correct?  With the rest of that surface street routing always having been Route 17 (though proposed in 1934 as Route 13) all the way up to Oakland.

Off the top of my head without looking back at my map research I believe that's right.  The 1934 State Highway Routes add another caveat to the equation.  A good chunk of the highway mileage for the Signed State Route program came from 1933 legislative acquisitions.  With the 1934 State Highways coming in I would doubt the legislature would want to mess with any US Route swaps before then.  It seems like the majority of those additions were in 1935 which lends more weight to US 50 not being extended until then. 

A related aside:

Bayshore Highway was not part of any form of US 101 prior to 1937 or so if I'm not mistaken.  How did 48 and 101E continue south from today's Oakland Road/US 101 Bayshore Freeway junction to the older US 101 alignment in San Jose along what is now former Route 82?

EDIT: noticed typo a few days later, 101E in reference to Oakland Road/13th Street.

[Max Rockatansky]

The above seems to raise the question if US 50 ever made it to downtown Oakland or simply ended up bypassing.  The 1935 Alameda County Map I posted in one of my drawn maps tends to suggest that US 50 originally met US 40 on what is now MacArthur Boulevard. 

IIRC, the 1950s Business US 50 seems to be the only time anything US 50 made it into downtown as opposed to bypassing it on the north and east via MacArthur.  (Was that one of the first business routes ever with a freeway segment, in this particular case approximately the Cypress portion of Route 17/future I-880?)

Yeah I'm just not seeing the old LRN 5 alignment appear on any official State Highway Map.  The 1935 Alameda County map shows a pretty clear shift towards MacArthur.  I think that would make more sense to wait to replace US 48, US 99W and US 101E until new the alignment to the Bay Bridge was ready. 

In that vein:

Old Route 17/238 (Warm Springs Blvd./Oakland Road etc.) south of today's 262 from Fremont to SJ is the only part of Route 17 that is former US 101E and former US 48, correct?  With the rest of that surface street routing always having been Route 17 (though proposed in 1934 as Route 13) all the way up to Oakland.

Off the top of my head without looking back at my map research I believe that's right.  The 1934 State Highway Routes add another caveat to the equation.  A good chunk of the highway mileage for the Signed State Route program came from 1933 legislative acquisitions.  With the 1934 State Highways coming in I would doubt the legislature would want to mess with any US Route swaps before then.  It seems like the majority of those additions were in 1935 which lends more weight to US 50 not being extended until then. 

A related aside:

Bayshore Highway was not part of any form of US 101 prior to 1937 or so if I'm not mistaken.  How did 48 and 101W continue south from today's Oakland Road/US 101 Bayshore Freeway junction to the older US 101 alignment in San Jose along what is now former Route 82?

Looks like 101 reconsolidated on 1st Street.  My assumption would be US 48 ended at 1st and Santa Clara at US 101:

http://www.davidrumsey.com/ll/thumbnailView.html?startUrl=%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fas%2Fsearch%3Fos%3D0%26lc%3DRUMSEY~8~1%26q%3DCaltrans%201930%26sort%3DPub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No%26bs%3D10#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&r=0&xywh=8896%2C6005%2C1324%2C2345

[Max Rockatansky]

I rebuilt the map images with more accurate information regarding the known information on when US 101E, US 48 and US 50 shifted.  Really the only evidence I'm seeing for US 50 in Oakland was always on the MacArthur Boulevard corridor on the official state maps.  I'm aware that commercial maps show 14th Street in downtown at Oakland City Hall but I find that questionable given it didn't come from a State source.

[NE2]

I don't think the state cared much about the routing of US 50 before it took over maintenance in cities. Your best bet would be from CSAA, which posted signs.

[Max Rockatansky]

I don't think the state cared much about the routing of US 50 before it took over maintenance in cities. Your best bet would be from CSAA, which posted signs.

I'm working on sorting this all out today actually.  LRN 5 wasn't extended to Oakland until 1935 which was on the MacArthur corridor.  If US 50 was signed before 1935 it wasn't a State driven thing.  US 40 in Alameda County wasn't State maintained until 1935 as well when LRN 14 was extended.  Really for all I know US 40 could have been signed all the way to the ferry docks on 7th Street since there isn't much clear evidence for a terminus until the San Pablo Avenue/38th Street in 1935. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Finally finished this one, way more effort went into this than expected.

Recently while in the Bay Area I drove the original alignment of US Route 40 down San Pablo Avenue/CA 123 from CA 13 south to 16th Street in downtown Oakland.  US 40 before the Bay Bridge was built originally ended at Oakland City hall at what was the junction of San Pablo Avenue, 14th Street and Broadway.  San Pablo Avenue/former US 40 between 16th Street and 14th Street is now a city plaza with no clear indication to it's previous importance.  US 40 was locally maintained in Alameda County until 1935 during the build up to the Bay Bridge being completed which appears to have pushed the terminus back to San Pablo Avenue at 38th Street (now MacArthur Boulevard) at US 50.  Outside of commercial maps I'm not seeing much evidence to suggest that US 50 was extended to Oakland until 1935 (replacing US 101E) which opens up the possibility that it shared a terminus with US 40 until the Bay Bridge opened in 1936.  After the Bay Bridge opened the alignment of US 40 and US 50 are far more clear as they were extended into San Francisco.  The blog post below contains all the applicable official State Highway maps and relevant Legislative Route Information from CAhighways.org.  I included a link to the commercial maps hosted by USends.com.

https://surewhynotnow.blogspot.com/2019/03/california-state-route-123san-pablo.html

My photo set for CA 123 and the original terminus of US 40 can be found below:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskS6dhT7

[bing101]

https://abrahamwoodliff.medium.com/to-know-the-east-bay-is-to-know-san-pablo-avenue-84506f355b02
Here is a cool read on San Pablo ave.