California

[Kniwt]

The San Francisco Chronicle reports today on Assemblyman Marc Levine's push to start design now for a replacement Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, noting that -- even with the seismic retrofits already done -- the bridge would be unusable after a major earthquake.
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Assemblyman-s-crusade-for-a-new-Richmond-San-14950654.php

Although state and regional transportation agencies have sunk more than a billion dollars into maintenance — which includes a new road deck, piers and a trestle at the San Rafael approach — the bridge wouldn’t survive a major disaster, Levine noted. It’s had enough seismic retrofits to remain standing and not cause any deaths during the next big earthquake, but it wouldn’t function afterward.

“And we don’t even have a drawing on a shelf as to what the next bridge should look like,” Levine said.

... Caltrans recently began a deck analysis and load-rating study to determine whether it’s time to develop a new structure. Agency staff estimated it could come to $8.2 billion, said Caltrans spokesman Bart Ney.

... “It’s a remarkably old-looking structure — almost like something built during World War II by the Army Corps of Engineers, instead of in 1956,” said El Sobrante resident Greg Stevens.

... He’s aware that such a monumental project won’t happen immediately. But he’s adamant that the Bay Area start planning now, considering the glacial pace of transportation projects: It took 25 years to rebuild the east span of the Bay Bridge after the Loma Prieta earthquake.

[skluth]

^^^^^^^^^^
Happy to see a politician be proactive about what appears to be a much needed replacement bridge. Given what all is being considered, is it possible to build a bridge with three decks? I'd want one each for WB and EB traffic and one for mass transit, bikes, and pedestrians.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^
Happy to see a politician be proactive about what appears to be a much needed replacement bridge. Given what all is being considered, is it possible to build a bridge with three decks? I'd want one each for WB and EB traffic and one for mass transit, bikes, and pedestrians.

More than likely at least the main span will be a cable-stay design -- maybe a scaled-down (6/8 lanes) version of the Bay Bridge east of the island -- the design is now well-seasoned and adaptable to various physical requirements.  Certainly the present "double-hump" design can be described as a manifestation of pure function over form (it's not all that attractive unless one is into industrial art!) -- classic "bauhaus" if even that!  But the chances of a multi-deck approach unless the through-truss format is retained (unlikely) isn't terribly good; it'll probably be single deck, with the likelihood of 6 GP lanes + 2 HOV with reduced toll (unless the usual suspects try to whittle it down to 4+2!). 

[kkt]

^^^^^^^^^^
Happy to see a politician be proactive about what appears to be a much needed replacement bridge. Given what all is being considered, is it possible to build a bridge with three decks? I'd want one each for WB and EB traffic and one for mass transit, bikes, and pedestrians.

Any railed transit use is much more sensative to grades and vibration than cars and trucks.  Building to accommodating rail would mean a much more expensive bridge.  There are other rail corridors that would get more use for the same money.

Bike and pedestrian should definitely be part of it though.  I am not sure there would be that many pedestrians because it's such a long bridge, but it doesn't add much cost.

[bing101]

Asphalt Planet released a video on CA-210 and I-210

[Max Rockatansky]

Went out for a drive on CA 1 through Big Sur and some hiking.  I wanted to try out my new camera phone on CA 1 so I tried a new album which will probably end up on Gribblenation at some point.  The crowds were surprisingly light for a holiday weekend and I was probably averaging 45-60 MPH most of the way north from CA 46.  I grabbed some photos of CA 1 in Monterey north to Castroville so I can work on something regarding for the surface routings in Monterey.

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmKQUdCf

[JustDrive]

Drove the 5 up to Sacramento and I noticed the pavement markings at the 5/120 approach in Lathrop had US shields instead of the miners spade. I get it, 120 ends near the Nevada state line, but come on

[sparker]

Drove the 5 up to Sacramento and I noticed the pavement markings at the 5/120 approach in Lathrop had US shields instead of the miners spade. I get it, 120 ends near the Nevada state line, but come on

It's probably a contractor error.   May or may not be corrected promptly; likely the latter.  This sort of pavement marking is a relatively new thing with Caltrans;  this is the first such installation in D10.  I noticed this last month and emailed D10 with the info; have yet to receive a reply.  Stay tuned -- I may yet "go upstairs" and do likewise with Caltrans HQ in Sacramento.  Unfortunately, with their recent relatively cavalier attitude toward signage, this may be relegated to low priority.     

[jakeroot]

I'm sure at least a few people have seen this video, but I found it really cool. "Dashcam" footage from 1988 showing someone driving from Glendon Ave in Culver City, down Venice to the "San Diego", then north to the Ventura Fwy to Van Nuys Blvd:

https://youtu.be/SUh0PsW7XyI

My favorite bits are that the traffic reports, which you can hear repeatedly throughout the video, which almost never mention freeway numbers ("the San Diego [Fwy]", "the Pomona", the "Ventura Freeway". The only number I recall hearing was the 57 and the 134 (though usually "134 Ventura Fwy"). Also repeated references to the "four level".

For any LA locals, is this still the style of traffic reports? Mostly just freeway names (apart from some)?

And for our older and/or more tasteful users, the video is chock-full of really great music from the era.

[kkt]

It did used to be normal to refer to SoCal freeways by name.  That's one reason the BGSs included freeway names.  However, they have gradually been dropped from the BGSs and traffic reports, and are used much less now than they used to be.  A lot of people were unhappy at first.

[nexus73]

I'm sure at least a few people have seen this video, but I found it really cool. "Dashcam" footage from 1988 showing someone driving from Glendon Ave in Culver City, down Venice to the "San Diego", then north to the Ventura Fwy to Van Nuys Blvd:

https://youtu.be/SUh0PsW7XyI

My favorite bits are that the traffic reports, which you can hear repeatedly throughout the video, which almost never mention freeway numbers ("the San Diego [Fwy]", "the Pomona", the "Ventura Freeway". The only number I recall hearing was the 57 and the 134 (though usually "134 Ventura Fwy"). Also repeated references to the "four level".

For any LA locals, is this still the style of traffic reports? Mostly just freeway names (apart from some)?

And for our older and/or more tasteful users, the video is chock-full of really great music from the era.

Saw two Rollers.  The oldest car spotted by me was a 1967 Ford full-sized 4-door.  It was either a Galaxie 500 or LTD.  A low fidelity factory radio in the car in which the video was shot combined with no HD made for a cool period piece.  Notice how the 405 was actually drivable back in 1988?  Loved the music too.

There was a time when driving in LA was fun!

Thanks for the memories of those times to whoever actually made the video and thank you to Jakeroot for rooting it out for us to see.

Rick

[dbz77]

It did used to be normal to refer to SoCal freeways by name.  That's one reason the BGSs included freeway names.  However, they have gradually been dropped from the BGSs and traffic reports, and are used much less now than they used to be.  A lot of people were unhappy at first.

I wonder whose brilliant idea that was.

[Max Rockatansky]

It did used to be normal to refer to SoCal freeways by name.  That's one reason the BGSs included freeway names.  However, they have gradually been dropped from the BGSs and traffic reports, and are used much less now than they used to be.  A lot of people were unhappy at first.

I wonder whose brilliant idea that was.

The same thing has pretty much happened elsewhere too in other states.  When I was growing up in Michigan the freeway names around Detroit were used more than the route numbers.  Say you're jumping on US 101 in downtown Los Angeles and you're headed west to Ventura.  It's way more simplistic to tell people you're heading north on US 101 than saying you're heading north on the; Santa Ana Freeway, Hollywood Freeway, and Ventura Freeway. 

[jakeroot]

Saw two Rollers.  The oldest car spotted by me was a 1967 Ford full-sized 4-door.  It was either a Galaxie 500 or LTD.  A low fidelity factory radio in the car in which the video was shot combined with no HD made for a cool period piece.  Notice how the 405 was actually drivable back in 1988?  Loved the music too.

There was a time when driving in LA was fun!

Thanks for the memories of those times to whoever actually made the video and thank you to Jakeroot for rooting it out for us to see.

I don't know a lot about older cars, but I've been told that it's more normal to see "older" cars on the road today than it would have been back then, everywhere except LA!

Very happy to share. I agree, great music. Very authentic video, and his occasional comments made it funny too (like at the end when the car runs the red turning left, and he murmurs "no officer, the light wasn't red" haha).

It did used to be normal to refer to SoCal freeways by name.  That's one reason the BGSs included freeway names.  However, they have gradually been dropped from the BGSs and traffic reports, and are used much less now than they used to be.  A lot of people were unhappy at first.

I can understand, especially when for many southern Californians, that video is how they've always understood the freeways. It's not like they didn't have numbers in the 1980s, but the freeway names were always there.

I will say, compared to other places, Los Angeles still has quite a lot of freeway name signs up. Some are getting old, but some are new too.

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^
There are no posted -- BGS or otherwise -- freeway names -- outside the sporadic "memorial" or "dedicated" sections -- in the Bay Area; the historic names:  Eastshore (for I-80 north of the 580/880 junction), Nimitz (I-880 in Alameda County), Bayshore (US 101 San Jose-San Francisco), Serra (I-280 from Cupertino to S.F.), et cetera -- are sporadically mentioned in traffic reports (particularly on KCBS, which features them every 10 minutes during the day).  But numbers are almost always cited -- physically and over the air -- just like in L.A.  Fortunately, Caltrans' current lax attitude toward signage hasn't extended to the freeway network -- or more than a few drivers would be S.O.L.! 

But it's easy to understand the L.A. longstanding attachment to actual names; pre-Interstate the original network radiating from downtown featured names describing the various destinations -- Santa Ana, San Bernardino, Harbor (although a bit generic, it served both the Port of L.A. as well as San Pedro), Hollywood, Ventura, etc.  Pasadena even found itself in the mix in the mid-'50's when the now-as-then Arroyo Seco Parkway was renamed to follow the destination idiom.  The other names:  Colorado, Foothill, etc. -- duplicated the parallel streets that formed the original alignment.  It wasn't until the advent of the Interstates that more distant or even obscure names started popping up -- Golden State for the corridor north, the cryptically named San Diego freeway for a destination 120+ miles distant -- although some Interstate as well as other freeways post-'56 retained the close-in destination theme:  Santa Monica, Glendale, et. al.  But by the late '70's it seemed the over-the-air traffic reports emphasized route numbers over names, probably since in the '60's the freeway names seemed to be deemphasized, signage-wise, in favor of both route numbers and specified control cities.  That set of identifiers seems to have prevailed ever since. 

[TheStranger]

^^^^^^^^^^
There are no posted -- BGS or otherwise -- freeway names -- outside the sporadic "memorial" or "dedicated" sections -- in the Bay Area; the historic names:  Eastshore (for I-80 north of the 580/880 junction), Nimitz (I-880 in Alameda County), Bayshore (US 101 San Jose-San Francisco), Serra (I-280 from Cupertino to S.F.), et cetera -- are sporadically mentioned in traffic reports (particularly on KCBS, which features them every 10 minutes during the day).  But numbers are almost always cited -- physically and over the air -- just like in L.A.  Fortunately, Caltrans' current lax attitude toward signage hasn't extended to the freeway network -- or more than a few drivers would be S.O.L.! 

But it's easy to understand the L.A. longstanding attachment to actual names; pre-Interstate the original network radiating from downtown featured names describing the various destinations -- Santa Ana, San Bernardino, Harbor (although a bit generic, it served both the Port of L.A. as well as San Pedro), Hollywood, Ventura, etc.  Pasadena even found itself in the mix in the mid-'50's when the now-as-then Arroyo Seco Parkway was renamed to follow the destination idiom.  The other names:  Colorado, Foothill, etc. -- duplicated the parallel streets that formed the original alignment.  It wasn't until the advent of the Interstates that more distant or even obscure names started popping up -- Golden State for the corridor north, the cryptically named San Diego freeway for a destination 120+ miles distant -- although some Interstate as well as other freeways post-'56 retained the close-in destination theme:  Santa Monica, Glendale, et. al.  But by the late '70's it seemed the over-the-air traffic reports emphasized route numbers over names, probably since in the '60's the freeway names seemed to be deemphasized, signage-wise, in favor of both route numbers and specified control cities.  That set of identifiers seems to have prevailed ever since.

I know there are a few signs pointing out the MacArthur Freeway in Emeryville and Oakland, and the Guadalupe Parkway/Route 87 sometimes has name based signage.



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[mgk920]

I'm sure at least a few people have seen this video, but I found it really cool. "Dashcam" footage from 1988 showing someone driving from Glendon Ave in Culver City, down Venice to the "San Diego", then north to the Ventura Fwy to Van Nuys Blvd:

https://youtu.be/SUh0PsW7XyI

My favorite bits are that the traffic reports, which you can hear repeatedly throughout the video, which almost never mention freeway numbers ("the San Diego [Fwy]", "the Pomona", the "Ventura Freeway". The only number I recall hearing was the 57 and the 134 (though usually "134 Ventura Fwy"). Also repeated references to the "four level".

For any LA locals, is this still the style of traffic reports? Mostly just freeway names (apart from some)?

And for our older and/or more tasteful users, the video is chock-full of really great music from the era.

About 18:30 in it, a Miller Lite beer ad with Bob Uecker (33 years after that video was recorded, he's still the radio play-by-play guy for the Brewers, BTW, but only doing home games now).  I also noted that shortly before it, the radio announcer only mentioned call-in phone numbers for the 213, 818 and 714 area codes.   

Also no internet, no satellite radio and NO CELL PHONES!     (I truly miss THOSE days!)

Mike

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What "MacArthur Freeway" signage there is are locally-posted trailblazers (I know of at least one in Piedmont); the BGS's intersecting and along the route simply refer to I-580 plus control cities.   The "Guadalupe Parkway" signage certainly exists, primarily at the I-280 junction -- but that is a unique situation, with the CA 87 freeway overlaying a longstanding arterial of the same name north of downtown San Jose.  The endpoints of CA 87, per usual Caltrans practice, cite the route number and control location (from CA 85, that would be "Downtown San Jose").  The ramp from SB US 101 to CA 87 originally contained the Guadalupe Parkway name along with the 87 shield, but that sign was replaced by 2015 with one simply referring to "SOUTH CA 87".  As that interchange is slated for reconstruction in the next couple of years, the signage will undoubtedly change -- it'll be interesting to see if the Guadalupe name is applied there as it was back in late 1986 when CA 87 signage from US 101 was first posted; my guess is no -- that like with CA 85 to the south, "Downtown San Jose" will be the control reference.   Curiously, the name Guadalupe Parkway is still signed on the frontage road extending from the Coleman Ave. underpass of 87 north to Hedding St.; it's one of the principal access points from downtown San Jose to the County Center along Hedding from CA 87 east to First Street.

[TheStranger]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What "MacArthur Freeway" signage there is are locally-posted trailblazers (I know of at least one in Piedmont); the BGS's intersecting and along the route simply refer to I-580 plus control cities. 

This is the MacArthur Freeway sign I'm actually most familiar with, on I-80 west/I-580 east along the Eastshore Freeway in Berkeley:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8505276,-122.2994312,3a,37.2y,197.23h,89.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3QOxKAe3BKwUmzB424tloQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I wonder if it is signed here though specifically due to the 80/580/880 interchange being known for decades as the Macarthur Maze.

(The only other named interchange I can think of whose moniker is in common usage in the Bay Area is the Alemany Maze where 280 and 101 meet up in SF)

[mrsman]

In common speech among L.A. people these days is to only refer to the freeway by the number.  Older LA natives will still refer to the freeway by names.

The radio reporters these days seem to do a hybrid.  The freeways that are radial from Downtown are still largely referred by name.  And it is helpful to know what part of town it is from.  Harbor vs Arroyo Seco.  Santa Ana vs Golden State.  etc.  But for many of the non-radial freeways the numbers are the sole identifier: 405, 605, 91, etc. 

Someone else can verify what goes on with the 101, I believe that it is known as the Hollywood Freeway south of NoHo, and the 101 freeway in the Valley.  Ventura fwy is not used so that it doesn't confuse with the 134 fwy.

[Max Rockatansky]

In common speech among L.A. people these days is to only refer to the freeway by the number.  Older LA natives will still refer to the freeway by names.

The radio reporters these days seem to do a hybrid.  The freeways that are radial from Downtown are still largely referred by name.  And it is helpful to know what part of town it is from.  Harbor vs Arroyo Seco.  Santa Ana vs Golden State.  etc.  But for many of the non-radial freeways the numbers are the sole identifier: 405, 605, 91, etc. 

Someone else can verify what goes on with the 101, I believe that it is known as the Hollywood Freeway south of NoHo, and the 101 freeway in the Valley.  Ventura fwy is not used so that it doesn't confuse with the 134 fwy.

I hear US 101 referred to the Ventura Freeway west of North Hollywood just as much as the route number.  Or at least that's what I used to observe whenever I worked in Los Angeles and the topic Ventura or Santa Barbara came up.  Oddly I can't recall hearing anyone ever use the number CA 170 while referring to the Hollywood Freeway. 

[sparker]

^^^^^^^^^^^^
What "MacArthur Freeway" signage there is are locally-posted trailblazers (I know of at least one in Piedmont); the BGS's intersecting and along the route simply refer to I-580 plus control cities. 

This is the MacArthur Freeway sign I'm actually most familiar with, on I-80 west/I-580 east along the Eastshore Freeway in Berkeley:

https://www.google.com/maps/@37.8505276,-122.2994312,3a,37.2y,197.23h,89.57t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3QOxKAe3BKwUmzB424tloQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

I wonder if it is signed here though specifically due to the 80/580/880 interchange being known for decades as the Macarthur Maze.

(The only other named interchange I can think of whose moniker is in common usage in the Bay Area is the Alemany Maze where 280 and 101 meet up in SF)

Didn't realize that was there; haven't been WB on 80 in that area for several years.   The suggestion that the so-called "MacArthur Maze" has something to do with its presence is probably spot-on.  But I do remember riding with family as a kid on several trips to S.F. while visiting my uncle in Sacramento during the time that I-80 was being constructed from the Maze up to the Carquinez Bridge and seeing the old BBS's (Big Black Signs, the forbears of the current BGS's) that actually cited the freeway names (Eastshore, Nimitz, et. al.).  It's likely one or more of these made it into the pages of CH&PW at some point; unless other archival photos are available, that's where pix of BBS's would most likely be preserved.   

[mapman]

Curiously, the name Guadalupe Parkway is still signed on the frontage road extending from the Coleman Ave. underpass of 87 north to Hedding St.; it's one of the principal access points from downtown San Jose to the County Center along Hedding from CA 87 east to First Street.

Actually, that is the last remnant of the old surface-street version of Guadalupe Parkway prior to construction of the CA 87 freeway.  Caltrans apparently just lifted the name for the freeway.

[sparker]

Curiously, the name Guadalupe Parkway is still signed on the frontage road extending from the Coleman Ave. underpass of 87 north to Hedding St.; it's one of the principal access points from downtown San Jose to the County Center along Hedding from CA 87 east to First Street.

Actually, that is the last remnant of the old surface-street version of Guadalupe Parkway prior to construction of the CA 87 freeway.  Caltrans apparently just lifted the name for the freeway.

Not quite -- the old Guadalupe Parkway started at the north end of the Coleman St. overpass over the UP Milpitas RR line and several local streets north of downtown SJ and curved north via a directional interchange prior to the freeway's construction.  Current CA 87 sits atop the original Guadalupe Parkway; the current street bearing that name was constructed to serve local traffic -- as stated above, primarily serving the Santa Clara County office complex -- as part of the overall freeway construction and parallels the original alignment a couple hundred yards east of the former Parkway.  Both Taylor and Hedding intersected the original parkway at signalized grade intersections. 

[TheStranger]

While trying to look up why BART parking is randomly free today, I discovered this recent article on a Hayward local who was instrumental in blocking the Route 238 freeway project in that city and wants to see a suburban high density development with very little parking space:
https://www.sfchronicle.com/local-politics/article/Suburban-homes-with-no-parking-Utopian-vision-in-14999949.php

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