California

[sparker]

The Pfeiffer Canyon bridge was demolished Friday.
http://www.kcra.com/article/caltrans-demolishes-big-sur-bridge/9152581

So much for the wrecking ball -- looks like they had to pick at it with the backhoe.  Hate to be the crew that has to break up the remains and retrieve the rubble from the canyon (at least they'll probably get overtime -- and/or hazard pay!).   Fun terrain for recreation -- not so much for work!

[Max Rockatansky]

Six months for a replacement bridge seems incredibly optimistic even in the optimal scenario.  At least they got it knocked down before the foul weather starts up again.

[nexus73]

It's definitely worth driving.  I'd never been north of San Francisco in California before I did this trip last year.  I really enjoyed myself.  I followed the Coast all the way up to Aberdeen, Washington.  If I were to do it again, I would bother with it north of Astoria.

I've done the coast through Big Sur twice.  Once was in December, 2014.  The road was marked closed due to slides.  I drove through (after I asked an oncoming car if it was passable), and saw a few minor slides along the route.  Looking back, I was pretty naive about just how much damage a rain storm can do to the coast road.

There are a lot of great drives in California.

What you missed: The temperate rain forest area on the west side of the Olympic National Park.  Seeing the way vegetation changes quickly along the E/W section of 101 as it heads toward Port Angeles and Sequim as the mountains cause the annual precipitation levels to drop close to a Great Plateau level.  Looking at the Hood Canal, vast enough to hold all the ships on our planet, set in a heavily forested area but very low on population.  Ending the 101 trip in Olympia.  Bonus points for Forks as it was featured in a vampire teen romance movie series called "Twilight".

What you did not mention: Willapa Bay.  Other than SF Bay, there is no larger estuary on the Pacific Coast.  Despite the size, no major or medium sized cities are here.  There's a lot to explore in this region.  In a way this section of 101 can be considered Washington's Lost Coast. 

I have driven every inch of 101 over the years.  Taken together it truly is a remarkable highway for scenes seen, cities to visit, climate changes, water views and of course the usual tourist traps...LOL!  From narrow slideprone 2 lane sections to massive urban freeways and everything in between, then add in all the old sections to explore, they make 101 a road lover's dream to nominate to their bucket list.

Besides, the weather is cool when it is hot inland and temperate when those other areas are freezing and snowbound.  Watch whales in the winter, watch the people in the summer! 

Rick

[Rothman]

Olympic is incredible.  The variety of ecosystems is an absolute national treasure.

[Max Rockatansky]

Olympic is incredible.  The variety of ecosystems is an absolute national treasure.

Hell since we're off on a side tangent I'll throw in on the Olympic Peninsula and US 101:

https://flic.kr/s/aHskSy4qHz

https://www.flickr.com/gp/151828809@N08/th7Hwa

Last time I was out that way I stayed in Sequim since it offers such a huge relief from the rain.  The further west you go the more rainy it gets.  Really it was probably better than Mount Rainier because of the diverse range of differing climates and lack of people. 

[sparker]

Last time I was out that way I stayed in Sequim since it offers such a huge relief from the rain.  The further west you go the more rainy it gets.  Really it was probably better than Mount Rainier because of the diverse range of differing climates and lack of people. 

Sequim, unusual for a NW town, is a "mecca" for "snowbird" RV'ers who seek out warmer-than-usual places to spend the winter.  Back in the early '90's when I lived in Portland, a number of St. Louis-based relatives who fit that category dropped by on their way to Sequim -- usually just after the holiday season.  Having spent several Christmases in StL, I can hardly fault them for wanting to head toward a more benign climate!

[Max Rockatansky]

Last time I was out that way I stayed in Sequim since it offers such a huge relief from the rain.  The further west you go the more rainy it gets.  Really it was probably better than Mount Rainier because of the diverse range of differing climates and lack of people. 

Sequim, unusual for a NW town, is a "mecca" for "snowbird" RV'ers who seek out warmer-than-usual places to spend the winter.  Back in the early '90's when I lived in Portland, a number of St. Louis-based relatives who fit that category dropped by on their way to Sequim -- usually just after the holiday season.  Having spend several Christmases in StL, I can hardly fault them for wanting to head toward a more benign climate!

Hell I'm from Detroit originally, before I moved out west there was a time I lived in Connecticut and Chicago.  Talk about winter misery, on occasion one of the younger people that works for me asks me how it was like.  I tell them that it gets dark out around 4 PM, is constantly cold, and there isn't anything fun to do.  The cabin fever in Michigan specifically coupled with the culture of the area is probably why there was so many smokers, alcoholics, and problems with being overweight....at least when I lived there.  I couldn't wait to get out there, I literally saved enough money in high school and moved out on my own the week after my graduation.  I drove across the country in a packed Chevy Silverado of the course of two days to the Phoenix Area....basically one of the meccas of the Snow Bird crowd. 

So to that end I certainly understand why so many older folks bail for warmer climates during the winter.  What I never go really is, why go back?  I know that isn't an option for some, but I have an Aunt and Uncle who go back to Michigan from Florida every year despite not really having much family.  What is even more strange to me is how little actually RV/Snow Bird destinations California has compared to Nevada and Arizona.  Really off the top of my head the big RV/Snowbird places I can think of in California would be Sun City/Menifee and Coachella Valley.  Basically Arizona has; Lake Havasu, Parker, Quartzsite, Yuma, all those dinky places on US 60 west of Wickenburg, Phoenix, Apache Junction, and even Tucson...I'm sure that I'm missing a lot more.  There is just as much desert in California as there is in Arizona but there is something to it that isn't as big a draw for that crowd.

But in regards to Sequim, that rain shadow is pretty friggin nice.  Even Port Angeles had a substantially higher amount of rain despite being so close.  Washington is weird in general with the climate being like it is, the perception is that it is constant rain.  Places like Florida and Louisiana get way more rain than Washington state...it just comes down in buckets as opposed to being a slow drizzle.  Hell there are some places in central Washington like Omak that are pretty close to being a desert. 

[kkt]

"Why go back?"

I'm not a snowbird, but I dislike hot weather (and hot humid weather especially) way more than disliking the cold overcast weather of the pacific northwest.  If it's cold, you can bundle up in warm clothes.  If it's hot, you can't really do much about that but stay inside where there's AC.  And I hate being stuck inside.

[Max Rockatansky]

"Why go back?"

I'm not a snowbird, but I dislike hot weather (and hot humid weather especially) way more than disliking the cold overcast weather of the pacific northwest.  If it's cold, you can bundle up in warm clothes.  If it's hot, you can't really do much about that but stay inside where there's AC.  And I hate being stuck inside.

Yeah I'm taking the rust belt though.  Maybe it's just me but what is left really to cling to unless you just have a crap ton of family?  I guess maybe I'm speaking to my own negative experiences I've associated with the Midwest.  It really just felt like the whole region didn't have a future growing up in the 1980s and 1990s.  Nothing I've seen since has really changed my opinion on that on frequent visits over the years.  Don't get me wrong, I've lived in nine different states so suffice to say I've never really looked at any place I've lived as permanent...more a means to an end.  I guess to each their own, I would certainly assume that the way I've bounced around the country isn't for the majority of people. 

[dfwmapper]

What is even more strange to me is how little actually RV/Snow Bird destinations California has compared to Nevada and Arizona.  Really off the top of my head the big RV/Snowbird places I can think of in California would be Sun City/Menifee and Coachella Valley.  Basically Arizona has; Lake Havasu, Parker, Quartzsite, Yuma, all those dinky places on US 60 west of Wickenburg, Phoenix, Apache Junction, and even Tucson...I'm sure that I'm missing a lot more.  There is just as much desert in California as there is in Arizona but there is something to it that isn't as big a draw for that crowd.

California is expensive, Arizona is not. No real intrigue to this one.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is even more strange to me is how little actually RV/Snow Bird destinations California has compared to Nevada and Arizona.  Really off the top of my head the big RV/Snowbird places I can think of in California would be Sun City/Menifee and Coachella Valley.  Basically Arizona has; Lake Havasu, Parker, Quartzsite, Yuma, all those dinky places on US 60 west of Wickenburg, Phoenix, Apache Junction, and even Tucson...I'm sure that I'm missing a lot more.  There is just as much desert in California as there is in Arizona but there is something to it that isn't as big a draw for that crowd.

California is expensive, Arizona is not. No real intrigue to this one.

That really depends, I spent 13 years in Phoenix and watched home prices sky rocket out of control to Los Angeles/San Diego levels.  The market had the whole housing bubble which has been gradually building back up over time ever since with the population increases.  The sad thing that when the metro area was in it's prime before people started moving there in droves that it truly was a wonderful place to live and honestly my favorite of anywhere I've ever resided.  But the increasing housing costs and in general cost of living were primary drivers of why I ended up leaving for Florida which has obviously yielded a move back to California...albeit in San Joaquin Valley.

But that all said a lot of the RV crowd was attracted to places like La Paz, Yuma, and Mohave County in Arizona which were all relatively rural compared to Maricopa County.  What is the difference between say rural San Bernardino County?...seems to me that Needles and Barstow might be missing out on an economic windfall from the retiree crowd.  Southern Clark County in Laughlin is another mecca for the RV crowd, in fact I believe it is in the top five popular retiree RV sites in the country.  Now could it all come down to sales taxes and gas prices driving the retirees away?....maybe?...but outside of Sun City there aren't a lot of large scale attempts to attract said crowd.

I would be remiss not to mention custom built communities in Maricopa County like Sun City, Sun City West, and Sun City Grand.  All of them seem to be oriented towards a concept not unlike what the Villages did out in Florida.  Granted it would seem a lot of those folks actually own property and a home instead of parking an RV.  The big retiree communities for the RV crowd in the Phoenix Area seem to always have been in Mesa, Apache Junction, and Gold Canyon way out on the outskirts where prices are still relatively low.  Pinal County seems to be going through something of a boom in recent decades in general with urban sprawl spreading out of Maricopa County.

[oscar]

What is even more strange to me is how little actually RV/Snow Bird destinations California has compared to Nevada and Arizona.  Really off the top of my head the big RV/Snowbird places I can think of in California would be Sun City/Menifee and Coachella Valley.  Basically Arizona has; Lake Havasu, Parker, Quartzsite, Yuma, all those dinky places on US 60 west of Wickenburg, Phoenix, Apache Junction, and even Tucson...I'm sure that I'm missing a lot more.  There is just as much desert in California as there is in Arizona but there is something to it that isn't as big a draw for that crowd.

California is expensive, Arizona is not. No real intrigue to this one.

In California, I see snowbirds hanging out on BLM land in the Imperial Valley, until it gets too hot and they meander their way back to Canada. No hookups or other services, but it's hard to beat the price (nothing).

[Max Rockatansky]

What is even more strange to me is how little actually RV/Snow Bird destinations California has compared to Nevada and Arizona.  Really off the top of my head the big RV/Snowbird places I can think of in California would be Sun City/Menifee and Coachella Valley.  Basically Arizona has; Lake Havasu, Parker, Quartzsite, Yuma, all those dinky places on US 60 west of Wickenburg, Phoenix, Apache Junction, and even Tucson...I'm sure that I'm missing a lot more.  There is just as much desert in California as there is in Arizona but there is something to it that isn't as big a draw for that crowd.

California is expensive, Arizona is not. No real intrigue to this one.

In California, I see snowbirds hanging out on BLM land in the Imperial Valley, until it gets too hot and they meander their way back to Canada. No hookups or other services, but it's hard to beat the price (nothing).

Isn't that the whole deal that draws people to places like Slab City out near 111?   I have some family that still does Palm Springs semi-regularly for a week or two.  Coachella Valley in general has some RV parks but it seems like they are being pushed out by urban sprawl from the big cities to the west.

[dfwmapper]

But that all said a lot of the RV crowd was attracted to places like La Paz, Yuma, and Mohave County in Arizona which were all relatively rural compared to Maricopa County.  What is the difference between say rural San Bernardino County?...seems to me that Needles and Barstow might be missing out on an economic windfall from the retiree crowd.  Southern Clark County in Laughlin is another mecca for the RV crowd, in fact I believe it is in the top five popular retiree RV sites in the country.  Now could it all come down to sales taxes and gas prices driving the retirees away?....maybe?...but outside of Sun City there aren't a lot of large scale attempts to attract said crowd.

Sales tax, income tax, cost of fuel, cost of food, cost of housing. Also reasonable access to a major city for occasional trips to the airport (either going to see family or having them visit), shopping, and visiting specialist doctors (very important when you get old and your body falls apart). Most of rural San Bernardino county is too far away from everything.

[Max Rockatansky]

But that all said a lot of the RV crowd was attracted to places like La Paz, Yuma, and Mohave County in Arizona which were all relatively rural compared to Maricopa County.  What is the difference between say rural San Bernardino County?...seems to me that Needles and Barstow might be missing out on an economic windfall from the retiree crowd.  Southern Clark County in Laughlin is another mecca for the RV crowd, in fact I believe it is in the top five popular retiree RV sites in the country.  Now could it all come down to sales taxes and gas prices driving the retirees away?....maybe?...but outside of Sun City there aren't a lot of large scale attempts to attract said crowd.

Sales tax, income tax, cost of fuel, cost of food, cost of housing. Also reasonable access to a major city for occasional trips to the airport (either going to see family or having them visit), shopping, and visiting specialist doctors (very important when you get old and your body falls apart). Most of rural San Bernardino county is too far away from everything.

Not really in regards to travel comparison to say the Villages which would be near Ocala and Gainsville with major airports being at Tampa International or OIA.  John Wayne has plenty of flights and it wouldn't be that much of a drive up I-15 to get out into the Mojave or I-10 to get to the Sonoran Desert.  People who camp out in Quartzsite, Yuma, Parker, Havasu, Bullhead City, and Laughlin are all at minimum 2 to 4 hours from a major airport destination either with Sky Harbor or McCarran.  Victorville itself is well over 100, 000 residents and would likely be able to fill any moderate to possibly major medical concern with said population base.

With that all in mind, here is something vexing....the Florida Keys.  That place is expensive as all hell, even for the RV crowd.  There is little access without a significant drive to anything like a grocery store much less a doctor.  Something down there is drawing an appeal towards retires, for certain Florida being easy on pursuing income taxes would probably high on the list. 

[don1991]

Quoting:

"Dan Walters has been writing political analyses & columns for the Sacramento Bee for as long as I can remember; he was certainly doing so as a young reporter during the heyday of freeway construction during the later years of the Pat Brown gubernatorial administration ('59-'67).  He's pretty much an "old-fashioned liberal", preferring projects that benefit the larger population rather than directed toward one contingent or another, regardless of any perception of being aggrieved.  Excoriated on the right as a "tax-and-spend" proponent; and likewise on the left as insensitive & out of touch, he's been carrying on for about 50 years with no sign of slowing -- and there's hardly anyone who knows better how California government -- including the individual agencies -- really functions.  I read his column every time it's published on the Bee website; and I'm certainly not surprised to see him tackle the issue of underfunded highway development."

----

I am a rock-hard right wing conservative but I always say that in 1950s / 1960s California, I would have been a Pat Brown liberal.  At least as far as the infrastructure building was concerned.  IMO, his son has completely ruined the state and why voters let him in for a second set of two terms I never will understand.

Loved Reagan (though he was governor before I was born), but one regret is that he beat out Pat Brown over the issue of spending too much.  Sure, a lot was spent but it was GOOD SPENDING.  Not like the junk today of high-speed rail and endless EIR reports and studies to tell us the obvious:  "YES, the road really needs to be widened."

[Max Rockatansky]

Just throwing this out there, but wasn't it the Reagan administration that reorganized The Division of Highways into Caltrans?  Didn't that not open the door along with the Californian Environmental Quality Act for a lot of the cut backs seen from the 1960s through to today?  Of course I'm just saying spit ball saying that without really digging all that far in, politics tend to make for boring and inflammatory conversation as of late on Forum.  But if there is a historical slant to all this I'm all in for reasonable conversation...if it can stay that way. 

[don1991]

Quoting:

"Just throwing this out there, but wasn't it the Reagan administration that reorganized The Division of Highways into Caltrans?  Didn't that not open the door along with the Californian Environmental Quality Act for a lot of the cut backs seen from the 1960s through to today?  Of course I'm just saying spit ball saying that without really digging all that far in, politics tend to make for boring and inflammatory conversation as of late on Forum.  But if there is a historical slant to all this I'm all in for reasonable conversation...if it can stay that way."

--

You are right on all counts.  I am sure when it came to Division of Highways --> Caltrans, that Reagan was going for efficiency in government.  I am sure he did not foresee the Caltrans of today that spends more time on bicycle and pedestrian plans instead of building roads that move goods and people.

As for CEQA, I always wondered if Reagan realized what a Pandora's box he opened.  I am sure it was passed with good intentions but then most legislation is.  Few people foresee government action taking on a life of its own, far beyond what was intended.

I agree on not making things to politically heavy, except to note that the concept of building roads has become all too political over the past 4 decades.  I am most interested to see if there comes a turning point in California such that building roads and infrastructure becomes the in-thing to do again.   Jerry Brown is a dinosaur as are many in the California Legislature and nothing lasts forever.

I keep hoping that new blood comes in, casts off the chains that have kept the once Golden State from building, and makes this state a golden beacon again.  Once the State of California used to be pro-active  - anticipating problems and working to build ahead of time to keep the problem from occurring.  Now we hem and haw until it is far too late and the solution is nothing more than an ill-fitting band-aid, unable to work.  Adding one or two lanes to a freeway that is has been congested for more than 50 years (think I-5 in Norwalk) is better than nothing but is not enough. 

[sparker]

But that all said a lot of the RV crowd was attracted to places like La Paz, Yuma, and Mohave County in Arizona which were all relatively rural compared to Maricopa County.  What is the difference between say rural San Bernardino County?...seems to me that Needles and Barstow might be missing out on an economic windfall from the retiree crowd.  Southern Clark County in Laughlin is another mecca for the RV crowd, in fact I believe it is in the top five popular retiree RV sites in the country.  Now could it all come down to sales taxes and gas prices driving the retirees away?....maybe?...but outside of Sun City there aren't a lot of large scale attempts to attract said crowd.

Sales tax, income tax, cost of fuel, cost of food, cost of housing. Also reasonable access to a major city for occasional trips to the airport (either going to see family or having them visit), shopping, and visiting specialist doctors (very important when you get old and your body falls apart). Most of rural San Bernardino county is too far away from everything.

When I was living in Hesperia from 2009 to 2012, many of the folks I came across were military retirees; neighboring Apple Valley seemed to be a "mecca" for ex-USAF personnel (the proximity of 3 former and present bases: Edwards, George, and Norton, likely accounted for much of that phenomenon).  That, despite a distinct lack of extensive medical facilities (St. Mary's in AV and Valley Med in Victorville, both mid-sized facilities, comprised what was available); from conversations I had with local residents concerning this discrepancy, a substantial number of these -- dominated by folks over 55 -- simply went "over the hill" (i.e., Cajon Pass) for their major medical needs, either to Arrowhead Medical Center in Rialto or the Loma Linda complex.  Also, many of them were "grandfathered-in" Kaiser members who schlepped down the nearest facility in Fontana as their primary site.   

[Max Rockatansky]

But that all said a lot of the RV crowd was attracted to places like La Paz, Yuma, and Mohave County in Arizona which were all relatively rural compared to Maricopa County.  What is the difference between say rural San Bernardino County?...seems to me that Needles and Barstow might be missing out on an economic windfall from the retiree crowd.  Southern Clark County in Laughlin is another mecca for the RV crowd, in fact I believe it is in the top five popular retiree RV sites in the country.  Now could it all come down to sales taxes and gas prices driving the retirees away?....maybe?...but outside of Sun City there aren't a lot of large scale attempts to attract said crowd.

Sales tax, income tax, cost of fuel, cost of food, cost of housing. Also reasonable access to a major city for occasional trips to the airport (either going to see family or having them visit), shopping, and visiting specialist doctors (very important when you get old and your body falls apart). Most of rural San Bernardino county is too far away from everything.

When I was living in Hesperia from 2009 to 2012, many of the folks I came across were military retirees; neighboring Apple Valley seemed to be a "mecca" for ex-USAF personnel (the proximity of 3 former and present bases: Edwards, George, and Norton, likely accounted for much of that phenomenon).  That, despite a distinct lack of extensive medical facilities (St. Mary's in AV and Valley Med in Victorville, both mid-sized facilities, comprised what was available); from conversations I had with local residents concerning this discrepancy, a substantial number of these -- dominated by folks over 55 -- simply went "over the hill" (i.e., Cajon Pass) for their major medical needs, either to Arrowhead Medical Center in Rialto or the Loma Linda complex.  Also, many of them were "grandfathered-in" Kaiser members who schlepped down the nearest facility in Fontana as their primary site.

Military bases in general attract a ton of retirees since there is usually an RV site somewhere and access to things like cheap food at a commissary or PX.  I've found that the majority of those guys who spent a full twenty years for a retirement tend to travel even more than other elderly folks, I always assumed it was because they were used to moving around from their careers.  Kind of funny to think of Hesperia and Victorville really as another part of the outward urban Sprawl from Los Angeles....but its really true.  A 30 mile drive over Cajon Pass doesn't seem all that bad to get the doctor compared what it really could be.

Quoting:

You are right on all counts.  I am sure when it came to Division of Highways --> Caltrans, that Reagan was going for efficiency in government.  I am sure he did not foresee the Caltrans of today that spends more time on bicycle and pedestrian plans instead of building roads that move goods and people.

As for CEQA, I always wondered if Reagan realized what a Pandora's box he opened.  I am sure it was passed with good intentions but then most legislation is.  Few people foresee government action taking on a life of its own, far beyond what was intended.

I agree on not making things to politically heavy, except to note that the concept of building roads has become all too political over the past 4 decades.  I am most interested to see if there comes a turning point in California such that building roads and infrastructure becomes the in-thing to do again.   Jerry Brown is a dinosaur as are many in the California Legislature and nothing lasts forever.

I keep hoping that new blood comes in, casts off the chains that have kept the once Golden State from building, and makes this state a golden beacon again.  Once the State of California used to be pro-active  - anticipating problems and working to build ahead of time to keep the problem from occurring.  Now we hem and haw until it is far too late and the solution is nothing more than an ill-fitting band-aid, unable to work.  Adding one or two lanes to a freeway that is has been congested for more than 50 years (think I-5 in Norwalk) is better than nothing but is not enough.

Really it is impossible to anticipate what the ramifications a passage of legislation might have 30, 40, 50, ect years down the line.  It isn't just California though, infrastructure redevelopment is largely a national level issue.  The primary issue is that you have a lot competing issues like the EPA Act that make it more difficult to construct anything new or invest money back into a pre-existing project that could use some enhancements.  My take on it is that California more or less comes to the forefront because there are simply way more notable examples of expressways and freeways showing age here than most other places.  A lot of that could be surmised from the fact that California was largely ahead of the curve in the mid-20th century in terms of road building upgrades to modern standards.  Its funny to think that most of the freeways and expressways used to day were largely present back in times like the 1950s and 60s. 

[sparker]

Kind of funny to think of Hesperia and Victorville really as another part of the outward urban Sprawl from Los Angeles....but its really true.  A 30 mile drive over Cajon Pass doesn't seem all that bad to get the doctor compared what it really could be.

Believe it!  When I moved there in '09, there were tracts south of Main St. between I-15 and central Hesperia with quite a number of half-finished homes that were, for a time, functionally abandoned when the housing bubble burst in '07-'08 (eventually the developers finished them off, although according to my friends in the area, many of them remain unoccupied).  That area, along with Beaumont/Banning along I-10 and Perris/Menifee south of Riverside, was among the last in the area to feature under-$250K homes at the "bubble's" peak in 2005-06; neighboring Adelanto, to the west, had smaller new "ranch" homes averaging about 1600-1700 square feet that remained a bit under $200K -- and which were specifically marketed to workers in the distribution centers from Pomona east to Redlands.  The "high desert" was indeed the last frontier in terms of greater LA/Inland Empire housing development.  When I left in the fall of 2012, the "new thing" was the development of densely-packed row houses, primarily in the east part of Victorville and along Highway 18 in Apple Valley.  It seems vestiges of the "new urban" theory are taking hold even in the desert!

[kkt]

I'm not sure the Division of Highways to Caltrans transition was motivated primarily by efficiency.  At that time California was fairly flush and not really feeling pinched.  However, the urban areas felt they were approaching the end of where freeways could reasonably be built, but there was no state agency building the mass transit projects that would be more appropriate for urban areas.  Caltrans was to be the agency charged with both.

Yes, Reagan did slash the state colleges budget, but that wasn't motivated by saving money, that was a way to punish those damn hippy students who thought they could protest any way they wanted to and their colleges weren't kicking them out.

At least look into it further before assuming it was budget cuts.

[sparker]

I'm not sure the Division of Highways to Caltrans transition was motivated primarily by efficiency.  At that time California was fairly flush and not really feeling pinched.  However, the urban areas felt they were approaching the end of where freeways could reasonably be built, but there was no state agency building the mass transit projects that would be more appropriate for urban areas.  Caltrans was to be the agency charged with both.

Yes, Reagan did slash the state colleges budget, but that wasn't motivated by saving money, that was a way to punish those damn hippy students who thought they could protest any way they wanted to and their colleges weren't kicking them out.

At least look into it further before assuming it was budget cuts.

At the time ('73) of the Caltrans consolidation -- at least according to my cousin, who was working at the Division of Highways HQ during the transition -- one of the principal considerations prompting the consolidation was the notion that genuine feasibility and engineering vetting could and would be applied to not only highway projects but also transit concepts as well -- and that "pie in the sky" mass-transit projects would be brought "down to earth" in terms of both budget and scope so they could be incorporated into state and district plans more or less seamlessly. 

Of course, that was turned on its ear when the 1st Jerry Brown administration took over less than 2 years later; his selection as Caltrans chief, Adriana Gianturco (aka "Giant Turkey" to "lifer" Division of Highways personnel), who made no effort to mask her dislike of private automobile usage, slashed the roadbuilding budget drastically while increasing funds for initial transit studies in urbanized regions.  About 30% of the state's previously adopted freeway alignments were decommissioned and properties acquired for such either sold or leased out.  Of course, the majority of these were urban routes, many of which were in fact superfluous or even gratuitous -- but the axe fell on needed rural and outlying facilities as well -- she didn't know how to work a scalpel but certainly wielded a mean machete!  (Max & Bako, if you're wondering why WB 58 drops to 2 lanes once into Bakersfield, look no further than Gianturco's 1977 decision to cut back in-progress freeway construction to minimum requirements!).  She had a new omnibus agency toy with which to play -- and used it to further her personal agenda.

Ironically, in 1983, when the Brown/Gianturco reign was history and Deukmejian was governor, construction indeed picked up -- but George D, being the cheapskate that he was, retained, for budgetary reasons,  the "minimalist" approach to freeway and/or highway projects that was instituted by the previous administration -- a lot of projects that should have been 6+ lanes from the start were constructed as 4 lanes (US 101 from Morgan Hill to San Jose being one of these, opening in late '84) as a cost-cutting measure.   

Re Reagan and the colleges:  the mid-60's enmity between Reagan and his backers and Clark Kerr, UC chancellor, was not only palpable but red-hot;  Reagan's '66 gubernatorial platform featured a promise to sack Kerr, who was to the Reagan cohort responsible for what they considered the collegiate capitulation to the likes of Mario Savio and his fellow social protestors. 

Personally -- after 50 years I still find it difficult to forgive the Reagan administration for getting rid of California Highways & Public Works (which folded in early '67).    

[kkt]

Thanks for the history.

By 1983, California's budgets were much tighter.  Prop. 13 passed in 1978 greatly reducing property tax receipts.  The Serrano-Priest decisions in the 1970s stopped allowing school districts with lots of expensive properties on their tax rolls to charge lower tax rates than poor districts and still get more revenue per student.  The state tended to equalize upwards, using the general fund to raise poor districts rather than cutting the rich ones.  So there was less money available for road projects and they were underbuilt.

[emory]

Driving on I-10 towards the western end, Caltrans has changed the overhead signs for Lincoln Blvd to say "TO SR 1 SOUTH." Rarely do I see them change signs on freeways to acknowledge a local relinquishment of a state highway.