California

[kernals12]

^^^^ that's bizarre metro hasn't said anything and I don't recall them identifying any preferred alternative. Their latest update on the website just shows the EA was released in 2020. Are we sure this isn't just appropriating money and/or engineering or design?

Metro isn't the best at updating its website.

And the contract is worth $500 million. That'd be some very expensive engineering or design.

If so that absolutely sucks if they're only going with a simple conversion into an express lanes as one of the alternatives had two express lanes each way at the expense of a standard freeway shoulder. Yes freeways should have shoulders but traffic relief would be better I use this road at least once a week and two express lanes each way would be a god send.

Uh, they are going to be adding lanes

The press release says

The I-105 ExpressLanes Project is a $500m scheme to convert two of the highway's lanes to "ExpressLanes"  — that is, ones in which high-occupancy vehicles, vans and buses travel free whereas solo drivers are charged a toll. It will also add two new ExpressLanes, one to either carriageway.

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ I did not see that. I am happy they went this route. They will also be considering this option for the 405 between The Sepulveda Pass and the 105 once the Sepulveda Pass project wraps up. Hopefully the 405 South Bay curve improvements will include more lanes as well.

[kernals12]

CARB's ban on internal combustion powered vehicles should make it a lot easier for highway expansions to pass environmental review, no?

[Max Rockatansky]

CARB's ban on internal combustion powered vehicles should make it a lot easier for highway expansions to pass environmental review, no?

Likely not.  The current state stance is equally about pushing minimizing single occupant vehicle usage.

[kernals12]

CARB's ban on internal combustion powered vehicles should make it a lot easier for highway expansions to pass environmental review, no?

Likely not.  The current state stance is equally about pushing minimizing single occupant vehicle usage.

Politicians follow public opinion. The mayor of Portland recently said he didn't care if the widening of I-5 in his city led to more traffic since the cars will all be electric.

[Max Rockatansky]

CARB's ban on internal combustion powered vehicles should make it a lot easier for highway expansions to pass environmental review, no?

Likely not.  The current state stance is equally about pushing minimizing single occupant vehicle usage.

Politicians follow public opinion. The mayor of Portland recently said he didn't care if the widening of I-5 in his city led to more traffic since the cars will all be electric.

The last I checked the CTC didn't really seem to be too keen on what public opinion was.  I'm not saying I like it, but I would expect the 2035 EV mandate to suddenly course change the direction the CTC has been going since 1978.

[heynow415]

CARB's ban on internal combustion powered vehicles should make it a lot easier for highway expansions to pass environmental review, no?

Likely not.  The current state stance is equally about pushing minimizing single occupant vehicle usage.

Environmental review (CEQA/NEPA) goes well beyond air quality impacts.  Widening, particularly in urban areas, where acquisition of established neighborhoods is needed is still something that would be part of an EIR/EIS.  With increasing public outrage over displacement/disruption of established communities, I don't see things getting much easier for expansion projects in built-up areas.  Between that and the considerable land acquisition costs I can understand why CTC continues to focus on increasing capacity through increased efficiency (e.g. HOV) of the existing network, maximizing whatever remaining r/w is available, and incremental improvements here and there.  If Moonbeam didn't sell off/abandon already-owned r/w back in the day perhaps it would have been easier to build/expand things in several key corridors around the state without needing to pick political fights with adjacent communities.

[kernals12]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

[Max Rockatansky]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

Only took since 1949 for an upgrade.  That corridor between Santa Cruz and Aptos is surprisingly one of the oldest freeways in Northern California.

[Plutonic Panda]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

Only took since 1949 for an upgrade.  That corridor between Santa Cruz and Aptos is surprisingly one of the oldest freeways in Northern California.

This is honestly the stretch I hate the most on my trips along PCH from LA to SF. Six will help but it'll still get clogged up. There's a couple other sections that could use the six lane treatment after this one.

[kkt]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

No way!  I was sure we'd see the Second Coming first.

[jdbx]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

I got excited at first, thinking this was the addition of mainline lanes, but it appears this is for auxiliary lanes with shoulder-running for buses.  At least that's the read I got from this graphic:



We enjoy vacationing down in Capitola and Aptos, and the final few miles along CA-1 is always the worst part of the trip.  We can usually make it from our home to the CA-17/CA-1 interchange in about 90 minutes, but it's often an additional 45+ minutes to make the 5-7 mile journey the rest of the way.  I hope these auxiliary lanes work, but mainline lanes would have been even better.  I know, I know, beggars can't be choosers.

[Max Rockatansky]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

Only took since 1949 for an upgrade.  That corridor between Santa Cruz and Aptos is surprisingly one of the oldest freeways in Northern California.

This is honestly the stretch I hate the most on my trips along PCH from LA to SF. Six will help but it'll still get clogged up. There's a couple other sections that could use the six lane treatment after this one.

As late I've been resorting to using the old surface alignment on Soquel.  For whatever reason that still moves even in rush hour.

[kernals12]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

Only took since 1949 for an upgrade.  That corridor between Santa Cruz and Aptos is surprisingly one of the oldest freeways in Northern California.

This is honestly the stretch I hate the most on my trips along PCH from LA to SF. Six will help but it'll still get clogged up. There's a couple other sections that could use the six lane treatment after this one.

As late I've been resorting to using the old surface alignment on Soquel.  For whatever reason that still moves even in rush hour.

How about an offshore viaduct all the way from San Juan Capistrano to Eureka?

[Max Rockatansky]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

Only took since 1949 for an upgrade.  That corridor between Santa Cruz and Aptos is surprisingly one of the oldest freeways in Northern California.

This is honestly the stretch I hate the most on my trips along PCH from LA to SF. Six will help but it'll still get clogged up. There's a couple other sections that could use the six lane treatment after this one.

As late I've been resorting to using the old surface alignment on Soquel.  For whatever reason that still moves even in rush hour.

How about an offshore viaduct all the way from San Juan Capistrano to Eureka?

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica.  CA 61 and CA 87 come to mind as other offshore structures which were planned a similar manner but never built.

[Plutonic Panda]

HWY 1 in Santa Cruz is getting widened to 6 lanes!
https://santacruzlocal.org/2022/09/01/highway-1-widening-project-advances-in-santa-cruz-county/

I got excited at first, thinking this was the addition of mainline lanes, but it appears this is for auxiliary lanes with shoulder-running for buses.  At least that's the read I got from this graphic:



We enjoy vacationing down in Capitola and Aptos, and the final few miles along CA-1 is always the worst part of the trip.  We can usually make it from our home to the CA-17/CA-1 interchange in about 90 minutes, but it's often an additional 45+ minutes to make the 5-7 mile journey the rest of the way.  I hope these auxiliary lanes work, but mainline lanes would have been even better.  I know, I know, beggars can't be choosers.

It does say that a new lane is "expected"  to be built whatever that really means. They worded that article weird.

[Kniwt]

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica. 

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2003/Sept-2003/09_29_03_Dreaming_Big_The_Road_in_the_Sea.htm

[skluth]

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica. 

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2003/Sept-2003/09_29_03_Dreaming_Big_The_Road_in_the_Sea.htm

Cool story. Thanks. I guess those giant islands off the coast of Dubai weren't an original idea. Seeing how those are becoming a huge boondoggle, it's even more reassuring that the Santa Monica Causeway never happened.

[kernals12]

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica. 

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2003/Sept-2003/09_29_03_Dreaming_Big_The_Road_in_the_Sea.htm

That's not a viaduct, that's an island.

[Max Rockatansky]

Priest-Coulterville Road probably doesn't require it's own thread.  Nonetheless given it has has been around since the 1850s I did a blog on it anyways since I drove it on the way to Wards Ferry Road:

https://www.gribblenation.org/2022/09/priest-coulterville-road.html?m=1

[skluth]

All Lane Closure on Eastbound 91 from Main Street to I-15, Corona this weekend

The Riverside County Transportation Commission's 91 Refresh Project will require a weekend full closure of eastbound
91 from Main Street to just west of Interstate 15 in Corona, September 16-19, 2022. The eastbound 91 Express Lanes
and the eastbound 91 Main St. on-ramp also will be closed. The 15/91 Interchange will remain open.

Crews will be repaving lanes in this area. For the safety of motorists and crews, detours will be in place. Please avoid
the area or allow extra travel time due to anticipated significant delays.

WHEN:
Friday, September 16 at 9 p.m. to Monday, September 19 at 5 a.m. Dates are subject to change, due to weather and
other factors. If needed, the closure will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

WHERE:
- Weekend full closure of eastbound 91 lanes, east of Main St. to just west of Interstate 15
- Weekend full closure of eastbound Main St. on-ramp to eastbound 91
- Weekend full closure of eastbound 91 Express Lanes

More information including graphic of affected area here

[dbz77]

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica. 

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2003/Sept-2003/09_29_03_Dreaming_Big_The_Road_in_the_Sea.htm

Cool story. Thanks. I guess those giant islands off the coast of Dubai weren't an original idea. Seeing how those are becoming a huge boondoggle, it's even more reassuring that the Santa Monica Causeway never happened.

I suspect the bridges would have been tolled if it had been built.

[kernals12]

Sarcasm aside those were suggested once for several freeways.  If I recall correctly one was even planned for US 101A (now CA 1) in the vicinity of Santa Monica. 

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2003/Sept-2003/09_29_03_Dreaming_Big_The_Road_in_the_Sea.htm

Cool story. Thanks. I guess those giant islands off the coast of Dubai weren't an original idea. Seeing how those are becoming a huge boondoggle, it's even more reassuring that the Santa Monica Causeway never happened.

I suspect the bridges would have been tolled if it had been built.

Remember: back in those days, collecting tolls meant manned toll booths, requiring toll takers ($) and where cars would have to queue up (causing back-ups on the Santa Monica Freeway) and then accelerate, creating lots of pollution.

The whole idea was hare-brained and impractical.

[Quillz]

I think that idea was borne from the "we can conquer nature no matter what" mentality that I thought died off with the Edwardian era, but seems to have existed until the environmentalism movement became popular. When I looked at the 1934 California route proposal that was featured in the (now) Caltrans journal, it had lines that showed routes going over the Sierra, or along the Klamath River. It seems the idea was "we'll just build these routes no matter how difficult, expensive, or environmentally sensitive."

[kernals12]

I think that idea was borne from the "we can conquer nature no matter what" mentality that I thought died off with the Edwardian era, but seems to have existed until the environmentalism movement became popular. When I looked at the 1934 California route proposal that was featured in the (now) Caltrans journal, it had lines that showed routes going over the Sierra, or along the Klamath River. It seems the idea was "we'll just build these routes no matter how difficult, expensive, or environmentally sensitive."

At the same time as this, there were Plans for freeways in Malibu and Topanga Canyons.