CA 99 named deadliest highway in US by ValuePenguin

[emory]

http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/state-route-99-was-named-the-deadliest-highway-in-the-us

https://www.valuepenguin.com/most-dangerous-roads-america

The 50 Most Dangerous Roads in America
by CRAIG CASAZZA

America is a country of roads. Every state has its own highway system, while nationally there is the interstate and numbered highway system. All in all, there are 2.7 million miles of road in the U.S.-- enough to go around the Earth 107.2 times! Not every road has a great safety record though. Some are simply more dangerous than others. In this study we explored the 50 most dangerous roads in America. We go into how often a fatal accident occurs, and what makes these roads dangerous.

State Route 99 (California)
62.3 Fatal Accidents per 100 Miles
Deadliest City: Fresno (34 fatal accidents)

[hotdogPi]

It should be per vehicle mile traveled, not per mile of road.

Also, some sections of I-95 are much more dangerous than others. The same is true for every road.

[NE2]

Very bullshit methodology, grouping I-95 in Miami with I-95 in Maine (and SR 99 in Fresno with SR 99 in Chico) just because they share a number. I don't know what the best way to group crashes would be, but it ain't this.

[Max Rockatansky]

It's really not a great stretch of road....but the deadliest?...not sure about that.  The main problem with 99 is the heavy amounts of truck traffic on a narrow freeway with an old design.  Some of the right-on/right-off ramps are nutty as all hell with little to no room to get up to speed.  The Tule Fog is a factor too...up by Fresno it's basically a convergence of truck traffic pouring onto a heavily burdened road that needs to be improved.  I wouldn't go as far as saying "Interstate Standards" but if there was a two additional lanes all the way from Bakersfield to Fresno it would help a ton.  Things get really bad north of Bakersfield when the road goes back down to four-lanes.  I try to avoid using 99 as much as possible but there aren't many good alternates unless you are taking I-5 all the way to Sacramento or something.

[sparker]

Any article such as this that substitutes route length for VMT in the process of compiling their stats isn't worth the ink to commit it to paper (or the keystrokes committing it to the screen!).  Shorter routes featuring a high level of commercial traffic or longer routes with much of their length traversing urban regions will inevitably churn out an increased fatality "rate" using this dubious methodology -- with actual ridership not being factored in.  The only saving grace here is that it may provoke someone with the resources to do so to actually undertake a meaningful and statistically valid (e.g., some form of regression analysis) study of such an issue -- and not leave it to amateurs such as the author(s) of this article who, despite any well-meaning intentions, disseminate misinformation.

Having said all this, the sections of CA 99 between Delano and CA 198, the Chowchilla bypass, and the Merced/Atwater combined bypass segment have all "aged out" in regard to the traffic they carry on a daily basis; they are clearly substandard facilities compared to the remainder of the route south of Stockton, which has undergone periodic and segmented improvements over the last half-century or so.  But it may well be that, with the completion of the final expressway-to-freeway upgrade south of Merced in the last couple of years, making the route a full freeway from its southern terminus to Sacramento, the route is considered a "fait accompli" despite the presence of these substandard sections.  And with Caltrans' focus seemingly shifting to urban/commute/transit matters, the more rural arterials such as CA 99 could easily slip onto the "back burner", so to speak, despite their considerable ridership.  IMO, an eye, official or otherwise, needs to be kept on the ball regarding these outlying corridors.           

[The Ghostbuster]

Although its not likely to happen, maybe the entire length of CA 99 from Sacramento to Red Bluff should be upgraded to freeway standards, like the portion between Mettler and Sacramento.

[Max Rockatansky]

Although its not likely to happen, maybe the entire length of CA 99 from Sacramento to Red Bluff should be upgraded to freeway standards, like the portion between Mettler and Sacramento.

But that's really not the contributor to the accident rate.  Basically from Bakersfield to Sacramento it's still 99 as the primary route in spite of I-5 being around.  There is a crap ton of localized truck traffic that would never have a reason to go out to I-5 along with a lot more bulk population with all the cities that are on 99. Add that all up with everything Sparker said about the route being worn out and it's a recipe for people saying it's the worst in the country at something....in this case deadliest.

[Desert Man]

CA neglected a few highways over the years, wherever high population growth in terribly small roads are frequent. The 99 needs an upgrade long overdue and the others like CA SR 86 and CA SR 138 earned notorious titles "death highways". Fresno is one of the state's largest cities in population, so they can't be entirely rural areas, the 99 demonstrates a need to expand for the amount of traffic the Fresno metro area (yes, it's considered one) can have.

[sparker]

Pretty much all of this discussion has been extensively -- if not exhaustively -- in previous threads:  particularly "CA 99 -- The Final Countdown", which roadfro eventually rolled into the "US 99" thread.  Before reiterating and rehashing the fine points of the various CA 99-related topics, I suggest an examination of the CA 99 "master plan" for a complete Wheeler Ridge-to-Sacramento upgrade/capacity expansion.  The outline can be found at:

www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/99masterplan/index.html

Prompts within the outline get you to more detailed examinations of various aspects of the planned upgrades, including the notorious (to some) notion of possible Interstate status (only briefly mentioned).  The plans -- largely unfunded -- are quite ambitious (and more extensive, for the most part, than what's been discussed in our threads!).  In any case, worthwhile reading for anyone interested in the future of CA 99.

[ACSCmapcollector]

Although its not likely to happen, maybe the entire length of CA 99 from Sacramento to Red Bluff should be upgraded to freeway standards, like the portion between Mettler and Sacramento.

The section to Red Bluff of CA 99 doesn't exist, that is now CA 36.  Which used to be U.S. Highway 99E, in 1966.

[sparker]

Although its not likely to happen, maybe the entire length of CA 99 from Sacramento to Red Bluff should be upgraded to freeway standards, like the portion between Mettler and Sacramento.

The section to Red Bluff of CA 99 doesn't exist, that is now CA 36.  Which used to be U.S. Highway 99E, in 1966.

The US 99E signage was completely gone by spring 1965, replaced by CA 65 from Roseville to Olivehurst, CA 70 from there to Marysville, CA 20 between Marysville & Yuba City, and CA 99 north from there to Red Bluff; later, the latter section was truncated back to CA 36 about 3-4 miles east of I-5 at Red Bluff -- although there is trailblazer signage along I-5 southbound citing east CA 36 as the connecting route to CA 99. 

[Max Rockatansky]

Although its not likely to happen, maybe the entire length of CA 99 from Sacramento to Red Bluff should be upgraded to freeway standards, like the portion between Mettler and Sacramento.

The section to Red Bluff of CA 99 doesn't exist, that is now CA 36.  Which used to be U.S. Highway 99E, in 1966.

The US 99E signage was completely gone by spring 1965, replaced by CA 65 from Roseville to Olivehurst, CA 70 from there to Marysville, CA 20 between Marysville & Yuba City, and CA 99 north from there to Red Bluff; later, the latter section was truncated back to CA 36 about 3-4 miles east of I-5 at Red Bluff -- although there is trailblazer signage along I-5 southbound citing east CA 36 as the connecting route to CA 99.

Aren't there Historic US 99 signs through the area also?

[sparker]

Aren't there Historic US 99 signs through the area also?

IIRC from the last time I was up in that area, there were sporadic Historic 99 signs on the Business 99 routing through central Chico, as well as on the original US 99E alignment through Durham and Richvale (following the SP "East Valley" railroad line, now the main UP track between Roseville and Oregon).  There may be some in the Yuba City/Marysville area as well; I don't recall seeing any south of there.  Interestingly (and technically inaccurately), this signage references US 99 rather than 99E, which was the pre-1964 designation of the overall route as outlined in my previous post.