Observations Along The Road... at Dreamwidth

June: The time of transition. We transition from Spring into Summer in June. I just transitioned into retirement. My daughter is transitioning into post-doctoral life at Washington University in St. Louis. My M-I-L just passed away; her spirit is reunited with her beloved Jay. But while some things transition, the rhythm of life goes on, reminding us to move forward. One of those reminders is the monthly highway headlines post, because work on California’s highways never finishes.

The podcast continues, albeit on a slightly slower schedule while I work on Season 4. In June, we got out the last episode of Season 3, covering all things Route 7. We hope to record a few lower-effort bonus episodes over the summer, before starting up on Season 4 in September. We’re thinking of one based on Tom’s talk to the Fresno Flats Museum on the history of the highways around Oakhurst, and one talking about the Caltrans History Library. The first episode of Season 4 should be a bear: Route 8, which means with dealing with the history of I-8 and the former US 80.

It looks like the regular audience is between 60-70 folks, and I’d love to get that number up. You can help. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Share the podcast on Facebook groups, and in your Bluesky and Mastodon communities. For those that hear the early episodes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Creators) . The following episode has been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.12: Route 7: From Long Beach to the Border. Episode 3.12 brings Season 3 to a close, modulo our bonus episodes. In Episode 3.12, we explore all things Route 7. As is our tradition, we start by looking into the 7th state highway, the Kings River Canyon Road, and LRN 7, which included portions of US 40 and US 99W. We then turn our attention to various incarnations of Route 7: Sign Route 7, both the section along the Eastern Sierras that is now US 395 and US 6 and the section that became Sepulveda Blvd in Los Angeles; 1964-1981 Route 7, which was the Long Beach Freeway before it was renumbered into I-710; and the current Route 7, which is a small border connection route near a new entry point near Calexico. We’ll then be taking a short break, during which there will be some bonus episodes. We’ll pick up in the fall with Season 4, which will cover Route 8 through Route 14. I’m also going to be working on improving the sound quality of the podcast once I retire in July. (Spotify for Podcasters)

As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for June.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• ＄ How California’s road signs have influenced the nation and what’s new (Orange County Register). On the road: The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates that 91% of summer trips will be via car and 250 to 499 miles each way. Today we look at our roads. Signs of the times. Originally, California’s road signs were black with white lettering, but the state changed them after a federal rule was extended to the states. A federal study found that blue-and-gold and black-and-white signs were less visible at night. White-and-green signs retain the desired contrast at the longest distance. [Note: This article was originally published by Kurt in June 2017, and the essence was captured back into these pages here. When I saw this republishing, I dropped Kurt a note (indicating that the reference to my pages still needed correction), and he noted: “The short week put me in a bind so I took what I had and added a bunch more.” – DPF]
• San Diego aging highways to undergo $623M in upgrades (CBS8 San Diego). Major construction projects are set to begin on some of San Diego County’s busiest highways this fall, as Caltrans launches what officials call the largest freeway investment in the region since these roads were originally built in the 1960s and 70s. The California Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it will dedicate $623 million in state and federal funding for five highway projects targeting the county’s most heavily traveled corridors, including Interstate 5, Interstate 805, and State Route 78. “The work we will do over the next two years may not be as glamorous, but it’s certainly essential work that keeps our transportation system in good repair,” said Ann Fox, Caltrans District 11 director, during a news conference.
• Caltrans begins $623 million of work to improve I-5, I-805, Route 78 (Times of San Diego). Caltrans held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday to highlight five major freeway improvement projects throughout San Diego County totaling $623 million. The projects on Interstate 5, Route 78 and Interstate 805 will address pavement, improve drainage culverts, and upgrade traffic operations and communications. “These investments support Caltrans’ mission to build and maintain a transportation system that serves Californians now and decades into the future,” said Ann Fox, Caltrans District 11 director.
• Sepulveda Transit Corridor – Draft EIR (LA Metro). Welcome to the Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project Draft Environmental Impact Report. This site provides a full digital copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Report. The Sepulveda Corridor is a vital link for the communities of greater Los Angeles, connecting residents in the San Fernando Valley to the Westside’s bustling employment hubs and cultural landmarks, such as Westwood, UCLA, and Century City. For many families, workers, and students, this route is key to accessing jobs, education, and opportunities that shape daily life. More than just a major travel route, the corridor serves as an essential connection for people across western Los Angeles County, helping them bridge neighborhoods and access vital resources in a region that is ever-growing and increasingly interconnected. The natural barrier created by the Santa Monica Mountains makes traveling between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside difficult and slow. Interstate 405 (I-405) through the Sepulveda Pass is one of the most congested corridors in the country, and transit service between the San Fernando Valley and the Westside is limited. Each weekday, more than 400,000 trips cross the Sepulveda Pass (Metro, 2019a), and a typical San Fernando Valley commuter loses 59 hours per year to traffic delays just from the evening drive home on I-405 between Wilshire Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard (INRIX, 2024). The Project would add a critical regional connection to the transportation network, linking the San Fernando Valley with the Westside and providing a reliable, fast alternative to the congested 405 freeway. The Project would: …
• Caltrans begins projects across San Diego freeways, state routes (NBC 7 San Diego). More than $600 million in road projects are getting started across three major San Diego freeways and state routes. “Over the next two years, we ask for motorists’ patience,” Ann Fox, Caltrans District 11 director, told NBC 7 on Friday during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the projects at Dorothy Petway Neighborhood Park. The agency will complete five freeway improvement projects across portions of Interstate 805, Interstate 5 and state Route 78. For some commuters in the North County, they may have already noticed construction getting underway. “You’ll see that construction happening along Interstate 805, you’ll see signs talking about future work coming up on ramps up and down the I-5 corridor. We do have some early work that will start along state Route 78,” Fox said.
• Eastbound and Westbound- SR-12 Solano County Roadway improvement project (Caltrans). Caltrans is scheduled to begin construction on both directions of State Route 12 (SR-12) in Solano County near Suisun City from Lawler Ranch Parkway to Shiloh Road. Map location for Solano County Roadway improvement project on of Eastbound and Westbound State Route 12 near Suisun City from Lawler Ranch Parkway to Shiloh Road. Workers will overlay new asphalt, replace culverts, build bridge rails, and install median barriers. Eastbound and westbound lanes of SR-12 will be subject to one-way traffic control. Only one lane will be open at a time, with traffic alternating directions through the work zone.
• ‘Out of necessity’: Why the drive to Tahoe takes twice as long right now (SF Gate). California travelers are facing lengthy and burdensome traffic delays while driving Sacramento’s major freeways, as Caltrans continues work on several major projects. Drivers are experiencing significant construction delays on Highway 50 and Interstate 80 because of three simultaneous capital projects: the I-80 Pavement Rehabilitation project, the Yolo 80 Corridor Improvements project and the Fix50 project. The collective $650 million in funding for the projects goes toward work that includes the replacement of decades-old concrete, upgrading lane barriers and bridge railings and adding carpool lanes.
• News Release: New $116 Million Butte City Bridge Improves Safety and Connectivity on State Route 162 (Caltrans). Caltrans, along with local and state officials, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the completion of the new State Route 162 (SR 162) bridge and viaduct near Butte City. This new $116 million bridge replaced a 77-year-old structure with a safer, modern span built to current seismic standards. Funded through a combination of federal and state sources, including $15.1 million from Senate Bill 1 (SB 1), the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, this project enhances regional mobility and long-term safety across the Sacramento River.
• Sacramento’s Fix 50 project completion postponed to 2026 (ABC 10 Sacramento). The Fix 50 construction project completion date has been pushed back a year, as officials say areas require deeper fixes than initially anticipated. Fix 50 is one of several road projects happening around the Sacramento area, where Caltrans has now advised commuters to leave an extra 30 minutes early to deal with the created congestion. The project was funded to add HOV lanes and update the pavement on US 50 from the I-5 interchange to the Watt Avenue interchange. According to Caltrans, the initial proposal for the construction began back in 2016 and it now won’t be completed until July 2026.

This the first of May. You know what that means: The Morris Dancers are out bringing out the sun, the Queen is out singing about lust, and, of course, it is time for Highway Headlines. This is the last piece of getting caught up: The highway page updates have just been posted, and there’s a new episode of the podcast up with a bit of Freberg in it. All that’s left are these headlines.

The podcast continues on a slightly slower schedule because of travel and such. Tom and I are in the process of scheduling the recording of 3.11 on US 6, and we’re beginning to plot out the inter-season bonus episodes. We’re thinking of one based on Tom’s talk to the Fresno Flats Museum on the history of the highways around Oakhurst, and one talking about the Caltrans History Library. Bonus episodes give me time to work on writing Season 4. The first episode of Season 4 should be a bear: Route 8, which means with dealing with the history of I-8 and the former US 80.

It looks like the regular audience is between 60-70 folks, and I’d love to get that number up. You can help. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. For those that hear the early episodes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Creators) . The following episode has been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.09: I-5: Former US 99W. Episode 3.09 continues our exploration of I-5 with the segment from Sacramento to Red Bluff, which primarily incorporates the former LRN 7 / US 99W routing between Woodland and Red Bluff, and a new routing that roughly followed LRN 238, then LRN 50 and LRN 232 between Sacramento and Woodland (near former Sign Route 16 and Sign Route 24). We talk about this history of this segment, as well as some discussion of historical routings in Natomas, Woodland, Williams, Willows, Corning, and Red Bluff. Our exploration of I-5 finishes in Episode 3.10, where we explore the former LRN 3/US 99 segment between Red Bluff and the Oregon Border. (Spotify for Creators)
• CA RxR 3.10: I-5: Gateway to Oregon. Episode 3.10 completes our exploration of I-5, looking at the segment that was former US 99, LRN 3, between Red Bluff and the Oregon Border. Along the way, we visit Red Bluff, Anderson and Redding, the Lake Shasta Area, Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta, Weed, Yreka, and run into a California Agricultural Inspector who was trapped in a bottle by a witch. Our next episode will move us to the next highway, looking at US 6 and all things Route 6 in California. (Spotify for Creators)

As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for April.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• New Data Sheds Light on Caltrans Projects (CalBike). CalBike supported the Caltrans Data Bill, SB 695, in 2023. Starting January 1, 2026, the bill requires Caltrans to post information about projects from the prior fiscal year. But first, the new law tasked Caltrans with releasing project stats going back to 2018. CalBike has reviewed the data, which showed Caltrans was reluctant to install protected bikeways while installing more paint-only bikeways. Caltrans built 554 new highway miles over the period covered by this data, at a time when California needs to reduce, not increase, vehicle miles traveled. At the same time, the agency built just 160 miles of bikeways, more than half of which were Class 3 lanes where bike riders share the lane with motor vehicle traffic.
• Highway 198 and Lovers Lane rehabilitation project underway in Visalia (ABC30 Fresno). Lovers Lane in Visalia is getting a facelift with Caltrans’ rehabilitation project from the Highway 198 intersection to Houston Avenue and down to McAuliff Street. Locals say the improvements are welcome as the heavily traveled road has been in need of some care. Jabed Khan lives in the area, he shared a bicycle camera video with Action News of his weekly rides with Southern Sierra Cyclists.
• Caltrans seeking public input on Route’s 96 and 169 (KDRV Newswatch 12). Caltrans District 1 and Caltrans District 2 are asking the community for input as they are working on a plan to improve evacuation preparedness on Routes 96 and 169. They say it’s crucial for wildfire safety and climate resilience. This proposed project will focus on vegetation management, erosion control, rockfall mitigation, and enhanced traffic systems. Such as electronic signage and emergency communication devices, to better protect us from extreme weather and wildfires.
• Caltrans: State invests nearly $100 million in Mendocino County projects (The Willits News). The California Transportation Commission allocated $1 billion recently for projects across the state that will “improve safety and enhance the state’s vast network of streets and highways,” including nearly $100 million for projects in Mendocino County, the California Department of Transportation reported. […] Included in the approved projects are:
• Caltrans allocates new safety funding for Mendocino County projects (MSN/Fort Bragg Advocate News). On Monday, March 24, Caltrans District 1 announced upcoming projects financed by its allotment of the state-wide $1 billion that the California Transportation Commission has set aside for new infrastructure projects across the state. […] Three projects were approved for Mendocino County. About $83 million in SB 1 funds is for Route 1 near Westport, south of Hillcrest Terrace. An existing retaining wall will be extended, and a de-watering system will be constructed due to damage from a series of storms in November of 2024.
• Clinic Wins Rare Appeal in California Highway Expansion Case (Yale Law School). On March 12, Friends of Calwa Inc. and Fresno Building Healthy Communities — community organizations that advocate for the health and well-being of residents in South Fresno, California — secured a rare victory on their petition for a writ of mandate to the California Court of Appeal. The victory marks a significant step forward in a long-running legal saga over a planned expansion of an interstate highway that cuts through South Fresno. The two groups are represented by the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic, part of the Jerome N. Frank Legal Services Organization at Yale Law School.
• 56-Hour Weekend Closures Set to Begin for Rio Vista Bridge (Independent Voice). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is advising motorists of six scheduled weekend closures of the Rio Vista Bridge (Helen Madere Memorial Bridge) on State Route 12 (SR 12) for ongoing repairs. This $27.2 million project is funded through the Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement Program and will require multiple 5 [something]  The six-hour weekend closures for the work to be completed because of the limited width of the bridge to allow for heavy equipment access. [Note: They might have meant 5 6-hour weekend closures. Let’s bemoan the loss of copy editors]
• Caltrans To Host Public Open House for Ferguson Rock Shed Project (Caltrans). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is preparing to host a series of open house events in Mariposa County for the Ferguson Rock Shed Project. As Caltrans begins preparations for construction of the next phase for the Ferguson Project, these open house events are designed to share key updates and project information with the public.

No, this isn’t an April Fools post, nor are there any (knowingly) hidden false stories in the headline list. You can believe me. I’m too tired and stressed from the fallout rolling downhill from DC that I can’t come up with anything more insane than what I read in the papers daily.

First and foremost: : I’ve been a long-time judge at the California Science and Engineering Fair (and also here). I’m now part of the Judges Advisory Committee, and we’re gearing up for an in-person fair on April 13 (alas, the first day of Pesach). WE NEED SCIENCE FAIR JUDGES. If you work in STEM field, and can be in Southern California the weekend of April 13, please sign up to be a judge. Information on 2025 CSEF Judging is here; please sign up for the alert list. I will likely be the panel chair for the J-MA—Junior Mathematics—again.

Work is proceeding apace on the highway pages, but as you can tell from reading my blog, my weekends have been crazy with live theatre. I’ve gotten through all the headlines (except for this post), but still have the legislature and CCC/CTC minutes to go through. I expect/hope to have the updates done sometime in April.  One thing that did happen in March was that my domain registrar transferred my account to a different subsidiary (this is different than my hosting provider). As a result, I moved my email aliases from the domain provider to my hosting provider. I hope this change will eliminate some of the bounces I had before. If you notice any problems with either email bouncing or domains not working right (especially the third-level cahighways domains), please let me know.

The podcast continues behind schedule because I’ve been so busy. Episode 3.08 was released in mid-March; I’m editing 3.09 right now and hope to have that out in mid-April. Tom and I still have to record the rest of Season 3. We’ll then do some monthly bonus episodes while I work on writing Season 4, and then start up with more frequent episodes. Retirement will help, and that starts 7/1/2025. The first episode of Season 4 should be a bear: Route 8, which means with dealing with the history of I-8 and the former US 80.

It looks like the regular audience is between 60-70 folks, and I’d love to get that number up. You can help. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. For those that hear the early episodes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Creators) . The following episode has been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.08: I-5: Whatever Happened to I-5W: Episode 3.08 continues our exploration of I-5 with a slight digression: A discussion about I-5W. In the late 1950s, I-5W was proposed as a spur route from I-5 running along what is today Route 132, I-580 (both the Tracy Diagonal and the former US 50 portion between the I-205/I-580 junction and Oakland/Berkeley), I-80 between Berkeley and near Vacaville, and I-505 between Vacaville and I-5. This short episode explores these pieces and their history. In Episode 3.09, we return to I-5 proper when we explore the former US 99W section of I-5 between Woodland and Red Bluff. (Spotify for Creators)

As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for March.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Santa Rosa’s Highway 101 bicycle bridge moving forward (The Press Democrat). A long-awaited $40 million bike and pedestrian bridge over Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa is expected to break ground later this year after nearly three decades of planning and efforts to line up funding. The crossing, stretching across the six-lane highway, will link Elliott and Edwards avenues. It will provide a safer route for residents to access commercial, government, employment and health care hubs around Coddingtown Mall and Santa Rosa Junior College as well as the passenger rail line. The 14.5-foot-wide, 1,000-foot-long cable-stayed bridge will feature a dedicated footpath and a two-way cycle track.
• New Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) to Improve Safety Activated on State Route 131 (Tiburon Boulevard) and Ned’s Way on Tuesday, March 18 (Caltrans). Caltrans has activated a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) on Tuesday, March 18 on State Route 131 (Tiburon Boulevard) and Ned’s Way in the town of Tiburon. The PHB is a traffic-control device designed to help pedestrians safely cross higher-speed roadways at midblock crossings and uncontrolled intersections. The beacon head consists of two red lenses above a single yellow lens. The new beacon will allow pedestrians to cross SR-131 without walking a long distance to a standard traffic signal.
• ＄ Topanga Canyon Boulevard closed indefinitely after rain, fire damage, Caltrans says (Los Angeles Times). Topanga Canyon Boulevard will remain closed due to public safety concerns while crews work to repair damage from the Palisades fire and recent rain, the California Department of Transportation said. Video from mid-February released by Caltrans shows State Road 27 between Pacific Coast Highway and Grand View Drive completely covered in mud, rock and debris prior to excavation. There is no estimated time of reopening, according to a community update released last week. Caltrans did not outline alternative routes for motorists. [Note: In Caltrans-speak, “indefinitely” doesn’t mean “for an unlimited or unspecified period of time”, as in the dictionary. It means “we don’t have a reliable date yet. Unless, of course, you’re talking about the gap in Route 39. There they have a date, but it is really indefinite. — DPF]
• ＄＄ Caltrans has $60M Redding plan to make Market Street safer (Record Searchlight). Caltrans plans to spend $60 million to repave and make safety improvements for people on foot or bike. Drivers will have a smoother ride on state roads that connect to the downtown and other city streets. The Downtown Redding Pavement and Restoration Project covers sections of three highways where they bisect Redding. [Try this or see the Yahoo link below – DPF]
• Caltrans reclassifies section of Highway 70 for trucking (The Plumas Sun). The California Department of Transportation District 2 announces a recent change to a portion of State Route 70 in Plumas County as pertaining to single-trip oversized permit loads. From the junction with State Route 89 at the Greenville Wye (Postmile 33) to the intersection with Lindan Street in Quincy (Postmile 43.74), a California Highway Patrol escort is required for all loads exceeding 12 feet wide or 85 feet long and two pilot cars are required on all other permit loads. This change is effective immediately.
• Long-in-the-works Redding plan to make Market Street safer taking steps (Yahoo/Redding Searchlight). Drivers, pedestrians and cyclists may soon have a safer and easier trip through Redding and its downtown, thanks to a major project the California Department of Transportation is working on that will affect traffic on and around Market Street. Caltrans plans to spend $60 million to repave and make safety improvements for people on foot or bike. Drivers will have a smoother ride on state roads that connect to the downtown and other city streets.
• Caltrans seeks community input for major seismic work for bridge along Highway 1 on California coast (NewsBreak). Caltrans is calling on locals and travelers for input on a major seismic restoration project for the San Gregorio Creek Bridge along Highway 1, just south of State Route 84. The bridge, originally built in 1941, needs an upgrade, and Caltrans is considering two options: a seismic retrofit or constructing a new bridge with pedestrian and bike access. The bridge is located near the scenic San Gregorio State Beach, making this project vital for safety and accessibility. Residents and commuters are encouraged to share their thoughts online.
• ＄ Whittier gains ownership of city’s section of eponymous road (Whittier Daily News). The city of Whittier will take ownership of Whittier Boulevard in an agreement with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) passed by the City Council Tuesday. In the relinquishment, 6.5 miles of Whittier Boulevard from Lockheed Avenue to Valley Home Avenue will go to the city. Caltrans will pay the city $16.7 million as part of the hand-off, the funds going to a dedicated account for maintenance and operations. It will generate $600,000 per year, cover annual costs. Whittier is the last city to gain ownership of what Mayor Joe Vinatieri said is the city’s El Camino Real, “the backbone of Whittier from east to west.” Neighboring Pico Rivera and Montebello have owned their portions of the road for decades.

Well, we made it. The election year of 2024 is behind us; I’m not quite sure what we’ll be stepping into in 2025. All I know is that I agree with the sentiments of my likely birthday song for this year:  “I’d rather be over than under the hill”. We made it, and hopefully we’ll make it through 2025 only a little worse for wear.

December was busy. We had over 300 people at the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference in Waikiki, where I was doing local arrangements and registration. That now goes quiet for a bit other than the paying of the bills, then we start gearing up for 2025. Next years conference will be different in one respect: It is very likely I’ll be retiring from the ranch in June, meaning I’ll be attending and participating not as a representative of the ranch (although that depends on when and if I come back as a retiree casual). That change will mean more time to work on highway stuff. More on that in a minute.

On the theatre front, there were two shows: Seeing Wicked on stage again after 20 years, and seeing Sutton Foster in Once Upon a Mattress.  Both were great, and Sutton Foster was a comic gem in Mattress. We also saw our two movies for the year: A Complete Unknown about Bob Dylan and Wicked. It was interesting to compare and contrast the stage and screen productions. Theatre should be picking up a little in 2025 as we start to do more live performances.

The highway page updates are up and live. Of course, right after I upload them, I start work on writing the last two podcast episodes of the year (on US 6 and Route 7), and uncover a bunch of changes and new information (especially with respect to LRN 6 in Napa, and US 6 in Newhall/Saugus). So look for those updates in the first 2025 updates to the pages. As a reminder: One of the sources for the highway page updates (and the raison d’etre for for this post) are headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. I collect them in this post, which serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, and so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

The podcast continues apace, and I’m writing the last two episodes of the season on US 6 and Route 7. Two episodes were posted during December (see below), and we just recorded the second episode on I-5, which covers the Ridge Route. That will also be a two-parter (one about 45 minutes on I-5 from DTLA to the Newhall Pass, and one just over an hour on the Ridge Route, projects, and naming). Those will be posted in January. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. For those that hear the early episode, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. If you know sound editing, feel free to give me advice (I use Audacity to edit). As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.05p1: I-5: San Diego to Los Angeles (Part 1). In this episode, we start our exploration of I-5, the central spine of California. We’re splitting the discussion over 6 episodes, some of which are two-parters. This first episode (a two-parter) looks at the former US 101 segment, from the Mexico Border to Downtown Los Angeles. Part 1, this part, starts with a discussion of all things 5: Maritime Highway M-5, the 5^th state highway, Legislative Route 5, Sign Route 5, and then I-5. For I-5, we look at the history of the route, and the pieces that led to first the US 101 Bypass and then I-5 in this area. We’ll finish the discussion in Part 2, where we look at projects along the route and names along the route. Subsequent episodes will be looking at (3.06) from Downtown LA to Wheeler Ridge, where Route 99 splits, including the Ridge Route; (3.07) the Westerly Routing; (3.08) the planned I-5W; (3.09) the former US 99W portion from Sacramento to Redding; and (3.09) the portion from Redding to the Oregon Border. (Spotify for Creators)
• CA RxR 3.05p2: I-5: San Diego to Los Angeles (Part 2). In this episode, we continue our exploration of I-5, the central spine of California. We’re splitting the discussion over 6 episodes, some of which are two-parters. This first episode (a two-parter) looks at the former US 101 segment, from the Mexico Border to Downtown Los Angeles. Part 2, this part, looks at the projects along this segment of I-5, as well as some of the more significant names. Go back to part 1 for a discussion of all things 5: Maritime Highway M-5, the 5th state highway, Legislative Route 5, Sign Route 5, and then I-5. For I-5, we look at the history of the route, and the pieces that led to first the US 101 Bypass and then I-5 in this area. Subsequent episodes will be looking at (3.06) from Downtown LA to Wheeler Ridge, where Route 99 splits, including the Ridge Route; (3.07) the Westerly Routing; (3.08) the planned I-5W; (3.09) the former US 99W portion from Sacramento to Redding; and (3.09) the portion from Redding to the Oregon Border. (Spotify for Creators)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for December.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• New Pedestrian Beacons Soon to be Activated on State Route 116 in Sebastopol (Caltrans). Caltrans will activate two pedestrian crosswalk beacons on State Route 116 in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, on Tuesday, December 3, weather permitting. The signals are located at the intersection of Petaluma Avenue and McKinley Street in the Sebastopol business district, as well as Gravenstein Highway and Danmar Drive in northwestern Sebastopol. The new beacons will allow pedestrians to cross Route 116 without walking a long distance to a standard traffic signal. Caltrans has installed high-intensity activated crosswalk beacons at each location, better known by their acronym HAWK. The signals themselves are fastened to a boom overhanging the road. The beacons will not flash unless someone presses the crossing button. The button activates a series of flashing and solid lights.
• U.S. Highway 50 traffic shift scheduled in Northern California to last until 2025 (Yahoo/KXTL Fox 40). Caltrans is continuing work on the $483.5 million U.S. Highway 50 “Fix50” Project, which includes a long-term traffic shift on westbound US-50 starting at 9 p.m. on Dec. 2 and last through 2025. According to Caltrans, the new traffic shift is required so crews can remove the existing pavement, install drainage, lower the roadway for increased clearance under the overcrossing bridges, and rehabilitate the highway with reinforced concrete pavement on roadways.
• State Route 156 is scheduled to reopen Monday. (MSN/KMPH). On the newly opened SR 156 expressway. Caltrans announced, that they will open one lane of traffic in each direction starting Monday, depending on weather. Caltrans advises drivers to slow down and exercise caution, as work continues to widen the expressway. Temporary signage will be up for travelers. This 5.2-mile project extends from San Juan Bautista at The Alameda, to State Route 156 Business Route (4th St.) in Hollister.
• ＄ Pasadena leaders reckon with ‘trauma’ of defunct 710 project amid calls for reconciliation (San Gabriel Valley Tribune). The second annual update on Pasadena’s redevelopment plans for the “710 stub” shed light on new research revealing the city’s role in selecting the freeway’s current route, a decision that led to greater displacement of homes. It also brought forward varying perspectives from some council members on how to compensate those harmed by the project, with some offering specific proposals while others stressed the need for further exploration. The “710 freeway stub” refers to a section of land in Pasadena that was cleared decades ago for a freeway extension that was never completed. The project forced the displacement of thousands of residents, primarily from lower-income and minority communities.
• California ferry boat that doubles as a state highway out of service after mechanical problems (Newsbreak/Golden Gate Media). The State Route 84 (SR-84) “Real McCoy II Ferry” is currently out of service due to engine mechanical issues, according to Caltrans Bay Area-District 4. Repairs are underway, with service expected to resume by December 13. The J-Mack Ferry, another key route to Ryer Island, is also unavailable due to scheduled dry hull maintenance. Caltrans apologizes for the inconvenience this may cause motorists and residents navigating the Sacramento Delta.

Ah, December. The last month of the year. Elections are past us, and whether you like the results or not, at least you can like the fact that you’re getting less texts and emails begging for political donations. Medicare benefits open enrollment, well that’s a different story.

For me, the end of November means it is only about a week until the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference. I’ve been crazy dealing with conference logistics and registrations for the last month, but all boxes are shipped, all printing is submitted, and the event orders are all but signed. We now have a quiet week before the conference: time to work on highway pages (and hopefully record one more episode of the podcast (on the former US 101 portion of I-5)). Last month, I was worried about the attendance; I can now report that this looks to be the best attended conference since I started working on this conference back in 1989: Over 300 attendees, combining the workshops and technical portion. It should be an interesting week in Waikiki.

On the theatre front, there were a few interesting shows in November: the Deaf-West/CTG American Idiot; Back to the Future – The Musical; Groundhog Day – The Musical; and La Cage Aux Folles. Of these, I think I liked the revised La Cage the best. I love the music of the show, and the interpretation of Jean-Michel as differently-abled, and as the nightclub as much more low-rent, worked well. American Idiot was also strong, and had extra meaning given the election results. BTTF and Groundhog Day were really unnecessary: not bad, but not particularly memorable or likely to be long-lasting in the musical theatre canon.

I have been working on the highway pages: As I write up these headlines, I have just finished incorporating the results of the October CTC minutes. As the December meeting is next week, I’m going to wait until after that meeting to finish up those pages. I’ll incorporate those results, this headline post, and legislative updates, and be done for 2024. I’ll include the December headlines in the first set of 2025 updates. As for this post: It is about California’s Highways, and the headlines thereabout. As a reminder, this post focuses on headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

The podcast continues apace. I’m finishing writing Season 3; all that is left are the episodes on US 6 and Route 7. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Creators, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.03: Route 4: Stockton. In this episode, we continue our a 3-part exploration of Route 4. This episode focused on the Stockton Crosstown Freeway: A short freeway segment of Route 4 that bisects the city of Stockton, essentially running from I-5 to Route 99. We talk about the LRNs that made up this segment: LRN 75, and LRN 24. We spend much of the episode talking about the impact the construction of the route had on Stockton, including an interview with Dr. Paul Ong of UCLA, lead author of a paper (“Stockton’s Crosstown Freeway, Urban Renewal, and Asian Americans: Systemic Causes and Impacts“) that explored the impact of the construction of the Stockton Crosstown Freeway on the Asian-American community. We also talk about the project to complete this freeway, and the names given to the freeway. Our last episode on Route 4 will focus on the segment of Route 4 from Stockton to near Markleeville, including the segment through Ebbetts Pass. (Spotify for Creators)
• CA RxR 3.04: Route 4: The Sierras. In this episode, we complete our exploration of Route 4, covering the segments from Stockton and Route 99 through Angels Camp, and then on over the Sierras to Route 89 near Markleville. This includes segments that go through Gold Country, as well as the Ebbetts Pass segment that includes some very steep grades. Along the way, we look at the history of the route in these areas, projects along the way, and naming of the route. As always, we conclude with a discussion of this segment of the route after the credits. Next up: The first of six episodes (some with two parts, making it really eight episodes) covering Interstate 5. Episode 3.05 looks at the former US 101 portion from the Mexico border to downtown Los Angeles. (Spotify for Creators)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for November.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• ＄Harbor residents fear a 16-month bridge closure will clog port communities (Los Angeles Times). Caltrans is slated to fully close the cracked and spalling 61-year-old Vincent Thomas Bridge connecting San Pedro to Terminal Island as soon as next year — stirring fear of traffic nightmares for nearby neighborhoods that breathe some of the region’s most polluted air. Once a tollway, the iconic mile-long suspension bridge — a crucial artery in the nation’s busiest port complex — has been deteriorating for years. Tests show that the concrete deck is failing, and engineers warned it needs to be fixed before it falls into further disrepair and forces the state to close it altogether.
• Caltrans closing part of state Route 52 this weekend to ‘work on the dips’ (NBC 7 San Diego). Up until 2020, people driving state Route 52 between SR-163 and Interstate 805 had the unnerving sensation of riding a roller coaster. That year, workers tried to flatten SR-52 with holes, and lots of them. “Nearly 30 highway workers are working this area each night, most on foot, to drill more than 4,000 holes into the pavement, then filling the holes with a slurry mix to flatten the pavement,” Caltrans reported at the time.
• Caltrans begins Red Bluff bridges seismic retrofit project (Red Bluff Daily News via MSN). Caltrans has begun work on the seismic retrofit of three bridges on State Route 36 between Interstate 5 and Damon Avenue in Red Bluff. The bridges include East Sand Slough, Samson Slough, and Paynes Creek Slough. Caltrans said the project’s purpose is to preserve the structural integrity of the bridges and ensure public safety in the event of a significant earthquake. It includes installing hinge seat extenders between abutting sections of the bridge deck. These extenders will support the bridge deck in the event of a failure. Work will be performed both above and below the bridge deck simultaneously.
• ＄San Franciscans Are ‘Fighting for Their Lives’ Over One Great Highway (The New York Times). Forget the mayor’s race. Forget ballot measures about crime and schools. For many San Franciscans, short of the presidency, the most important contest on Tuesday will determine the future of one short road. It is not just any road. It is a quintessential California stretch — so magnificent, it is named the Great Highway — that hugs the city’s westernmost edge, offering sweeping views of pelicans swooping over the Pacific Ocean and of surfers tackling its mighty waves. Proposition K on the San Francisco ballot would permanently close the flat, two-mile stretch of pavement to cars. The measure would turn it over to cyclists, pedestrians, roller skaters and dogs, charting a path, backers promise, to create the city’s next great park. Think the High Line or Hudson River Park in New York City, they say.
• Caltrans schedules meetings on improving AV Freeway safety (Antelope Valley Press). Antelope Valley residents who drive the Antelope Valley Freeway through Santa Clarita are being urged to provide comments to Caltrans about how to improve traffic safety on the freeway. Comments on the SR-14 North Los Angeles County Safety and Mobility Improvement Project can be submitted to: sr14@metro.net. Comments must be submitted by Dec. 4. Motorists are urged to emphasize the risk of crashes and the unreliability for timely transportation because of the traffic jams that occur where lanes end and the freeway narrows. More information is available at https://www.metro.net/projects/14safety/.
• Traffic Shift for Lone Star Road Connection to State Route 49 (Caltrans). Caltrans is alerting motorists about a traffic shift along the west side of Lone Star Road, connecting to State Route 49 (SR-49) as work continues on a $38 million roundabout and safety barrier project. Motorists turning onto or from the west side of Lone Star Road will now use the temporary access point just south of the original intersection. This work is necessary to maintain access to the neighborhood while crews construct the new roundabout. Additional work is anticipated for roadway excavation and drainage.

September. The official end of summer. All the heat, with a hint of pumpkin spice. For me, September has been filled with finishing the highway page updates, and getting ready for the upcoming general election. For those that don’t know me, I do a deep dive every election through the ballot, examining every race and candidate. I post them, and encourage folks to share, excerpt, or tell me where I’m wrong. I’m not going to go further into them here, other than to note their existence: Part 1 (National and Statewide); Part 2 (Los Angeles Candidates); Part 3 (Propositions); and Part 4 (Judges). Part 5, the summary, will be posted when I get my sample ballot. I encourage everyone to do the same: Be an informed voter. Investigate everything on the ballot and come to your own decisions.

September, this year, also brings Elul and the preparation for the High Holy Days.  If I have offended you in some way, I apologize. Similarly, if you’ve done something offensive to me, don’t worry about it. I forgive you. One thing I won’t forgive, however, is being eligible to vote and then (a) not being an informed voter, and (b) not voting. Please make sure you are registered to vote. Here is my annual High Holy Day post.

But, of course, you come here for the headlines. This post focuses on headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

The podcast continues apace. I’m finishing writing Season 3; all that is left are the episodes on US 6 and Route 7. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org (once it comes back) , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 3.01: Route 3: Through the Mountains of Jefferson.  Welcome to Season 3 of California Highways: Route by Route. We promised that the season would start in September, and we’re making it by the wire. Season 3 covers Routes 3 through 7; this is the first episode covering Route 3, which is in Northwest California near Weaverville and Route 299. In this episode, we talk about all things “three”: The third state route, Legislative Route 3, Sign Route 3, and finally the current Route 3. For the current Route 3, we talk about the history of the route, projects currently ongoing on the route, and some naming along the route. We even have a digression on the proposed Interstate 3. We also talk about the state scenic highway system, and how routes earn the golden poppy. (Spotify for Podcasters)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for September. The summer doldrums appear to be here, as there aren’t as many articles as usual.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Caltrans to Begin $2 Million Repair Project on State Route 96 in Siskiyou County (Redheaded Blackbelt). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans District 2) and Abacus Construction, Inc. are preparing to begin work on a slip-out project in State Route 96 in Siskiyou County. The $2 million project will repair a section of roadway that was recently damaged by a slip-out caused by over saturation near Happy Camp, approximately 4.3 miles east of Gordon Ferrys Road. The project will place rock slope protection at the damaged riverside slope, install underdrains and outlets, repave, and restripe. Construction activities are currently planned to start on September 3rd. Once work begins, motorists should plan for one-way traffic control in the project area with up to 10-minute delays, Mondays – Fridays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Travelers are urged to slow down and drive carefully in and around construction areas, follow speed limit reductions in place, and allot extra time for delays. The project is currently anticipated to be completed by the end of October.
• SR-14 North Los Angeles County Safety & Mobility Improvements Project (PA/ED) (LA Metro). Metro has a plan to enhance safety and improve mobility in north Los Angeles County. The SR-14 corridor is known for high accident rates and unpredictable travel times. Metro is collaborating with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the North County Transportation Coalition (NCTC) to explore various safety and mobility improvement options.
• What the rest of the country can learn from a dying Bay Area highway (SF Gate). A human-made border traces an imperfect line through the bog and grassy flats where the Bay Area’s northernmost counties intersect: Highway 37. It’s a vital corridor, transporting 40,000 vehicles a day between Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties. It’s also one of the region’s most vulnerable throughways, as it succumbs to nature’s battle for reclamation. It’s a fitting coincidence, since death and decay are baked into the highway’s DNA. For about half of its entire 21-mile span between Novato and Vallejo, where the highway shrinks into two lanes, it runs in tandem with the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The marshland is where the San Francisco Bay ends its northern expansion.
• Metro, Caltrans eye Highway 14 plans (MSN/The Signal). A little help with Highway 14’s “choke points” and maybe even a small wildlife corridor are among the possible suggestions being evaluated to alleviate east-side traffic concerns on the state route, officials said this week. Santa Clarita City Councilwoman Marsha McLean announced that the outreach is starting this week from the two main agencies involved — the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or Metro. Metro, which created a website for the SR-14 North Los Angeles County Safety & Mobility Improvements Project, is holding two meetings in the region on Sept. 12 and Sept. 14, in Palmdale and Santa Clarita, respectively.
• California DMV gears up to allow driverless trucking amid calls to curb high-tech big rigs (NBC Bay Area). The California DMV has unveiled plans to eventually allow driverless trucks on highways across the state. As the NBC Bay Area Investigative Unit first reported last year, self-driving big rigs have already been tested in other states and internationally, but California banned the use of driverless vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds until it could establish rules for how to test and permit the vehicles.
• California Senate passes bill to put speed cameras on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu (CBS Los Angeles). The California Senate passed a bill to increase safety along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. SB 1297, authored by Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, calls for the state to install five speed camera systems along the 21-mile stretch of PCH that passes through Malibu. “I’m not interested in punishing people,” Allen said. “I’m interested in compliance. So for me, its not about giving out tickets. For me, it’s about getting people to slow down.” Allen and Irwin said the cameras will be placed in the areas that recorded the most speed-related collisions and fatalities. The community called on lawmakers to increase safety along the highway for several years. The demands grew exponentially after four Pepperdine students were killed in October 2023. The driver charged for the deadly crash allegedly went 104 mph in a 45-mph zone and slammed into the women. [The bill was eventually signed]
• ＄ Bill would alert drivers who go 10 mph over the speed limit (Los Angeles Times). A bill awaiting approval from Gov. Gavin Newsom would require vehicles to include a warning system to alert drivers anytime they went more than 10 miles over the speed limit. If passed, the requirement would go into effect in the 2030 model year for all new vehicles, with exceptions for emergency vehicles, motorcycles, motorized bicycles, mopeds and passenger vehicles already equipped with a GPS or a front-facing camera. This would mark the first law of its kind in the U.S. and would rely on existing “intelligent speed adaptation” technology to try to curtail traffic fatalities and injuries. [The bill was ultimately vetoed]

Ah, August. The waning days of summer. But between vacations with crappy Internet (Welk Resort, in Escondido, I’m looking at you), dealing with medical issues (my wife’s knee replacement, plus hassles with PBMs), it has been far from quiet. Again, I’ll recommend to folks the excellent Arm and a Leg podcast,  which explores the cost of healthcare, and what you can do about it. But there have been good things happening in August: there’s been a lot of positive energy, and indicators that I care about are trending in the right direction. As always, if you feel the same, feel free to follow me on Facebook (I only friend folks I know in real life).

The Westhost issues have calmed down. I’m still interested in changing hosting sites, but the issue is on the back burner right now as things are already paid for a while, and things are working.

But the heat is on. It’s getting to be the hot part of summer here in Southern California. The political silly season is heating up, as we get barraged with campaign ads, texts looking for political donations, and back and forth on many issues. But stay cool. I save politics for FB; this post focuses on headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers. Speaking of updates to the California Highways site: These are almost done: I just need to finish incorporating this headline post and review AARoads, and they should be able to generate and post.

I’m also still looking for opinions on Medicare Advantage plus Medicare Supplement Plans: specifically, the Anthem Medicare Plus PPO with Senior Rx Plus Medicare Advantage Plan (as Implemented for Aerospace Retirees: See (1) Get to Know Your Group Plan; (2) Plan Summary; (3) last year’s Open Enrollment Guide) vs. a Medicare Supplement Plan.

The podcast continues apace. I’m still writing the Season 3 episodes, and once I’m done with the highway page updates, I’ll pick up writing again with the episode on US 6. Our bonus episode on Auto Trails went up in mid-August. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org (once it comes back) , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 2.15: Bonus – Auto Trails.  In this episode, we explore the auto trails that were in California before we started having signed numbered highways. Auto Trails discussed include (a) trails that are maintained today—El Camino Real, De Anza Trail, Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway, and the Pony Express National Historic Trail. We spends most of the time on the major historic auto trails: Lincoln Highway, Pacific Highway, National Old Trails Road, Old Spanish Trail, and the Arrowhead Trail. Other trails discussed include the Atlantic-Pacific Highway, Bankhead Highway, California to Banff Highway, Dixie Overland Highway, Lee Highway, Lone Star Trail, Midland Trail, New Santa Fe Trail, National Park to Park Highway, Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway, Santa Fe Trail, and the Victory Highway.  (Spotify for Podcasters)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for August. The summer doldrums appear to be here, as there aren’t as many articles as usual.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. ☊ indicates an primarily audio article. ↈ indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Highway 41 reopens with new Kings River Bridge completion (Tracy Press). A project five years in the making that required the closure of a vital travel route for six months is officially complete. In a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 1, County Board of Supervisors, Caltrans directors, and the California Highway Patrol christened the brand new Kings River Bridge and announced the reopening of State Route 41, which ferries traffic from Stratford and the surrounding communities to the Central Coast. The bridge project was necessary to repair failing supports and a road surface that was showing signs of deterioration that presented a significant risk to vehicular traffic, according to authorities.
• Heading to the Central Coast? Highway 41 is open! (MSN/KMPH). Highway 41 is back open to travelers driving between the Central Valley and the Central Coast. The highway has been closed since February while crews replaced the Stratford Kings River Bridge and did pavement rehabilitation from Quail Avenue to Nevada Avenue and from Nevada Avenue to State Route 198. A detour was in place, but it added about 30 minutes to travel time. The Stratford Kings River Bridge replacement was needed to address the aging infrastructure to ensure the safety and reliability of Highway 41. A news conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on the bridge Thursday morning with speakers from Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, and Kings County Supervisors.
• Ħ 1935 Map showing Route 740 (FB/Chuck Jones). A rare map that seems to be from the short period in late 1934/1935 that shows some short lived State Sign Routes.
• $92M Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing takes shape in Agoura Hills (Urbanize LA). The $92-million Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing continues to make progress in Agoura Hills. A new aerial tour from Caltrans shows where construction now stands for the project, which will be the world’s largest wildlife crossing when completed. The Los Angeles Times reports that ongoing work includes the assembly of wood forms and reinforcing rods to prepare for concrete pours. Rebar is also in place for the sound walls which will wrap the sides of the bridge.
• Ħ Historic California Maps at Univ of Alabama. A link to the above 1935 Map at the University of Alabama, among others. It is slow to load.  Choose the “No Plugin” or “No Plugin with DHTML”.
• Bay Area Express Lanes Generate Millions Above Projected Revenue. Where is it all going? (NBC Bay Area). Over the past 14 years, more than 300 miles of express lanes have been introduced or are under construction on Bay Area freeways, providing solo drivers with the option to bypass rush-hour gridlock for a fee and carpoolers at a discount or for free. Express lanes were designed to relieve congestion and provide reliable travel times to get to that important meeting, catch a flight or pick-up your kids from daycare on time. But with the increasing use of these toll lanes, the question arises: how much revenue are they generating, and where is it going?
• ＄ Resolution introduced to name SF stretch of I-80 after Mays (Daily Republic). Bay Area legislators, including state Sen. Bill Dodd and Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, have introduced a resolution that would name a 2-mile section of Interstate 80, from the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to the U.S. 101 South exit, after Willie Mays. “Willie Mays’s career was nothing short of extraordinary,” Dodd, D-Napa, said in a statement. “He was arguably the greatest player of all time and left an indelible mark on the sport while breaking barriers for other Black players. I met Willie Mays when I was a kid and that cemented me as a lifelong San Francisco Giants fan. He was my idol. He made us all proud to live in the Bay Area so it is fitting that we name this highway in his honor,” Dodd added. “I’m pleased to see that not only does this have bipartisan support, it has the backing of my colleagues to the south who are lifelong Dodgers fans.”

We’re halfway through 2024. Whew. I’m tired, aren’t you. And we aren’t into the real craziness of the election yet. But there is good news. We’re past the Westhost site transition from cpanel to stackCP.  You’re reading this blog, so the main site and the main blog are working. The podcast blog, CARoutebyRoute, is also working. The only thing still broken is the RSS feed on the podcast site. It feeds the blog posts, but doesn’t seem to highlight the media files for podcatchers. I think this is a problem with WordPress, not the site transition, and I have a reddit post asking about it. The one comment received so far indicating it is possible the RSS feed is being cached, but I’m not sure how to fix that (other than time).

However, the poor technical support from the time of the transition still sticks in my craw, and I will be exploring transitioning the site to a new provider. It isn’t a rush, as things are already paid for a while, and things are working. Still, suggestions are welcome.

In any case, it is the start of a new month, and that means headlines. For those unfamiliar, this post generally contains headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers. Speaking of updates to the California Highways site: updates to the California Highways site were posted a few weeks ago.

So what has happened in June? In terms of shows, we had three: Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse (just closed);  A Strange Loop at the Ahmanson (just closed), Mrs. Doubtfire at the Pantages (just closed), Come Blow Your Horn at Canyon Theatre Guild (just closed), and Radium Girls at Stage Left Arizona (you guessed it… just closed).

I’m also still looking for opinions on Medicare Advantage plus Medicare Supplement Plans: specifically, the Anthem Medicare Plus PPO with Senior Rx Plus Medicare Advantage Plan (as Implemented for Aerospace Retireees: See (1) Get to Know Your Group Plan; (2) Plan Summary; (3) last year’s Open Enrollment Guide) vs. a Medicare Supplement Plan.

The podcast continues apace. I’m still writing the Season 3 episodes, but we’ve also got some bonus episodes. The first is a two-part interview with Joe Rouse of Caltrans on ExpressLanes, Tolling, and Fastrak. Part 1 is up; Part 2 goes up later in the week. Later in July, we’ll be recording the second bonus episode on auto trails.  Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org (once it comes back) , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 2.13: Bonus – Fastrak and Tolling (Part 1). In this episode, we have the first half of an interview with Joe Rouse of Caltrans, talking about HOV Lanes, Express/Toll Lanes and Bridges, and Fastrak. There are two more bonus episodes in the pipeline. Episode 2.14 will be the second part of this interview. (Spotify for Podcasters)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for June.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. indicates an primarily audio article. indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• ＄ Caltrans’ lapses contributed to 10 Freeway fire, Inspector General finds (Los Angeles Times). Infrequent and haphazard inspections by Caltrans allowed for the conditions that caused the massive fire that shut down the 10 Freeway downtown last year, costing $33 million, according to a new report from the agency’s inspector general. In the damning assessment, Bryan Beyer and his chief deputy, Diana Antony, laid out how the California Department of Transportation brushed off two major “warning signs” of the potential fire danger at property it leased under and adjacent to freeways. The report also found the agency kept shoddy lease records, failed to complete annual inspections or collect rent and never took meaningful action after finding hazardous conditions at the site.
• Northern California environmental groups suing Caltrans over Interstate 80 project (Fox 40 Sacramento). Two environmental groups based out of Northern California recently announced they filed a lawsuit against Caltrans to stop the agency from widening a portion of Interstate 80 from six to eight lanes. On Wednesday, the Sierra Club, which is considered the oldest and largest environmental organization in the country, and the Environmental Council of Sacramento said their lawsuit accuses Caltrans of conducting an “inadequate environmental analysis” of the I-80 widening project that would expand the freeway between Davis and Sacramento through the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area.
• 2 wildlife crossings proposed for I-15 north of San Diego County (NBC Los Angeles). More than half of California is mountain lion territory and that’s led to several mountain lion sightings in San Diego County in recent months, as well as the deaths of two of them on local freeways. Last week, a mountain lion was hit and killed on Interstate 8 in La Mesa. In March, a mountain lion was fatally hit by a car in Oceanside, just days after one was seen peering through the windows of a nearby movie theater. As a result, there have been renewed calls for a wildlife crossing in the San Diego region, similar the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing that is being built near Agoura Hills on Highway 101 in Los Angeles County.
• Caltrans shares when Highway 1 through Big Sur may fully reopen (MSN/SF Gate). A portion of Highway 1 prone to landslides is slated to reopen next month, freeing some Big Sur residents from relying on convoys to cross over the closure. But the Central Coast highway that connects Carmel to Cambria won’t fully reopen until later. Caltrans has worked since January 2023 to remove an estimated 500,000 cubic yards of material that spilled onto the highway at Paul’s Slide during a major storm. Road crews created a turnaround at Limekiln State Park for traffic approaching from the south, which meant residents of Lucia and the Christian monastery New Camaldoli Hermitage had to use convoys led by a Caltrans vehicle each day to bypass the slide.
• Topanga Canyon Boulevard Stretch Reopens After Storm Damage (REAL 92.3). A critical stretch of Topanga Canyon Boulevard that has been closed since early March due to storm-triggered mud and debris flows is open Monday, about 90 days ahead of schedule. “Crews reopened the roadway this weekend after Topanga Canyon Blvd had been closed due to a major slide btwn Grand View Dr and PCH,” Caltrans posted Sunday morning on social media. “Expect one-way traffic control during non-peak hours as crews will continue with some items of work. Drive safely!” Approximately 15,000 cubic yards of material were removed and repurposed for Ventura County farmers, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and an art installation in downtown Los Angeles near the State Historic Park, officials said. Caltrans revised its original estimate of 50,000 to 90,000 cubic yards of material needing to be removed once a geotechnical report determined that the slide was shallower than first thought. Crews did not encounter any anomalies in the soil during removal, which benefited the expedited opening.
• California Is Testing A Road Tax Based On Miles Driven. We Answered Some Of Your More Pressing Questions (MSN/LAist). California is considering replacing the gas tax with a more sustainable source of transportation funding, and LAist’s readers and listeners had a lot of questions about the pilot program. We have answers to some of your most common concerns, but remember, the road charge is an idea that’s still being explored and developed. The pilot program is a way for your opinion to shape if, and how, it’s implemented, so these responses will likely change to reflect the results. Lauren Prehoda, the Caltrans program manager, told LAist that if you hate the idea of a road charge or are worried about how it’ll work, you should still sign up to participate in the program. “We want to hear from everyone,” she said. So let’s get into answering your questions…
• Pacific Coast Freeway (Huntington Beach) (FB/Andrew Oshrin). Old right of way map showing SR-1 and SR-39 as freeways.
• What’s With All the Construction on the I-5 Freeway Across South OC? (Voice of OC). South Orange County residents will spend most of this year continuing to confront occasional construction-related congestion and late-night freeway segment closures along the I-5 in areas like Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and Lake Forest. But the end is in sight for the series of freeway construction efforts that have been ongoing since the summer of 2019. About 6.5 miles of the I-5 Freeway – between State Route 73 and El Toro Road – will be under construction until early 2025, according to the Orange County Transportation Authority. Approximately 360,000 motorists travel daily on this section of the freeway.
• Paul’s Slide on Highway 1 on Big Sur coast to open earlier than anticipated (East Bay Times). The long-awaited reopening of the largest of the three landslides on Highway 1 is coming earlier than anticipated, bringing the flow of unimpeded traffic between Carmel and Cambria one section closer to reality. Since Jan. 14, 2023, when an estimated 500,000 cubic yards of material slid down the mountain side and engulfed Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide, Caltrans has been planning on how, and working to repair and reopen, the roadway that is now expected to be ready by early- to mid-July. Once Paul’s Slide – post mile 22 – is open, traffic coming from the south will be able to come as far north as repair work on the Regent’s Slide – post mile 27.8 – will comfortably allow.

It’s been a month, hasn’t it.

The biggest news is that my domain hosting site, Westhost, moved from cpanel to stackCP. In doing so, they broke a number of things. The first problem was with the main site (cahighways.org), which has its DNS records on a different host (because it dates back to before Westhost, when I was on Pacificnet Z”L). After a 5 hour wait on support chat regarding certificate problems for the main site (cahighways.org), they gave me advice to fix it (switch to their name servers)… but that broke things further. I ultimately got that fixed by restoring most settings, and a suitable application of money to buy my own site certificate as opposed to using their free certificate. So cahighways.org seems to be fixed.

The domain for the podcast (caroutebyroute.org) is a different story. That actually has its DNS records at Westhost. I’ve moved it to their name servers, and I thought I set it to the right IP addresses, but clearly didn’t as the site is showing as suspended. I sat in a different chat support queue for 5 hours on Thursday before giving up, and have been sitting in queue today (for over 6 hours, but I’m up to #1 …). I’m not sure if this will be fixed by the time I post this, so links to caroutebyroute.org may not work.

Needless to say, this lack of technical support from a once excellent host has me seriously thinking about jumping ship, once the ship is moving again. Suggestions on suitable hosts are welcome.

In any case, it is the start of a new month, and that means headlines. For those unfamiliar, this post generally contains headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers. Speaking of updates to the California Highways site: those are mostly done—I just need to incorporate this headline post, and hopefully I can upload to the new Westhost server for the main site (if SFTP works).

So what has happened in May? In terms of shows, we had three: Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse; Girl From The North Country at Broadway in Hollywood; and The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild. Hardbody is closed. North Country is on tour, and should be avoided at all costs. Goes Wrong is still playing in Saugus until the end of June, and is well worth seeing.

I’m also still looking for opinions on Medicare Advantage plus Medicare Supplement Plans: specifically, the Anthem Medicare Plus PPO with Senior Rx Plus Medicare Advantage Plan (as Implemented for Aerospace Retireees: See (1) Get to Know Your Group Plan; (2) Plan Summary; (3) last year’s Open Enrollment Guide) vs. a Medicare Supplement Plan.

The podcast continues apace. The last episode for Season 2 dropped in May. I’ve started writing Season 3, but it is going slow. Route 3 and the first episode on Route 4 is done. I’ll get back to writing episodes once the highway updates are posted. Episode 2.07 prompted a friend at Caltrans to offer to do an interview to talk about Fastrak and tolling in California; we’ll coordinate that as a bonus episode during the Season 2/3 break. I’m hoping to talk not just about Fastrak and tolling, but all those fake license plates going around, and placement of the transponder (article in the headlines)—however, I’m having trouble getting the recording scheduled. We also hope to do a bonus episode on Auto Trails. Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org (once it comes back) , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 2.12: Hills and Mountains (Glendale and Angeles National Forest). Episode 2.12 of California Highways: Route by Route is the second of two episodes on Route 2. In this episode, we complete our exploration of Route 2. This time, we focus on the segments in Glendale and through the Angeles National Forest, roughly from US 101 to Route 138. We talk about the pre-freeway routing, the history of the Glendale Freeway, the proposals for an Angeles Forest Freeway, and the history of Angeles Crest Highway. (Spotify for Podcasters)

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for May.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. indicates an primarily audio article. indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Two new roundabouts finished in the Montecito-Santa Barbara area | News Channel 3-12 (KEYT). Two roundabouts have been finished for commuters in Montecito and Santa Barbara to ease what were often slower travel points where stop signs were in place. One is on Olive Mill Road at Coast Village Road and connects with ramps for Highway 101 and also a link to North Jameson Lane. The other is on San Ysidro Road a block away at North Jameson Lane and Highway 101. The projects have been a joint effort for Cal Trans, the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments. There were many community meetings prior to the construction and information provided to the community throughout the process.
• ＄＄ Vincent Thomas Bridge project draws subdued response in first public hearing – Daily News (Daily News). Content preview blocked by paywall.
• ＄ Gov. Newsom declares emergency for storm-damaged Topanga Canyon (Los Angeles Times). Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency Friday to help fund badly needed repairs of roads battered during this year’s storms, including scenic Topanga Canyon Boulevard that was blocked by millions of pounds of debris. The governor’s action comes two weeks after California Department of Transportation officials said the massive, 300-foot-tall landslide that covered Topanga Canyon Boulevard in March with mud and rocks would not be cleared until fall, “if all things go well.” The proclamation enables Caltrans to request funding from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which could cover up to 100% of the repairs, according to the governor’s office.
• Gov. Newsom says Highway 1 repairs will be completed by Memorial Day weekend (KSBW). Highway 1 south of Rocky Creek Bridge opened to the public on Friday. The road reopened to all travelers under one-way traffic control at 6:30 a.m. on Friday. The area was closed since the end of March due to a slip-out that sent a chunk of the road into the ocean.  Newsom said that Caltrans crews worked overtime to make reopening on Friday morning possible. This is eight days faster than originally predicted “Crews have been working day and night to quickly repair the damage to Highway 1 caused by recent storms, which has disrupted the lives of individuals living in and around Big Sur – limiting access to the area and hampering tourism. Thanks to the diligent efforts, traffic will resume eight days ahead of schedule – bringing relief and a sense of normalcy back to one of California’s most iconic coastal communities,” Newsom said.
• ＄ Bay Bridge to be relit, with sturdier lights, and twice as many (Los Angeles Times). In the decade after they went up, the 25,000 LED lights illuminating the western side of the Bay Bridge endured a brutal pounding. “It’s the salty air, the wind, the fog, the rain, the 24-7 vibrations on the bridge, lightning strikes, car grit and grime — and more,” said Ben Davis, founder of the San Francisco nonprofit behind the light installation that went up in 2013. With the lights deteriorating faster than they could be fixed, Davis asked to turn them off in 2023, leaving what he calls “a hole in the night sky” for the last year.
• Highway 37-Fairgrounds Drive project start just 2 months away (Daily Republic). The Solano Transportation Authority is expected to begin construction in July on the $22.9 million Highway 37/Fairgrounds Drive Interchange Project. In the meantime, Solano County has paused its discussions with Solano360 master developer, Industrial Realty Group LLC, including talks on possible modifications to its submitted plan that includes a request to increase the number of residential units from 50 to 500. The county noted in an email, citing James Besek, director of the Department of Resource Management and longtime Solano360 planning member, it is still in discussions with the state Department of Housing and Community Development regarding whether the unused areas of the fairgrounds property, minus the actual fair footprint, should be considered surplus property as defined by the Surplus Land Act.
• 55-Hour Ortega Highway Closure Set As Crews Work On Historic Bridge (MSN/Patch). The Ortega Highway (state Route 74) is scheduled for a full closure this weekend as Caltrans contractor crews continue retrofitting the historic Morrill Canyon Bridge in Riverside County. The highway will be closed in both directions near El Cariso, between the Candy Store and Tenaja Truck Trail, from 10 p.m. May 3 to 6 a.m. May 6, according to Caltrans. Drivers heading east from Orange County will not be permitted through the work zone. Residents west of Tenaja Truck Trial, including Ortega Oaks RV Park and Campground and the Candy Store, will have westbound highway access, and residents east of Tenaja Truck Trail will have eastbound access.
• Caltrans: Highway repair project in Kern River Canyon should be done by early August (Yahoo/Bakersfield Californian). Caltrans still refers to it an “emergency repair project.” But nearly a year after cracks in the asphalt were first spotted on Highway 178 in the Kern River Canyon, and five months after a Caltrans contractor began work on the project, the one-way traffic control and heavy equipment operators remain in place even as the completion of the project still appears to be months away. Ahron Hakimi, executive director of Kern Council of Governments, which focuses on countywide transportation matters, is frustrated that the state agency is still slugging away at the repair project, after Caltrans estimated it would be done in April.
• ＄ A Highway Split Their Community. Efforts to Fix That Face Opposition (The New York Times). Around 6:30 every morning, David Richardson is usually awakened by the swelling sound of traffic. Steps from his front yard, thousands of cars rumble past each day as they travel along the Kensington Expressway, an expansive six-lane highway that slices through his neighborhood on Buffalo’s East Side. The expressway, built in the 1950s and ’60s to move cars faster between downtown Buffalo and its suburbs, has long depressed property values and stifled economic development in this low-income and predominantly Black community. It has also posed a physical barrier, making it harder for residents to reach grocery stores and parks.

And with that quarter I just dropped in the slot machine of life at the Tropicana (soon to be ז״ל‎, which is sad news for us Vegas historians), 2024 is down its first quarter. It’s been eventful, hasn’t it (and I’m not even talking politics, which its own form of crash and burn). But the first quarter of 2024 is now water under the bridge, so to speak. Well, something’s under the bridge.

Too soon?

In any case, it is the last day of March. I understand there are some holidays today, but for me, it is a perfect day for a headline post. For those unfamiliar, this post generally contains headlines about California Highways that I’ve seen over the last month. It also serves as fodder for the updates to my California Highways site, so there are also other pages and things I’ve seen that I wanted to remember for the site updates. Lastly, the post also includes some things that I think would be of peripheral interest to my highway-obsessed highway-interested readers.

So what has happened in March with me? There was lots of theatre: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood; the Go Jazz Big Band at The Main in Santa Clarita; and Fat Ham at the Geffen. We also got a new 2024 Subaru Forester: my daughter’s 2012 Chevy Sonic with over 100K miles on it is on its deathbed, and she’s getting our 2016 Subaru Impreza (with 43K miles on it). Good timing, as work has caught the “back to the office” bug, meaning I’ll be on the 405 more. Is that friction I’m feeling? Could the relief be retirement? We’ll see, but not for at least a year.

The podcast continues apace. One more episode dropped in March, and we’re hopefully recording more this week. I’ve started writing Season 3, but it is going close. Route 3 is done, and I’m working on Route 4. Episode 2.07 prompted a friend at Caltrans to offer to do an interview to talk about Fastrak and tolling in California; we’ll coordinate that as a bonus episode during the Season 2/3 break. I’m hoping to talk not just about Fastrak and tolling, but all those fake license plates going around, and placement of the transponder (article in the headlines). Please tell your friends about the podcast, “like”, “♥”, or “favorite” it, and give it a rating in your favorite podcatcher. Yes, the sound quality of the episodes does get better — we were learning. As always, you can keep up with the show at the podcast’s forever home at https://www.caroutebyroute.org , the show’s page on Spotify for Podcasters, or you can subscribe through your favorite podcatching app or via the RSS feeds (CARxR, Spotify for Podcasters) . The following episodes have been posted this month:

• CA RxR 2.10: Route 1: The Lost Coast (incl. Route 208 and Route 211).  Episode 2.10 of California Highways: Route by Route completes our exploration of Route 1, as we discuss the “Lost Coast”. This area was originally part of the last segment of LRN 56, and was to be Route 1, but some reworking of the state system made the former lateral between Usal Road and US 101 (which in 1964 became Route 208) officially Route 1, and made the “Lost Coast” portion of the route Route 211. This episode explores the Lost Coast, including the history of Route 208 and Route 211.  (Spotify for Podcasters)

The season will conclude with two episodes on Route 2: One on the flatlands from Santa Monica to Glendale; and one on the mountain segments along the Angeles Crest Highway.

Well, you should now be up to date. Here are the headlines that I found about California’s highways for March.

Key

[Ħ Historical information | ＄ Paywalls, ＄＄ really obnoxious paywalls, and ∅ other annoying restrictions. I’m no longer going to list the paper names, as I’m including them in the headlines now. Note: For ＄ paywalls, sometimes the only way is incognito mode, grabbing the text before the paywall shows, and pasting into an editor. See this article for more tips on bypassing paywalls. 🎧 indicates an primarily audio article. 🎥 indicates a primarily video article. ]

Highway Headlines

• Most Calif. DOT under-freeway spaces failed fire inspections (Gov1). An alarming number of storage sites under Bay Area freeway underpasses failed state fire marshal inspections spurred by last year’s devastating blaze that shut down Interstate 10 in Los Angeles, according to new Caltrans reports that raise questions about the risks of leasing space under California’s highways. Inspectors found combustible trash, vegetation, tires and debris, stacks of wooden pallets and lumber, unsecured compressed gas cylinders, unsafe wiring, motor oil and obstructed fire safety access.  “Inspections of these sites revealed several issues presenting fire or safety risks, as well as other issues and lease violations,” Caltrans Director Tony Tavares wrote in a Feb. 6 report to Gov. Gavin Newsom on the safety of Caltrans’ program to lease out space under freeways.
• Massive Ventura County landslide shuts down portion of CA-150 (AOL). Recent rainstorms in Ventura County have caused a massive mudslide that’s blocked off a stretch of State Route 150 north of Santa Paula, closing the road. Crews don’t anticipate the stretch to reopen for several months. According to Caltrans, the hillside along State Route 150, also known as Ojai Road, began to slide in early Febrary, as massive storms rolled through the area. Now, more than 150 feet of the road is completely covered by mud and debris. Caltrans estimates that 3,200 vehicles use that stretch of road daily. Through traffic is blocked between Stonegate Road in Santa Paula, south of the slide, and Mupu Road at Steckel Park, north of the slide.
• What’s in our draft Long Beach – East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (and how you can weigh in) (The Source). Last month, we released the draft Long Beach – East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (for short, the CMIP), an comprehensive 255-page document that describes the ambitious community efforts to re-envision mobility within this 18-miles-long and 5 miles-wide area linked together by the 710 Freeway. Bounded by Long Beach and East Los Angeles, this project area includes 18 cities and 3 unincorporated communities. Twelve percent of LA County’s population (1.2 million) live here. It’s home to eleven percent of LA County’s jobs (one half million). The corridor also links the manufacturing district in southeast LA to the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and the Port of Long Beach (POLB), two of the busiest ports in the world. In other words, moving supplies up and down this corridor is essential to keeping our pantries full, our businesses open, and our hospitals stocked with supplies. It’s an economic lifeline.
• Centennial Corridor flyover to open March 5, marking completion of $600 million project (Bakersfield Now). Centennial Corridor flyover, the ramp from northbound Highway 99 to westbound Highway 58, is expected to open to traffic at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, March 5, with weather permitting or as late as Wednesday, March 6, completing the more than $600 million project. The flyover connector ramp was the only outstanding portion of the project left to open. Other portions of the project opened to traffic on Feb. 17 following a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the engineering work and the impact of the about 1.5 miles of new roadway connecting Highway 58 and Highway 99.
• Caltrans And Angels Camp Host Public Meeting On Mobility Project (myMotherLode). The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the city of Angels Camp have announced a public meeting to discuss the Mobility Project, an initiative aimed at tackling traffic and safety concerns in the region. The event is open to all community members, local businesses, and media outlets and will take place on March 7 from 4 pm to 8 pm at the Bret Harte Multi-purpose room. The Mobility Project addresses traffic and safety issues along the Highway 4 and 49 corridor, a route heavily impacted by the annual influx of visitors. The project aims to create safer and less congested streets, not only for current residents but also for future generations. According to a statement from Caltrans, the project’s scope extends beyond Angels Camp, impacting multiple economies and communities along these vital state routes.
• Plan to improve traffic flow on Interstate 15 in Riverside County hinges on ‘smart freeway’ high-tech solutions (ABC7 Los Angeles). Riverside County transportation officials are hoping an upcoming project will improve a stretch of Interstate 15 through Temecula that seems perpetually snarled by traffic. “It gets gridlocked almost any time of day,” said Aaron Hake, deputy executive director of the Riverside County Transportation Commission. “Not only do you have the commute coming back from San Diego, but you also have a lot of local residents here just trying to get around the Temecula – Murrieta area. “They’re merging, they’re weaving, and just trying to get on the 215. And all of those actions have the effect of slowing traffic down and producing the opportunity for collisions.”
• Golden Gate Bridge receives $400 million from Biden bill (SF Examiner). U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Mayor London Breed, U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu at the Roundhouse Cafe at the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Plaza Monday to celebrate a $400 million grant to complete the final phase of a much–needed seismic retrofit to one of nation’s most iconic spans. The bridge’s retrofit funds come from the Biden administration’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan. The first three phases of the retrofit were completed between 2002 and 2014, according to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District.
• Skyline Boulevard: A long and winding road through scenic redwoods (Local News Matters). A drive along State Route 35, aka Skyline Boulevard, is a reminder of all the wilderness that the Santa Cruz Mountains and Bay Area have to offer. This is where the redwoods meet the road, where the mountains soar high and open space abounds. It’s a winding road, all 45 miles of it between Highway 92 and Highway 17 at the Santa Cruz County line. So which part should you see before carsickness takes over? (State Route 35 also continues north to Daly City, but for a six-mile stretch it disappears and joins Interstate 280 between San Mateo and San Bruno.)