Sign on to support greater oversight of Caltrans
November 05, 2023
(From press release) CalBike, along with over 100 climate, mobility, and transportation justice nonprofits, signed a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom requesting greater oversight of Caltrans. The letter, spearheaded by NextGen California, made three specific requests:
- An external audit of the State Highway Operation and Protection Program (SHOPP) to ensure that funds aren’t being illegally used to widen roads.
- A third-party investigation of allegations by former Caltrans Deputy Director Jeanie Ward-Waller. Specifically, Ward-Waller said Caltrans District 3 is widening a freeway in what was supposed to be a repaving project. The letter requests an investigation of all Caltrans districts to ensure none are using funds for unauthorized road expansion.
- A moratorium on all road and interchange expansions until the investigations are completed.
Click on link to read the full letter and add your name
I could support the first two bullets (the request for an audit and an investigation) but not the third bullet (moratorium).
Posted by: J | November 05, 2023 at 10:17 AM
The "CalBike site says: "Caltrans continues to build and widen freeways guaranteed to induce greater VMT." I wonder if anyone would want to estimate the increase in VMT if Caltrans widened 395 between Alturas and the OR Border.
I bought my kids bigger beds as they grew, but the bigger beds did not make them grow (and buying my full grown son a 8 foot long bed will have the same impact on his height as widening 395 to 6 lanes in each direction will have on traffic between Alturas and the OR border (the answer rhymes with "hero").
Closer to home I have never met anyone that said" "I'm not going skiing this weekend since there are only three lanes each way across the causeway and I will spend an extra 15 minutes in the car each way".
P.S. I ride my bike almost every day, but would never commute by bike across the causeway since it is not a nice ride with all the freeway noise, I know some people do it but even if the drive to downtown Sac was over an hour I don't see many people making the ride from Davis (especially then the temp is near 100 in the summer)...
Posted by: South of Davis | November 05, 2023 at 10:34 PM