Central Coast will see new transportation funds
Californians will be driving on smoother roads, safer bridges, and enjoying the benefits of enhanced transit thanks to $334 million in new funding allocated to 53 projects by the California Transportation Commission.
The allocations include approximately $165 million to repair bumpy pavement, preserve roads that are in good condition from worsening, and upgrade bridges to make them safer and stronger. Most of California’s highways are more than a half-century old, and they carry nearly half of the nation’s container freight – heavy loads that pound our highways more than any other state.
“To get the most bang for the buck for taxpayers, Caltrans targets dollars where they are most effective – pavement preservation,” Dougherty said. “Every $1 spent on preventive pavement maintenance saves Californians $11 that would have been spent on future pavement repairs.”
Currently, 84 percent, or 42,000 lane miles of California highways are in good operating condition. Caltrans’ goal is to reach 90 percent by 2023, which is a challenge as funding is declining and highways are aging. In 2013, Caltrans repaired 76,808 potholes on the Golden State’s 50,000 highway lane miles. This was down nearly 100,000 potholes from a few years prior due to Caltrans’ repaving efforts.
The allocations also include $64 million from Proposition 1B, a transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. To date, more than $17 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been put to work statewide for transportation purposes. The remaining funding allocations came from assorted transportation accounts funded by state and federal dollars.
Some of the notable projects that received funding support include:
- $7 million to improve 10 miles of pavement on Hwy. 46 from the Shandon Safety Roadside Rest Area to the San Luis Obispo/Kern County line. This project will include improvements to metal beam guardrail.
- $3 million for the improvement of 2 miles of U.S. Highway 101 from south of Los Osos Valley Road to just north of Monterey Street in San Luis Obispo County.
- $981,000 to upgrade pedestrian curb ramps and sidewalks at various locations in San Luis Obispo and Monterey Counties to comply with the American with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- $482,000 to apply a high friction surface treatment to U.S. Highway 101 near Gaviota in Santa Barbara County. This treatment will reduce the severity and number of traffic collisions in this area.
- $400,000 to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC) for the construction of bicycle lanes, curb, gutter and sidewalks near Vine Hill Elementary School in the City of Scotts Valley.
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