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Dramatic improvements in CA highways

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I cannot be the only one noticing this. I just completed a 1000 mile round trip from Bay Area > San Diego > Healdsburg and looks like highway pavement conditions have dramatically improved. And whatever bad sections are left are under construction now.

Pretty much all of the 300 miles of I-5 between Tracy and Los Angeles seems to be either freshly paved / re-striped / or getting repaved now. I also saw massive rehabilitation projects in So Cal, starting with I-5 near Magic Mountain, 210 in Pasadena and many more. Even dreaded 405 has new ramps with fresh striping. Also, loving the new wide striping they have started applying on newly paved roads. Finally, the horrible concrete pavement between Windsor and Healdsburg in Sonoma County is gone as well, replaced with new freshly paved roads.

The only area that still needs work is core Bay Area. How can we get Caltrans to show us some love as well ?
 
I personally notice the opposite. They probably improved rural roads which aren't the ones that really need improving. Metropolitan roads are in dire need of repair as well as expansion. Bay Area roads are complete garbage and most areas in socal metro areas are garbage as well and metro areas are where most of the tax dollars are made and we get the least attention.

It is actually quite comical. I noticed they repaved a road near me that was completely fine. A few blocks over there are roads that are literally falling apart and they have yet to service. Most of the extra tax dollars that are accrued via the new gas tax and registration fees are NOT used for road improvements. Another scam created by this ridiculous state.
 
I personally notice the opposite. They probably improved rural roads which aren't the ones that really need improving. Metropolitan roads are in dire need of repair as well as expansion. Bay Area roads are complete garbage and most areas in socal metro areas are garbage as well and metro areas are where most of the tax dollars are made and we get the least attention.

It is actually quite comical. I noticed they repaved a road near me that was completely fine. A few blocks over there are roads that are literally falling apart and they have yet to service. Most of the extra tax dollars that are accrued via the new gas tax and registration fees are NOT used for road improvements. Another scam created by this ridiculous state.

Are you referring to local roads or highways? SoCal highways seems to be in great shape. I live in Union City and they seem to repave constantly as does Hayward and Fremont next to us. Although I agree that cities like Oakland and San Jose can do better and likely need more funding. I often wonder if the repaving rural highways is more of a jobs program or a genuine need for interstate commerce.

Btw, you can track SB1 projects here Rebuilding CA - Senate Bill 1
 
Are you referring to local roads or highways? SoCal highways seems to be in great shape. I live in Union City and they seem to repave constantly as does Hayward and Fremont next to us. Although I agree that cities like Oakland and San Jose can do better and likely need more funding. I often wonder if the repaving rural highways is more of a jobs program or a genuine need for interstate commerce.

Btw, you can track SB1 projects here Rebuilding CA - Senate Bill 1

I am referring to both. Apparently you haven't traveled much in socal cause most of them are garbage. But then again if you haven't ventured out of the Bay Area too much then you are conditioned to be familiar with sub standard roads. I lived there as well and the Bay Area looks like they could care less about infrastructure and roads. In socal 5, 405, 91 are pathetic to name a few and that doesn't cover San Diego at all, well except for the 5. Of course some are better than others, but I have traveled in many other states and most other states roads are wonderful compared to CA roads. From what I have seen and I have driven in most states, CA has the worst roads.

it is kinda funny cause when you leave state lines you can actually tell a difference on the quality of roads immediately when entering into Arizona and Nevada. Oregon I haven't crossed in many years so I do not know and last time I was in Oregon I flew into PDX. Weather takes its toll there in some areas, but they have an excuse as it is weather related.

At any rate, our entire road system is very outdated and it needs a complete overhaul! Population has far outgrown the roads and in places like socal and Bay Area instead of having 4-5 lane freeways each way we need 30 lane freeways each way to accommodate population growth for the next 150-200 years which allows ourselves to save for the next overhaul and expansion of our roads. I hate to say it but even the current 1.4 trillion dollar appropriation to infrastructure is not enough.

As for it being a work program or it being needed for interstate commerce, roads and infrastructure is the lifes blood to a nations economy. Without it, it stagnates and decreases its economic growth. Imagine if there was never traffic in city areas. Imagine all the time you have wasted in traffic where you could have gotten work done. Now multiply that by how many people commute. I would say that it is needed for commerce not only interstate but also within local communities.
 
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U guys are spoiled. I grew up in CA but lived 30 years in Wisconsin--then I moved back. In the east coast and midwest the roads are much worse. Frost heaves and potholes are everywhere and major roads need to be constantly renovated because of the tough conditions. Rain, Snow, Ice, Salt and plowing all tear up roads. Since moving back I have enjoyed dry, smooth roads and safe driving conditions. Big negative is the traffic. No traffic jams like CA traffic jams. World class traffic jams.
 
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U guys are spoiled. I grew up in CA but lived 30 years in Wisconsin--then I moved back. In the east coast and midwest the roads are much worse. Frost heaves and potholes are everywhere and major roads need to be constantly renovated because of the tough conditions. Rain, Snow, Ice, Salt and plowing all tear up roads. Since moving back I have enjoyed dry, smooth roads and safe driving conditions. Big negative is the traffic. No traffic jams like CA traffic jams. World class traffic jams.

I have family in Dales. So I am familiar with WI roads. However, there is a major difference. Their road damage is due to weather. CA has no excuse. I have been to states that see inclement weather seasons and despite that their roads are still very nice. It all goes back to how the state handles their budgets.
 
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I personally notice the opposite. They probably improved rural roads which aren't the ones that really need improving. Metropolitan roads are in dire need of repair as well as expansion. Bay Area roads are complete garbage and most areas in socal metro areas are garbage as well and metro areas are where most of the tax dollars are made and we get the least attention.

Caltrans only work on freeways/highways. All other roads and streets are the responsibility of your city/county, and not the state.


Most of the extra tax dollars that are accrued via the new gas tax and registration fees are NOT used for road improvements. Another scam created by this ridiculous state.

This is misleading and just outright wrong. SB1 is dedicated to transportation. On top of this, the recently voter approved Prop 69 pretty much locks the funds in place for the needed repairs.
 
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Caltrans only work on freeways/highways. All other roads and streets are the responsibility of your city/county, and not the state.




This is misleading and just outright wrong. SB1 is dedicated to transportation. On top of this, the recently voter approved Prop 69 pretty much locks the funds in place for the needed repairs.
I didn't even mention Caltrans, so not sure where you got that from. And regardless of who is responsible for the roads the fact is they are not repairing them because most politicians and their constituents are at war with the automobile. SB1 if you follow the money is NOT dedicated to transportation. This isn't the first time this state has misrepresented and taxed its citizens under a false narrative. They keep diverting the funds into other means. SB1 gives them the right to divert that money at any moment. The stats show that overall roughly 10-20% of the funds generated from the gas tax have been used on improving roads.

I actually don't mind the gas tax if it was truly used for repairing and building roads I enjoy nice smooth roads to drive on. However, they are not properly using that money. As for prop 69 I do not like it as it is too broad. "transportation projects" can mean a lot of different things. So I will just say we will wait and see.
 
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I didn't even mention Caltrans, so not sure where you got that from.

The entire thread is titled about improvement in CA Highways - which is entirely the responsibility of Caltrans, which you disagreed with saying that "They probably improved rural roads which aren't the ones that really need improving". What I mean to say is that the "they" you refer to is your city/county, and not the state as a whole.


SB1 if you follow the money is NOT dedicated to transportation.

I'd ask you to post evidence of this, but I figure it's probably not going to matter because you follow up right away with:

As for prop 69 I do not like it as it is too broad. "transportation projects" can mean a lot of different things.

There's no pleasing you, is there? Either they don't dedicate taxes to transportation, or they're too broad when the law specifically targets transportation. Come on. ;)
 
The entire thread is titled about improvement in CA Highways - which is entirely the responsibility of Caltrans, which you disagreed with saying that "They probably improved rural roads which aren't the ones that really need improving". What I mean to say is that the "they" you refer to is your city/county, and not the state as a whole.




I'd ask you to post evidence of this, but I figure it's probably not going to matter because you follow up right away with:



There's no pleasing you, is there? Either they don't dedicate taxes to transportation, or they're too broad when the law specifically targets transportation. Come on. ;)

Again never mentioned Caltrans, you did. And when I said "they" I was referring to the powers that be(regardless of city, county, or state), not Caltrans. Caltrans does NOT control how the money is spent or allocated. So Why would I blame an entity that has no control over that?

As for prop 69, all I am going to say is lets wait and see. I really hope I am wrong.

As for pleasing me, it is quite simple. If you are going to tax us claiming you are going to use that money to repair the roads then use it for the roads. Instead they taxed all this money and only 10-20% of it went to road repairs and they reallocated the money to other projects. Again the terminology used in the prop is very loose. Transportation projects can mean a lot of different things. And most of them we do NOT need. The ONLY thing we need right now is for our roads to be repaired and expanded. Our road system is already 60 years too old. We can't even keep up with the increased population growth. We do NOT need any other transportation projects period!
 
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I used to donate to the local High School - a certain amount each year - asking it be designated to the Drama dept.
After a few years, I was told by the dept head that, yes my money did go to the Drama dept. But it was included in their budget which had not increased in a decade. So, basically my money allowed them to re-direct part of the original budget to another place.

You can say an increase in tax will go to the Roads, but it won't increase the road budget.
 
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