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Some favor widening freeway, but that plan not yet approved By CHUCK SCHULTZ
Count on those long traffic jams getting worse on Highway 101 between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria before anything's done to improve the commute. It will be several years before Caltrans breaks ground on a series of "operational improvements" now in the planning stages for portions of the freeway in Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria. Those projects, ranging from lengthening, realigning or closing troublesome ramps to revamping some interchanges, should help smooth traffic flow. However, transportation officials say there's no "magic bullet" — including widening the freeway to six lanes, if that's ever approved — which alone will solve congestion on that stretch of freeway. Local experts who favor adding another lane in each direction concede that would be a temporary fix unless the other alternatives for lessening traffic are also pursued. They see the need for a package of solutions that increases availability of buses and trains, while simultaneously working to shake many commuters out of their usual habit of driving to work alone during peak traffic hours. "Just widening the freeway is not the answer," said Michael Magne, government relations director for the Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce, which supports an expansion to six lanes. "That's only one piece in the puzzle."
It's a view shared by officials at Caltrans, the state transportation agency responsible for freeway construction. "We would be more than happy to see other alternatives that really solve the congestion on the South Coast," said Rob Miller, a Caltrans project engineer. "We would love to see more rail and more mass transit (service). We have to get people out of their single-occupant vehicles or else the congestion won't get better for long." Analysis of such options, along with a renewed debate over whether to widen the freeway, will occur during the next couple of years as Caltrans and Santa Barbara County Association of Governments craft a "101 Implementation Plan" for easing congestion from the Ventura County line to Winchester Canyon Road in western Goleta. "We'll try to determine what the community wants to do about the congestion problem in the long run," said Jim Kemp, executive director of the county association of governments. "In order to relieve the problem, there is no single option that's going to be the magic bullet." Over the next several years, Caltrans plans to embark on several multimillion-dollar projects that could be precursors to widening the freeway. Three options are under consideration between Milpas Street and Hot Springs Road. All include an extra southbound lane between those two interchanges, an elevated "loop" offramp over Milpas for southbound traffic, and construction of a pedestrian tunnel under the freeway at Cacique Street.
Cost estimates range from $33 million to $39 million, and the work is not expected to be finished until 2009. In Summerland, there are plans for adding an "auxiliary lane" for northbound traffic between the Evans Road onramp and the Sheffield Drive offramp. Within the next five years, Caltrans also hopes to begin rebuilding two freeway interchanges in Carpinteria, at Linden Avenue and Casitas Pass Road, at an estimated cost of more than $21 million. Those projects, with a price tag of $64 million or more, all need to be done whether or not the freeway is widened, officials noted. "It's not money that's being thrown away," said Mr. Kemp. "It reduces the cost of a future widening project. Much of what's being planned would have to be done anyway if the freeway is widened to six lanes." A decade ago, the cost of adding an extra lane in each direction was projected at between $125 million and $200 million, but that has at least doubled under current estimates. The sharp increase is due mostly to rising costs for labor, materials, land for rights-of-way and the added expense of meeting new environmental regulations, Mr. Miller said. That money, critics argue, would be spent more wisely increasing opportunities for mass transit and providing incentives for workers who commute to leave their cars at home. "We need to have better express bus systems for commuters," said Santa Barbara City Planning Commissioner Grant House. "I don't know why we need more study for that. Everyone knows each bus takes 40 cars off the road." Motorists have shown a remarkable tolerance for traffic jams before giving up the freedom of driving their own vehicles to and from work, experts note. "I think we should continue to offer alternative forms of transportation, but we need to recognize that most people choose to drive their cars," said Carpinteria Councilman Gregory Gandrud. He and others think solving the freeway congestion will also require changes in land-use priorities so more affordable housing is available for workers who can't afford to buy a house here now. "We need to build housing so people can live and work in this area," said Mr. Magne. HIGHWAY MEETINGS Two additional meetings have been scheduled to answer questions and hear comments on improvements planned by Caltrans to relieve freeway congestion on Highway 101 between Milpas Street and Hot Springs Road. The public meetings will be:
Three alternatives are being considered by the state transportation
agency for that construction work, which is not expected to be finished
until 2009. Besides improving traffic flow and increasing safety,
the changes are intended to make the area more accessible for bicycles
and pedestrians. |
©2002 Santa Barbara New-Press