Creating a long-sought secondary access to the Elks Unocal Event Center took another step forward this week with an Orcutt Community Plan amendment to include the new section of road in its Transportation section text and circulation map.
Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the amendment, as recommended by the Planning Commission in October, at its meeting Tuesday.
Not including the unknown cost of acquiring rights of way, the project is currently estimated at $5.51 million, including $3.8 million in construction costs alone, and those figures are likely to rise before work is completed.
The roadway is widely supported by residents in Orcutt and Santa Maria as well as Santa Maria Elks Recreation Inc. and Santa Maria Joint Union High School District trustees.
By Janene Scully, Noozhawk North County Editor | @JaneneScully
December 16, 2020
| 7:44 p.m.
A proposal to extend a frontage road to connect with Union Valley Parkway improving access and safety near the Santa Maria rodeo grounds and a new high school facility received one more green light on Tuesday.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously supported the project, which would involve amending the Orcutt Community Plan to include the extension and approving environmental aspects.
“I would just say that this project has been a really long time coming, and there’s a lot of good safety benefits to it,” Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam said.
Wed December 16, 2020 - West Edition #26
Caltrans
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated more than $565 million for current projects and approved $2 billion in future improvements.
The
California Transportation Commission (CTC) allocated more than $565 million for current projects and approved $2 billion in future improvements to address transportation needs throughout the state. Caltrans is committed to improving California s transportation infrastructure and creating safer, more reliable travel options, said Caltrans Director Toks Omishakin. This investment allows the department to continue our critical repairs and upgrades to roads, bridges, mass transit and bicycle and pedestrian routes.
Some notable approved projects by Caltrans include:
District 1: Eureka
Streetsblog California Editor Melanie Curry is one of very few reporters tracking the California Transportation Commission, where her reporting has lent strength to advocates’ push for appointees who stand for clean air and equitable transportation.
Streetsblog San Francisco Editor Roger Rudick has frequently corrected the mainstream media record on California High-Speed Rail. L.A. Times readers would hardly know that hundreds of miles of California high-speed rail are under construction, the largest infrastructure project in state, if not the nation.
Streetsblog brings you all these and more – stories that you just can’t find at Southern California’s mainstream media outlets.
CALmatters Commentary: California No. 1 – in rough highways
Dan Walters: CALmatters Commentary
Much has been said and written about the nation’s stark political divisions and a state-by-state map of November’s presidential election confirms them.
The 50 states were evenly divided between President Donald Trump and his successful challenger, Joe Biden, but the latter triumphed by winning the more populous states.
This week, another map was published that bore an uncanny resemblance to the ones portraying the presidential outcome. Generated by Money Geek, a website devoted to personal finance issues, it displays the differences among states in the conditions of their highways and in how much they are spending on roadway maintenance.