WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Residents of West Sacramento and surrounding areas were invited to the public meeting hosted by Caltrans. This meeting was an information gathering event for Caltrans to find out the thoughts, feelings and questions that the public has about a possible toll lane being added to the causeway for traffic congestion relief.

The meeting was held at the West Sacramento Community Center, behind Turner Library. With 15-20 Caltrans employees, designers, project managers and more, there was someone there that could likely answer whatever question you may have about the project. The room was set up with printed poster boards in a variety of subjects regarding the project.  

According to the Caltrans Fact Sheet given out at the meeting, the purpose of the project is to improve mobility on the I-80 and US 50 corridors in Yolo and Sacramento counties. During peak times traffic gets severely congested around UC Davis, on the causeway, at the Highway 80/50 interchange, at I-5 and ramps that enter that corridor. This leads to severe traffic congestion, accidents and stop-and-go conditions.

Caltrans believes that by building this toll lane, it will relieve congestion by opening up another lane. However, they are not just adding another lane. With a toll lane, you have to pay to drive in that lane. In the Bay Area, to use the toll lanes you have to pay approximately $50 for a transponder that you put in your car (and you still have to pay to use the lane). On that transponder you can click a little button to indicate if you are driving alone, or with multiple passengers. (Cars with three or more people can use the lane for free.) The technology along the route is able to see how many people are in your car so that it knows the correct amount to charge you. It has not been decided yet, but Yolo County may use a similar type of system.

The Caltrans Fact Sheet says that by adding this lane it will improve freight mobility and public transportation. However, it would only affect freight mobility if a significant number of people pay to use that lane, and it frees up space on the existing road. The new lane will be built on the fast-lane side of the road. Truckers have to stay in the right two lanes.

Caltrans says that there is a need to improve transit access and viability for Yolo Bus, Solano Transit and upcoming electric busses between the UCD campus and UCD Medical Center. A toll lane is not the only option. Though it is definitely the option that they are reaching for, it could possibly be decided that it could be a carpool lane.

Caltrans says that in that corridor there have been 4,971 collisions, 1,807 injuries and 39 fatalities in the last ten years. The project also calls for a new bike/pedestrian path, as well as improving the existing path. They plan to build a new 300-space transfer station and that all of this will save up to 60 minutes of time. They plan for concrete medians, changeable message signs, closed circuit TV and ramp metering.

The cost of this project is in the range of $230,000,000 - $465,000,000. The timeline is as follows: Environmental Study Spring 2023, Design Complete Summer 2024, Construction Begins Fall 2024, Construction Ends Fall 2027. If you missed the public meeting in West Sacramento, there will be another chance in Davis on December 13, 2023. For more information, to ask questions or to contact the Public Information Officer, you can find the project website by typing in “YOLO-80 CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.”