Monterey County Transportation Digest

California electric vehicle sales dropped significantly in the last half of 2023, raising questions about the state’s ability to phase out gas-powered cars.

The San Pedro ports had a busy January as they rebounded from last year’s labor troubles and picked up cargo redirected because of Suez and Panama canal troubles.

Work continues along Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide, but with the recent storm, a new rockslide has extended the road’s closure northward. However, the highway is still on track to reopen later this spring.

Some automakers are reducing production of electric cars and Tesla sales have dropped. Can California sustain its record pace and meet the state mandate?

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County continues to lay the path for its vision of extending Caltrain rail service, past its current endpoint in Gilroy, to a new point in Salinas.

The proposed bill would require new California cars to have a speed limiter.

A project to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas via electric high speed rail could break ground in early 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced.

The numbers and letters on your car can reveal more than you think.

Joby Aviation signed an agreement for the first electric air taxi charger installed at a California airport in anticipation of air taxi service in the greater Los Angeles area.

A project aiming to improve a major traffic artery between the Salinas area and the Monterey Peninsula has been delayed due to weather but officials still hope to see work start this month.

Caltrans has set a Jan. 25 deadline for tech companies to show how generative artificial intelligence might reduce traffic congestion in the state. This follows an executive order that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September related to this type of AI.

Heavy snow is projected in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Previously, warmer storms had been bringing precipitation mainly to higher elevations in the Sierras.

San Francisco police officers have been operating for more than a year with guidance from their chief that California’s vehicle code doesn’t provide authority for them to ticket driverless cars for infractions like speeding or running red lights. Officers are still encouraged to report relevant information about incidents.

The Seaside City Council adopted a resolution at its meeting approving an agreement with Whitson Engineers to perform services during the San Pablo pedestrian bridge demolition and reconstruction project for an amount not to exceed $556,000.

Farmland is being rezoned for industrial use, and massive warehouses are being built on spec near communities like Buttonwillow and Shafter, so goods coming through the Southern California ports can be shipped quickly throughout the western United States.

A group of protesters sat down with interlocked arms on the 110 Freeway near downtown LA on Dec. 13, halting southbound traffic for more than an hour. Multiple people were arrested according to the CHP.

Higher-income workers are more likely to work from home, analysis of recent census data shows. Lower-income workers can face long and solitary commutes to get to work.

“The original concept that was selected was the Treehouse. After reviewing the conceptual cost estimates, it became apparent that the original concept was going to be too expensive.”

Private company Brightline secured a $3 billion grant through the U.S. Department of Transportation toward a 218-mile high-speed rail line from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas. The line would allow people to make the trip to Sin City in a little over two hours.

An Alameda County judge ruled on Nov. 22 that the city of Oakland thwarted a proposed coal export terminal. The judge will rule if the developer who sued is entitled to $159 million in damages or moving forward with the project.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles changed its voter registration process in 2019 to put a party selection dropdown on the same page. Since then, the number of people registering as Republicans or Democrats has jumped close to 20 points.

The Orange County Transportation Authority announced that work has been completed for express lanes along 16 miles of Interstate 405. The lanes, which were part of a $2.16 billion improvement project, span from Costa Mesa to the Los Angeles County line.

A new study by Forbes shows that four cities in the Golden State—Los Angeles, Fresno, San Diego and Sacramento—are among the 21 worst cities in the United States for holiday travel. Forbes looked at a variety of factors including car accidents, hotel prices and air travel.

Interstate 10 in Los Angeles will reopen Nov. 21, following a fire on Nov. 11. It had previously been feared the freeway would be closed much longer.

California State University, Monterey Bay’s parking technology is about to get an upgrade, and maintenance that was halted due to COVID-19 will also begin to roll out across campus.

China modeled some of its climate programs on policies first adopted by California. Now, California depends on the world’s most populous country for essential materials in its electric vehicle ambitions.

The Monterey Regional Airport had a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week to its nearly-completed Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility, marking another notch in its multi-phase safety enhancement program.

The city of Marina is supporting Joby Aviation’s submittal of a grant to expand its mid-range production capacity at the Marina airport.

Hydrogen fueling stations will get 15 percent of funds in a state program — even though Californians own only about 12,000 hydrogen cars. The funds come from fees paid by drivers.

Joby Aviation has been mulling a decision of where to build its new manufacturing plant, and according to a story in TechCrunch, Marina is no longer in contention for the coveted facility.

With only 12,000 hydrogen cars on the road, and just two models for sale, California lawmakers are debating how much state money should support them.

One of Monterey car week’s fastest-growing car shows is the all-women car show in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The Prancing Ponies Women’s Car Show started with two dozen cars. Now, it has more than 100 women drivers roaring onto Ocean Avenue.