Monterey County Transportation Digest

In December, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County spent $17 million to buy Rocks Ranch, a 2,600-acre property near San Juan Bautista that has been eyed by developers. The group is working to build a crossing so that wildlife can traverse Highway 101 without being killed.

California's public transit agencies are seeking $5 billion over five years to keep buses and trains running, but time is running out in the budget process at the state Capitol. To address criticism, they submitted a new accountability plan.

Access to popular spots on the southern Big Sur coast will be restored next week when Caltrans reopens a key stretch of Highway 1, just in time for Memorial Day holiday weekend travel.

Two key stretches of Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast are expected to reopen to traffic by mid-July, according to Caltrans.

As the industry invests $40 billion in new US electric car plants, the rapid transformation raises labor and supply chain issues. Automaker Ford says, “we’re all in.”

The ports of Oakland, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Hueneme and San Diego will receive a one-time $27 million allocation from the state budget to develop a shared data system aimed at smoothing the flow of goods.

A bipartisan congressional group from Nevada and California is asking the Biden administration to fast-track federal funds for a private company to build a high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.

Politicians must contend with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, but they also face demands from leaders of vital health care and transit services for more money to solve their fiscal woes.

Up to 60% of 2030 models and two-thirds of 2032 models sold nationwide would be zero-emissions—less aggressive than California’s mandate.

Transit agencies in California are struggling to avoid a “fiscal cliff”—and to persuade riders to return after the COVID pandemic. Advocates and legislators are seeking more state aid, but there are no simple solutions.

State Farm insures more drivers than any other company operating in California. Those 3.7 million drivers will see an average annual boost of $71 per policy, an increase of 6.9%, said Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based advocacy group.

Communities with high concentrations of electric cars are affluent, college-educated and at least 75% white and Asian—revealing a barrier to electrifying the state’s entire fleet.

A court ruling that upheld much of a 2020 gig-worker initiative also struck down a part that labor advocates say could lead to legislation for driver unionization.

At airports, facial recognition helps improve security and efficiency. But it has privacy ramifications.

The latest report from the California High-Speed Rail Authority projects costs for the initial segment at $35 billion, which exceeds secured funding by $10 billion. Other segments are likely to see higher projected costs.

Public transit is a lifeline for low-income Californians, and the key to realizing reduced carbon emissions. But the state’s major public transit agencies are facing myriad issues and are looking to state lawmakers for a solution.

Caltrans is conducting a "ballet" of road openings on the iconic road, an agency spokesperson says.

Another component of the Monterey County Rail Extension project is on track to becoming reality. “We are still in the process of acquiring properties for the Salinas layover yard,” said a TAMC rep.

That places the Monterey Regional Airport closer to having a new all-encompassing building where airline passengers can conduct the business of air travel from the non-hub commercial airfield.

The law was prompted by an audit revealing that up to 35,000 parking placards in use were in the names of deceased people.

Tthe wait for a safe trail crossing the Moss Landing harbor just got longer after Caltrans employees discovered a deteriorating retaining wall.

Electric aircraft company Joby plans to purchase the Poly building on Encinal Street in Santa Cruz by the end of November.

On Nov. 9-10, the city is holding a series of workshops to receive feedback on how best to revamp the intersection of Sunset Drive, Congress Avenue and Cedar Street.

E-Scooter sharing is back on the CSUMB campus after abruptly disappearing at the end of the fall 2021 semester. The new electric scooters are provided by Bird.

The new aircraft, the Airbus A319, will be operated by American Airlines, replacing current service from regional carrier Envoy Air.

The inaugural Joby field trip event provided a behind-the-scenes look of how far Joby has come in reshaping the future of flight. The aviation transportation company is designing and making an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft for fast, quiet, and affordable air taxi services.

The city of Monterey is weighing a Tesla Supercharger Station within its Waterfront Parking Lot—but Fisherman’s Wharf businesses aren’t sold on the idea. The council voted 4-1 to appoint agency negotiators that will work with Tesla in closed session on a licensing agreement.

The Seaside City Council has approved the first phase of the Broadway Avenue Corridor Complete Street Improvement Project, which will transform a four-lane roadway to two lanes with curb extensions, bike lanes, roundabouts and features to improve pedestrian safety.

According to a recent report from Energy Innovation Policy and Technology, in many states, electric cars are cheaper to buy than traditional gas cars.

Backers of California’s High Speed Rail project haven’t had much to celebrate, given soaring costs and scaled-back service, but a new poll shows a solid majority of voters still want to move forward and finish the job.

Gov. Gavin Newsom released a proposal to help Californians dealing with high gas prices, while also lowering the cost of public transit. Under the $11 billion proposal, California car owners would get a debit card worth $400 for each car (a limit of two vehicles, but no income cap).

The East Alisal neighborhood in Salinas is getting a long-awaited makeover, and residents will soon start seeing changes. It’s part of the Alisal Vibrancy Plan, designed to improve areas around schools and parks from Kings Street to Skyway Boulevard.