Nevada County Transportation Digest

A program that allows solo drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles to use carpool lanes on freeways and bridges in California may be removed for good next year.

Highway 1 is closed indefinitely from Palo Colorado Road to Rocky Creek Bridge, the California Department of Transportation said on social media after a new landslide eroded part of the roadway.

Nevada County staff have prepared a $56M+ Capital Improvement Plan to be presented to the Board of Supervisors with a focus on maintenance of local bridges and roads.

With 3,000 Californians submitting entries, the winners of the CalTrans snow plow naming contest have been announced.

Projects to improve safe access and widen lanes and add shoulders to improve the highway as an evacuation route are in the early stages.

On March 1, the California Public Utilities Commission gave approval for driverless taxi company Waymo to expand service into Los Angeles and San Mateo counties.

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.

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.

A new location for the Bear River Library will be announced at the Nevada County Board of Supervisors meeting on Jan. 23 in the chambers of the Eric Rood Administrative Center in Nevada City.

Caltrans and the California Office of Traffic Safety are injecting a flurry of fun into this season of inclement weather by inviting Californians to participate in the first Caltrans Snowplow Naming Contest.

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.

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.

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.

County staff will discuss three replacement alternatives for the Edwards Crossing Bridge and the environmental impacts that would result from each. A draft environmental impact report will be available through Nov. 14 for the public to review.

The Grass Valley City Council and staff discussed efforts to procure electric vehicle charging stations. According to Tim Kiser, Grass Valley city manager, EV chargers would bring business to shopping districts of Grass Valley.

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.

As the popularity of electric bikes continues to skyrocket, the California Highway Patrol is launching an online e-bike safety and training program to help commuters and recreational cyclists ride safely.

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.

The International Civil Aviation Organization established the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which aims to help reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions.

The California Transportation Commission awarded the Nevada County Transportation Commission $14.6 million of Trade Corridor Enhancement Program funding for southbound improvements on the State Route 49 corridor between the McKnight Way Interchange and La Barr Meadows Road.