Caltrans and TAMC have been promoting the 9 roundabouts on an 8-mile stretch (from Josselyn Canyon Road to San Benancio Road) of highway 68 since 2017 at a projected cost of $227 Million as shown on the Project Fact Sheet below. They are in the final stages of making a decision on the project and are asking for opinions and questions from the public. They are also offering a second alternative of widening the nine intersections and doing adaptive signal controls but are not really promoting that option, even though that option yields the same peak commute congestion reduction of 5 minutes as the roundabouts. I am not totally clear why the TAMC Board is currently choosing the nine roundabouts as the preferred alternative, other than the state and federal funds that they are trying to obtain may be tied to safety projects.
TAMC’s promotion of roundabouts has also made “Project Benefits” claims on their “Project Fact Sheet” that are either totally false (Reduce Emergency Response Times and Decrease Emissions) or misleading (Reduced collisions, wildlife safety, improve airport access, facilitate a new Laguna Seca main entrance). The Emergency Response Times, Decreased Emissions and Reduced Collisions claims are addressed by information in this website’s Categories.
The other misleading benefit claims on the TAMC Fact Sheet make it seem that the proposed wildlife crossings and a new entrance for Laguna Seca are tied to the roundabouts when they can be done totally separate from the roundabouts and could be added to the existing intersections and roadway. This was verified by both Caltrans and TAMC. The claim about the better Airport access is solely based on belief that the 9 roundabouts will lessen congestion even though TAMC own studies showed that the 9 roundabouts would save only 5 minutes on the PM peak commute and a “marginal improvement” on the AM peak commute. They fail to note that the non-peak commute will actually be longer with 9 roundabouts than the current system of signals.
Proposed Alternative 2
This alternative is not really being promoted by TAMC or Caltrans and is most likely a choice that is just put out to the public to make them feel like there is another option being considered besides roundabouts. The good part of this alternative is inclusion of adaptive signal controls, but the bad part is widening each of the 9 intersections from 1 lane to 2 just as you approach the signal and them reducing the 2 lanes to 1 again a short distance after the signal. That will allow the aggressive driver to speed ahead of other vehicles in the other lane and then get ahead of them on the other side of the light. This adds more potential points of conflict and thus collisions at each intersection. It would be similar to the current westbound lane at the SR 218 intersection where the 2 lanes merge together to 1, just before Tarpy’s. We all know how dangerous and confusing that is, as to who really has the right of way. The widening of each intersection is also requiring major excavation and expense as detailed in the just released Environmental Impact Report.
The signal upgrade in Alternative 2 sounds like an improvement to the current ones but is not clearly identified. Also, it is not currently being offered as a separate option from the intersection widening part of Alternative 2 and no explanation by TAMC or Caltrans has been given as to why it cannot be implemented separately with the current intersections. There are also no details on the separate cost of this part, but it would be significantly less than the widening construction costs.
This is how the upgraded signal system changes are described on a TAMC PowerPoint Slide and on page 33 of the Draft Environmental Impact Report:
“Traffic signal system equipment would be replaced with upgraded adaptive signal control technology that would adjust the timing of the red, yellow, and green light cycle times to accommodate variations in traffic patterns and improve movement through the intersection. All currently signalized intersections would be upgraded with traffic sensors/traffic detection, traffic signal controllers, and fiber optic or wireless communication systems at the intersections. These communication devices would allow each signalized intersection to be adaptive and allow them to react to changing traffic conditions, monitor traffic conditions at each intersection in real time, and continuously distribute green time equitably for all traffic movements”.
Pedestrians and Bicycles
Caltrans states that “Pedestrian and bicycle access would improve” with roundabouts but give no details as to how that will be accomplished. It is already established that roundabouts are a problem for sight impaired pedestrians and bicyclists will need to either merge into the traffic going through each roundabout or stop and use the pedestrian crosswalk.
Additional Information from Caltrans and TAMC
Build Alternative 1 | Caltrans
Build Alternative 2 | Caltrans
7592ed6e-7cbf-4379-85e7-11147b2b6aed (publicinput.com)