NCTC Newsletter
The total construction cost for the SR 49 Corridor Improvement Project – Phase 2 southbound improvements is $19 million, which is comprised of the $14.6 million of TCEP funding and $4.4 million of matching funding.
With NCTC securing the funding for the southbound SR 49 Corridor Improvement Project - Phase 2 improvements, it will now allow for both the northbound improvements (Phase 1) and the southbound improvements (Phase 2) to be constructed together with construction beginning in FY 2025/26.
“This funding will bring this project to completion sooner, lessening the construction impacts for residents with much-needed safety and evacuation improvements,” said Nevada County Board Chair Ed Scofield, who also serves on the Nevada County Transportation Commission. “I'm looking forward to seeing the many transportation improvements the Nevada County Transportation Commission has planned and brought in funding for in Nevada County.”
The SR 49 Corridor Improvement Project - Phase 1 includes construction of the northbound truck climbing lane, a continuous center two way left turn lane, 10’ shoulders, and elimination of the northbound merge point, improving operations, safety, and mobility. Phase 1 also includes southbound right turn lanes at Wellswood Way, Bethel Church Way, Smith Road, and Crestview Drive. Other safety features include enhanced wet night visibility striping, rumble strips, and pavement edge treatments. A wildlife undercrossing with fencing will also be installed as part of this phase to help reduce deer strikes.
For more information, contact Mike Woodman, NCTC Executive Director, at mwoodman@nccn.net or (530) 265-3202.
“This is a great opportunity to practice situational awareness. We encourage folks to build in communication redundancies. Residents should be aware of all the tools we use to inform residents of an emergency; hi-lo sirens, radio updates, Internet news, the Ready Nevada County Dashboard, and updates from your 5 emergency allies are all equally important. Of course, your own situational awareness plays a big role. If you see or smell smoke, don’t be afraid to evacuate yourself,” says OES Program Manager, Paul Cummings.
• Visit ReadyNevadaCounty.org/EmergencyAlerts
• Text ReadyNevadaCounty to 99411 and follow the link to complete the registration.
• Call 211 or 1-833-DIAL211 for assistance from a Connecting Point call agent.
The Town of Truckee will conduct a concurrent test of the Nixle Everbridge Emergency Alert System which serves Town of Truckee residents. Truckee residents are encouraged to register for Nixle emergency alerts, in addition to CodeRED. which serves unincorporated Eastern Nevada County, and all Western Nevada County. Truckee Police Department and Truckee Fire Protection District utilize the Nixle Everbridge Emergency Alert System as the primary method of communication during critical incidents which take place within the Town of Truckee and Truckee Fire Protection District limits. Both residents and visitors are encouraged to subscribe to stay informed in an evolving event.
Residents are encouraged to utilize the user-friendly Nixle Everbridge application on mobile devices. Simply text “APP” to 888-777 to receive a link to download the Everbridge Mobile Application. Complete the registration by downloading, installing and opening the app. Insert 96161 to subscribe to the Truckee Police Department and Truckee Fire Protection District.
Robert Womack, Truckee Police Department Emergency Services Coordinator explains, “Both CodeRED and Nixle Everbridge are high-speed mass notification systems designed to notify residents during an evolving situation. Emergency alerts are one of many communication tools we utilize during an emergency, and testing these systems is an important part of our coordinated emergency planning.”
• Learn more at ReadyNevadaCounty.org
• Follow Office of Emergency services on Twitter @NevCoOES and Facebook @NevadaCountyOES for updates and tips on how to prepare.
• Follow Truckee Police Department on Twitter and Facebook @TruckeePolice
• Follow Truckee Fire Protection District on Twitter and Facebook @TruckeeFire
- Improper turning (i.e. turning in front of oncoming vehicles)
- Unsafe speed (causes vehicles to go off the road or does not allow the driver enough time to react)
- DUI
- Hit Object (a lot of these include hitting animals but also hitting objects when they veer off the road)
- Rear-End (most of these seem to be as a result of the driver not paying attention and not leaving enough time to react)
- Broadside (ties to the improper turning collision factor, i.e. in front of oncoming vehicles)
Implementation of the plan will improve transportation safety for the county, its people, and its visitors. The plan should be viewed as a living document that can be updated to reflect changing local needs and priorities. In the past 3 years, 1% of collisions in Nevada County have resulted in fatalities. The County is targeting 0 fatalities over the next 3 years.
- County of Nevada – Board of Supervisors, Sherriff’s Office, Public Works – Roads, Engineering and Transit Divisions, Planning
- Nevada County Transportation Commission
- Incorporated cities in Nevada County – Councils, Public Works, Planning, Police: City of Grass Valley, Nevada City, Town of Truckee
- Caltrans
- Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District
- California Highway Patrol
- Federal Highway Administration
- Federal Transit Administration
- US Forest Service
- US Bureau of Land Management
- School Districts
- CITIZENS!
It is predicted that Senate Bill 1 will provide more than $5 billion annually for maintenance, repair, and safety improvements on state highways, local streets and roads, and bridges. In total, it is estimated that SB 1 will generate:
- $1.5 billion for the State Highway Operations and Protection Program
- $1.5 billion for local streets and roads
- $400 million for bridge maintenance and repairs
- $300 million for goods movement and freight projects
- $275 million for congested corridors and relief management
- $200 million for the Local Partnership Program to match locally generated transportation funds
- $100 million for the Active Transportation Program to improve safety and expand access on streets, roads and highways for bicyclists and pedestrians
- $750 million for mass transit
In 2017, two initiatives were launched to repeal SB 1 on the November 2018 ballot. However, one of the two initiatives failed to attract enough signatures by the January 8, 2018 deadline to add it to the ballot. The second measure to repeal SB 1 is continuing to move forward and supporters indicated in late January that they had received two thirds of the 585,407 signatures needed to qualify the initiative for the November ballot. This measure would repeal SB 1 and would amend the California Constitution to require future gas tax increases to be approved by the voters.
SB 1 generates $54 billion over the next decade, split evenly between state and local investments, to fix transportation infrastructure across California. The $5.4 billion-a-year investment comes with strict new accountability provisions to ensure funds can only be spent on transportation.
SB 1 funds will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges, and 55,000 culverts by 2027. Caltrans will also fix 7,700 traffic operating systems, like ramp meters, traffic cameras and electric highway message boards that help reduce highway congestion. When this work is finished, 98 percent of pavement on state facilities will be in good or fair condition, up from 85 percent today.
In addition to the work Caltrans is expediting, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and CalSTA are preparing to award SB 1 funds to competitive transportation grant programs to improve California’s trade corridors, expand public transit systems, provide relief to congested commute corridors and provide state matching funds to help cities and counties build better communities.
“SB 1 dedicates transportation dollars to transportation purposes. With the law in place we can begin to put thousands of people to work rebuilding California and its local communities,” said CalSTA Secretary Brian Kelly. “This investment creates jobs, improves roads and bridges and has strong public accountability.”
Until SB 1 was signed by Governor Brown earlier this year, California had not significantly invested in the state’s transportation infrastructure in 23 years; since then, California’s population has grown by eight million, with millions more vehicles and trucks on the state highway system. Californians also drive more than 350 billion miles a year – more than any other state.
For a list of Nevada County projects scheduled to receive SB 1 funds, click here:
SB 1 Projects List for Nevada County
Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1 visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.
The first Corridor Management Plan for SR 49 was developed by NCTC in 1992 to develop strategies to increase capacity and preserve operational function of SR 49. Following the passage of Proposition 1B in November 2006, Caltrans and its partners took a dynamic turn in transportation planning and systems operations with the creation of Corridor System Management Plans (CSMPs). CSMPs support a partnership-based, integrated management of all travel modes (cars, trucks, transit, bicycles, and pedestrians) and infrastructure (highways, roads, rail tracks, information systems and bike routes) so that mobility along the corridor is provided in the most efficient and effective manner possible.
Caltrans' first CSMP for SR 49 was completed in 2009, with "State of the Corridor" reports in 2010, 2011 and 2012. As part of the regional transportation planning process in the 2017/18 fiscal year, NCTC, in coordination with Caltrans, is seeking proposals from consulting firms to assist with an update of the SR 49 CSMP. This update will identify operational deficiencies, bicycle route gaps, user safety enhancements, and operational improvements within the corridor from the Nevada/Placer County line to McKnight Way Overcrossing in Grass Valley. Through data analysis the consultant will develop a list of projects that improve safety, reduce travel time or delay, reduce traffic congestion, improve connectivity between modes and facilities, improve travel time reliability, and expand mobility options along the corridor in a cost-effective manner.
Comments on the Draft Investment Strategies - Implementation of Executive Order N 19 19
Letter to Darwin Moosavi, Deputy Secretary, Environmental Policy and Housing Coordination, California State Transportation Agency
By Mike Woodman, North State Super Region Chair
Dear Mr. Moosavi:
The North State Super Region (NSSR), formalized through a memorandum of agreement on October 20, 2010, represents a partnership between the sixteen northern California Regional Transportation Planning Agencies and Metropolitan Planning Organizations, to provide a unified voice when addressing state and federal transportation funding and policy decisions and establish coordination of transportation planning efforts.
The NSSR appreciates the opportunity to review and comment on the Executive Order (EO) N 19 19 Draft Investment Strategies released by CalSTA on July 21, 2020. The NSSR looks forward to continued coordination and additional opportunities to provide input on the draft strategies and subsequent development of the Action Plan so we can best assist in meeting the State’s climate goals, while also delivering vital transportation projects that address the rural regional needs and priorities across the North State. The NSSR certainly recognizes the importance of the State’s climate goals and believe our input can assist in the successful implementation of the Executive Order. The NSSR appreciates your acknowledgement of the differences that exist between urban, suburban, and rural areas of the state and that strategies and actions must be crafted to consider these distinct differences.
Click here to view the North State Super Region letter to CalSTA in its entirety
2018 Report Confirms New Transportation Funding Will Improve Condition of California’s Local Streets and Roads
Cities and Counties Can Reduce Funding Shortfall for Local Transportation Network by $18.4 Billion Over Next Decade
The 2018 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report was released on October 9.
The 2018 Report marks 10 years since the League of California Cities® and the California State Association of Counties®, in cooperation with California’s Regional Transportation Planning Agencies and the Rural Counties Task Force, began releasing the biennial study to assess the condition of the state’s local transportation network. The city street and county road system makes up 85 percent of California’s roadways and provides the backbone of the statewide transportation system.
The 2018 Report notes that for those who do not work with transportation issues every day, it can be difficult to understand how California’s cities and counties have reached the current situation they are in. The report outlines the following factors:
- The population of California was approximately 30 million in 1990; it is now approximately 39 million, an increase of 30%. Along with with that increase in population are increases in traffic, housing and new roads.
- The cost of road repairs and construction has steadily increased, at rates that are significantly higher than that of inflation. In the last 15 years, paving costs have increased much more than revenues. This can be attributed to the increasing cost of petroleum products which is directly correlated to asphalt costs as well as labor and equipment costs.
- The State gasoline excise tax did not increase for more than 20 years and yet is the single most important funding source for transportation. Cities and counties have relied on a diminishing revenue source for a transportation system that is aging and deteriorating rapidly. The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB 1) provides the first significant new infusion of funding for transportation.
- The increased fuel economy of vehicles as well as the popularity of hybrid and electric vehicles leads to decreasing gas consumption, and, in turn, to a reduction in gas tax revenue. Therefore, a long-term sustainable revenue source is needed.
Nichols Consulting Engineers (NCE), the engineering firm that conducted the study, found that with a new infusion of funding for transportation infrastructure provided by SB 1, cities and counties have already begun to slow the historical deterioration that has occurred on the local transportation network, and will likely reduce a predicted funding shortfall by $18.4 billion over the next decade.
The first Assessment Report in 2008 showed a statewide 10-year funding need for local streets and roads of $99.7 billion, with a shortfall of $71.4 billion. The report stated that unless the funding shortfall was addressed, California’s local streets and roads would deteriorate within 25 years to a “poor” condition. The condition of California’s local streets and roads has continued to deteriorate significantly since the initial study. On a scale of zero (failed) to 100 (excellent), the statewide average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is now 65 (“At Risk” category).
In 2008, at least $7 billion annually of new funding was needed to stop further decline of the local transportation system. In Nevada County, the 10-year funding need was $203.6 million, and the shortfall was $22 million.
Two years ago, the 2016 Assessment Report found that the statewide 10-year funding need for local streets and roads had grown to $102 billion and the funding shortfall was estimated at $73 billion. In Nevada County it was estimated that the 10-year need was $221 million, and only 20%-40% of the 10-year pavement needs would be met.
The most significant finding in the 2018 Assessment Report is with the infusion of new revenues from SB 1, cities and counties are beginning to stabilize the average condition of local roads and will be able to lift a significant percentage of the network from “at-risk” into “good” condition. The revenues from SB 1 annually provide over $5 billion to transportation, with approximately $1.5 billion going to the local street and road system. Without the new revenue, the statewide funding shortfall for pavement on local streets and roads will grow by $12.2 billion over the next 10 years. The percentage of local roads in “failed” condition will grow nearly 29%.
Following the implementation of SB 1, the statewide 10-year pavement funding need has been reduced more than 15% from $73 billion to $61.7 billion and in Nevada County the 10-year need is down nearly 14% from $221 million to $191 million.
The 2018 Assessment Report recommends that the state maintain all existing sources of revenue, with a significant portion focused on the preservation of the existing road network.
Assessment Findings:
The local road network is stabilized with SB 1 funding.
If SB1 is repealed:
- Average PCI will deteriorate from 65 to 57.
- Unfunded backlog will grow to $46.9 billion in just 10 years.
- More than one quarter of roads will be in poor/failed condition.
- Similar conclusions for bridges, safety and other essential transportation components.
The full 2018 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report can be found at www.SaveCaliforniaStreets.org.
2018 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report Highlights
What is the 2018 California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report about? Why is it important?
- Starting with the first biennial report in 2008, the goal of the California Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report has been to educate the public and policy- and decision-makers at all levels of government about the infrastructure investments needed to provide California with a seamless, safe, and efficient multi-modal transportation system.
- The report includes an analysis of several funding scenarios.The 2018 report includes an analysis of the additional SB 1 revenues, and cost savings from sustainable paving technologies have been added to the analysis.
- The findings can be used to develop solutions to address our critical infrastructure needs, understand trade-offs when contemplating policy and funding decisions, and the economic and public safety impacts of delaying local streets and road maintenance.
What are the key findings of the 2018 Report?
- The additional revenue provided by SB 1 will slow the historical deterioration of the local transportation network.It also enables cities and counties to make safety improvements; expand pedestrian, bicycle and transit access opportunities; and reduce the funding shortfall.
- The new revenue will stabilize the statewide average condition of local roadway pavements (measured on the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) scale of zero (failed) to 100 (excellent)) which is currently at a PCI of 65.
- The study estimates that if the current funding levels are maintained over the next 10 years, almost two-thirds of the local street and road network will be in good condition.
- It will reduce the funding backlog by $18.4 billion in the coming decade.
The condition of California’s local streets and roads has continued to deteriorate significantly since the initial study in 2008. On a scale of zero (failed) to 100 (excellent), the statewide average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is now 65 (“At Risk” category). Even more alarming, 53 of 58 counties are either at risk or have poor pavements (the maps illustrate the changes in condition since 2008).
The report concludes that without the additional revenue the road conditions will deteriorate and the funding shortfall will grow. Specifically, if cities and counties lose $1.5 billion in existing annual revenue over the next 10 years, the:
- Funding shortfall will grow by $12.2 billion for pavement needs on the local street/road system alone.
- PCI will drop from the current statewide average of 65 (at-risk) to 57, which is nearly in the poor category.
- Percentage of local roads in failed condition will grow to nearly 29 percent.
As roadway pavement conditions deteriorate, the cost to repair them increases exponentially. For example, it costs as much as 13 times more to reconstruct a pavement than to preserve it when it is in good condition. To put it another way, 13 miles of roadway can be maintained in a Best Management Condition (PCI of 85) for the same cost as reconstructing one mile of failed pavement.
Who participated in the Study?
484 of California’s 482 cities and 58 counties participated in this study, and their responses provided data on more than 140,000 centerline-miles of local streets and roads. This is 99 percent of the total local street network.
Who contributed financially to this study?
Appendix A of the 2018 report lists the agencies who have contributed financially to this study.
- 57 of 58 counties
- 315 out of 482 cities
- 45 out of 48 California’s Regional Transportation Planning Agencies
Are state highways included in this study?
- No. Only the local transportation system is included in this study.This system includes more than 143,000 centerline miles of roads owned and maintained by cities and counties.
- Caltrans has a similar report on the state’s highways.It is located at:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/transprog/SHOPP/2018_shopp/2018-shopp-adopted-by-ctc.pdf
Who should I contact for more information?
- Daniel B. Landon, Executive Director, NCTC, (530) 265-3202, dlandon@nccn.net
- Margot Yapp, Vice President, NCE, (510) 215-3620, myapp@ncenet.com
- Kiana Valentine, Senior Legislative Representative, California State Association of Counties, (916) 650-8185, kvalentine@counties.org
- Rony Berdugo, Legislative Representative, League of California Cities, (916) 658-8283, rberdugo@cacities.org
To download the report, go to: www.SaveCaliforniaStreets.org
REBUILDING CALIFORNIA - Senate Bill 1
State Transportation Leaders Expedite More Than $285 Million in SB 1 Road Repairs
SACRAMENTO—The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced the fast tracking of “fix it first” construction work and increased road repairs across the state. Caltrans is able to jumpstart these road repairs thanks to the passage of the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), recently passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.
Construction will begin this summer on 13 pavement projects across the state. Additionally, Caltrans has expedited the design of an additional 50 projects, which will also begin construction this fiscal year.
“This legislation provides for needed investments to fix California’s roads, and Caltrans is acting quickly to get to work,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This summer we will deploy construction teams across the state to resurface highways, improve safety for motorists and start filling more potholes than ever before.”
Caltrans is expediting more than $285 million in road repairs across California months before the revenue from SB 1 even starts to accrue this fall. The road repair projects, will include repairing and resurfacing hundreds of miles of highways to extend the service life of California roads. Caltrans will also improve lane-line visibility and motorist safety with new striping. The new striping will include highly reflective and durable beads, making it easier to see lane demarcations in all weather conditions. In some locations, roads will get completely repaved.
The accelerated construction work is taking place in every Caltrans district in California, and in urban, suburban and rural areas:
- Santa Barbara County: $4.4 million to remove and replace damaged concrete and striping, repave shoulders and ramps on nearly two miles of US Highway 101 in Buellton. Construction on this project is scheduled to begin this summer.
Other projects scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2018 include:
- San Luis Obispo County: $9 million to resurface more than eight miles of US Highway 101 between Paso Robles and Templeton.
- Monterey County: $4 million to resurface nearly seven miles of State Route 68 between Monterey and the Laguna Seca Race Track.
- San Luis Obispo County: $4.4 million to resurface nearly four miles of State Route 41 in Atascadero.
- San Benito County: $1.4 million to resurface US Highway 101 at the State Route 129 and Betabel Road Interchanges.
SB 1 generates $54 billion over the next decade, split evenly between state and local investments, to fix transportation infrastructure across California. The $5.4 billion-a-year investment will cost most drivers less than $10 a month, and comes with strict new accountability provisions to ensure funds can only be spent on transportation.
SB 1 funds will enable Caltrans to fix more than 17,000 lane miles of pavement, 500 bridges, and 55,000 culverts by 2027. Caltrans will also fix 7,700 traffic operating systems, like ramp meters, traffic cameras and electric highway message boards that help reduce highway congestion. When this work is finished, 98 percent of pavement on state facilities will be in good or fair condition, up from 85 percent today.
In addition to the work Caltrans is expediting, the California Transportation Commission (CTC) and CalSTA are preparing to award SB 1 funds by spring 2018 to competitive transportation grant programs to improve California’s trade corridors, expand public transit systems, provide relief to congested commute corridors and provide state matching funds to help cities and counties build better communities.
“SB 1 dedicates transportation dollars to transportation purposes. With the law in place we can begin to put thousands of people to work rebuilding California and its local communities – that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said CalSTA Secretary Brian Kelly. “This investment creates jobs, improves roads and bridges and has strong public accountability.”
Until SB 1 was signed by Governor Brown earlier this year, California had not significantly invested in the state’s transportation infrastructure in 23 years; since then, California’s population has grown by eight million, with millions more vehicles and trucks on the state highway system. Californians also drive more than 350 billion miles a year – more than any other state.
Caltrans is committed to conducting its business in a fully transparent manner and detailing its progress to the public. For complete details on SB 1 visit http://www.rebuildingca.ca.gov/.
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Press Releases and Newsletters:
- Draft Nevada County Active Transportation Plan Available for Review
- Open House, SR 49 Nevada City Multimodal Corridor Plan
- Notice of Public Hearing - Proposed FY1920 RTIP
- 2018 CA Statewide Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report
- 2018 Local Streets and Roads Needs Assessment Report Highlights
- Unmet Transit Needs Public Workshop
- Nevada County Active Transportation Plan
- Unmet Transit Needs Workshop
- Draft EIR available for 45-day Public Review and Comment
- Draft RTP for Public Review and Comment
- SR 20 and SR 49 to be included in Caltrans Interregional Transportation Strategic Plan
- RTP Update Outreach Events
- Transit Plan Public Workshop
- Stakeholder Input Sought on Bicycle-Pedestrian Projects
- ASCE Selects Dorsey Drive Interchange as Construction Project of the Year
2012 Newsletters:
2011 Newsletters: