I've long complained about the freeway design heading into downtown as motorists on Highway 168 attempt to merge onto Highway 180 or Highway 41. It's so bad that there are two accidents a week on this stretch and several other near-misses and one-finger salutes by frustrated drivers. But hold on. Caltrans is coming to the rescue. Or is it?
According to this story by Russell Clemings over the weekend, one solution that Caltrans is studying is forcing traffic onto city streets to avoid the intersection. OK, these are engineers who must look at every option, but this just seems to be a bad idea. If the solution is to drive on city streets, why are we spending so much money building freeways?
This option would prevent traffic headed downtown on Highway 168 to get onto northbound Highway 41. Those drivers, according to Clemings' story, would have to get off Highway 168 at McKinley or Shields avenues and drive across town to reach northbound Highway 41.
Will someone please drive a stake through the heart of this idea?
Indeed another proverbial waste of money to build freeways. I prefer to go through town most of the time to taking the freeway and never go on them at peek times. There are several poorly planned spots like 180E into 41N which is the spot for many accidents as well. Put those engineers to work to find a solution before detouring traffic on to city streets.
I would guess that they simply have to analyze every option. Like when an environmental impact report is prepared, you have to include the "no project option" in your alternatives, even though it obviously wouldn't accomplish your goals. Hopefully that's all this is about, and that option won't be given much serious consideration.
I'm not too concerned about the scare-mongering of Jeff Reid or the Taxpayers Association, but I find the silence from CalTrans a bit odd. Of the hundreds of people who work for CalTrans in Fresno, not one ever reads this blog?