Dick Spotswood: Tolls on Highway 37 are the best way to fix the problem
By determining how to fund this improvement, what had been an iffy project is now transformed into virtually a sure thing.
The die is cast. Highway 37 connecting Marin and Solano counties will be rebuilt as a toll road.
The California Transportation Commission has decided that the 10-mile road with only one lane in each direction from the Napa River in Vallejo west to Sears Point near the county line between Marin and Sonoma will be upgraded to two lanes in each direction financed by a highway toll.
It’s a good move, especially since decisiveness is rare when it comes to state government agencies. In this instance, charging tolls makes sense and resolves what had been a funding and timing dilemma. By determining how to fund this improvement, what had been an iffy project is now transformed into virtually a sure thing.
The plan is to expand the stretch of Highway 37 from one lane in each direction to two each way, including a 24/7 carpool lane and a state-mandated adjacent bike path.
Right now, the road has two defects.
First off, it is far over its capacity. The morning westbound backup delays commuters by an hour. On a bad evening, the eastbound slog is even worse. The new roadway will relieve that perpetual traffic jam.
On days with heavy rain matched by king tides, Highway 37 can be impassable. Flooding will worsen as the effects of global climate change cause the bay’s level to rise. Unfortunately, flooding will not be substantially resolved by this highway widening project.
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) represents the North Coast in Congress. He suggested that Caltrans do the job right from the start by simultaneously widening the highway and elevating it on a causeway.
Huffman’s concept is logical, but the fiscal reality is that the current planned fix, estimated to cost $430 million, can be funded now with toll-generated revenue plus expected state highway grants. To elevate the roadway all the way between Novato and Vallejo is estimated to cost between $6 billion and $11 billion. While still necessary, the causeway’s construction has been indefinitely delayed.
Waiting for those billions will take decades. That will penalize the road’s daily commuters who comprise much of Marin’s workforce. Those workers need help now. They’re traveling from house-affordable southern Napa County and Solano County to relatively well-paid jobs in Marin County and southern Sonoma County. Due to the nature of their hands-on employment, these men and women can’t work remotely.
Caltrans’ toll plan is fair. It addresses the economic reality encountered by the service and retail workers comprising the bulk of the highway’s commuters. The road widening alone will greatly increase their individual quality of life by avoiding two hours spent each day sitting stalled in traffic.
Commuters can avoid any auto toll simply by using the toll-free carpool lane. That incentive provides a way to save money while traveling in economically efficient carpools. That’s good for both the environment and traffic flow as each car-sharing arrangement takes one more car off the road.
In the name of equity, Caltrans is proposing that the toll amount be determined by each motorist’s income. The electronically collected auto toll likely will be $4, charged in both directions. Those with lower incomes will pay less.
This idea requires an intrusive bureaucracy to monitor commuters’ income. Relying on a driver’s word will lead to fraud.
Free toll lanes are self-executing and an ideal method to encourage carpooling.
Instead of a discount, use the toll money allocated to replacing the revenue lost by lower tolls for lower-income commuters to finance Vallejo-Novato commuter buses. Currently there’s no transit service on the corridor.
A new bus route potentially operated by Golden Gate Transit is an environmentally friendly, cost-effective method to provide an attractive alternative to single-passenger autos. It’ll aid commuters who’ll save on gas and auto wear-and-tear if they forgo driving.