Regional Projects

Regional Safety, Mobility, and Walkability

The Regional Safety, Mobility, and Walkability program will receive 40% of the Measure X revenues. These revenues, estimated at approximately $240 million, will be matched with development fees and state and federal funding to pay for key safety and congestion relief, transit, and bicycle/pedestrian projects. Most projects will be funded by a mix of funding sources, using the sales tax revenues to leverage outside state and federal matching funds.

Projects will be designed to meet current standards, and will include bicycle and pedestrian access whenever possible. They will be thoroughly studied for environmental impacts and the identified environmental mitigations will be included in the project. Here are the projects that will be funded in the regional, safety, mobility and walkability program:

ROAD PROJECTS
Highway 68 Safety & Traffic Flow: Salinas to Monterey Investment Plan Funding: $50 Million This project will make intersection and other capacity & operational improvements to increase safety and improve traffic flow between Blanco Road and Highway 1; and provide relief to commuters in the Highway 68 corridor in a manner that is cost-effective and environmentally sensitive. A team of planners, engineers and community representatives is currently developing the proposed corridor improvements.
State Route 156/Castroville Boulevard Interchange Investment Plan Funding: $30 Million This project will direct truck traffic away from Merritt Street in Castroville and from the accident-ridden Highway 183/156 interchange by building a new interchange at Castroville Boulevard and Highway 156, with connections to Blackie Road to improve access for commercial traffic. It will also help relieve traffic congestion on Highway 156 while improving safety and local traffic circulation in North Monterey County.
US-101 Safety Improvements: South Salinas and South County Investment Plan Funding: $30 Million The purpose of this project is to improve safety and relieve future traffic congestion by eliminating multiple highway crossings while providing the necessary frontage roads to allow farmers access to their lands. The project will construct frontage roads along US-101 south of Salinas (Abbott Street on/off- ramp) and make related intersection improvements.
Imjin Safety & Traffic Flow Improvements: Multimodal Corridor Improvements Investment Plan Funding: $20 Million This project will widen Imjin from 2 to 4 lanes between Reservation Road and Imjin Road and make bike and pedestrian safety and transit improvements along the corridor that will connect Salinas to Marina and California State University Monterey Bay. Features of the project will include new travel lanes, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, transit stops/shelters and transit prioritization at signalized intersections.
Highway 1 Traffic Relief – Busway Investment Plan Funding: $15 Million Create a new rapid bus corridor along Highway 1 between Monterey and Marina, with possible extensions to Castroville, utilizing the shoulder of the highway and / or portions of the parallel rail right-of-way, to provide a way for commuters to spend less time in traffic.
Holman Highway 68 Safety & Traffic Flow: Monterey through Pacific Grove – Holman Highway Investment Plan Funding: $10 Million This project will make road, bike and pedestrian safety improvements on Holman Highway 68 between Highway 1 and Asilomar. As a result there it will reduce highway congestion, improve emergency access to the hospital, and make it safer for biking and walking in business districts, school zones and residential neighborhoods.
Habitat Preservation/Advance Mitigation Investment Plan Funding: $5 million The goal of this program is to mitigate habitat impacted by transportation projects in a more comprehensive and cost-effective manner so as to benefit both taxpayers and the environment. It will be done by creating a plan that identifies high quality habitat and agricultural land to acquire to replace land that is needed to construct the transportation projects in this investment plan. By surveying the project right of way needs and planning ahead, this project will allow quality habitat and agricultural land parcels to be purchased early to better meet strict environmental conservation requirements.This plan will allow early preservation of quality habitat and agricutural land, while reducing the cost and the time it takes to build transportation projects.

ROAD PROJECTS

Highway 68 Safety & Traffic Flow: Salinas to Monterey

Investment Plan Funding: $50 Million

This project will make intersection and other capacity & operational improvements to increase safety and improve traffic flow between Blanco Road and Highway 1; and provide relief to commuters in the Highway 68 corridor in a manner that is cost-effective and environmentally sensitive. A team of planners, engineers and community representatives is currently developing the proposed corridor improvements.

State Route 156/Castroville Boulevard Interchange

Investment Plan Funding: $30 Million

This project will direct truck traffic away from Merritt Street in Castroville and from the accident-ridden Highway 183/156 interchange by building a new interchange at Castroville Boulevard and Highway 156, with connections to Blackie Road to improve access for commercial traffic. It will also help relieve traffic congestion on Highway 156 while improving safety and local traffic circulation in North Monterey County.

US-101 Safety Improvements: South Salinas and South County

Investment Plan Funding: $30 Million

The purpose of this project is to improve safety and relieve future traffic congestion by eliminating multiple highway crossings while providing the necessary frontage roads to allow farmers access to their lands. The project will construct frontage roads along US-101 south of Salinas (Abbott Street on/off- ramp) and make related intersection improvements.

Imjin Safety & Traffic Flow Improvements: Multimodal Corridor Improvements

Investment Plan Funding: $20 Million

This project will widen Imjin from 2 to 4 lanes between Reservation Road and Imjin Road and make bike and pedestrian safety and transit improvements along the corridor that will connect Salinas to Marina and California State University Monterey Bay. Features of the project will include new travel lanes, bicycle facilities, sidewalks, transit stops/shelters and transit prioritization at signalized intersections.

Highway 1 Traffic Relief – Busway

Investment Plan Funding: $15 Million

Create a new rapid bus corridor along Highway 1 between Monterey and Marina, with possible extensions to Castroville, utilizing the shoulder of the highway and / or portions of the parallel rail right-of-way, to provide a way for commuters to spend less time in traffic.

Holman Highway 68 Safety & Traffic Flow: Monterey through Pacific Grove – Holman Highway

Investment Plan Funding: $10 Million

This project will make road, bike and pedestrian safety improvements on Holman Highway 68 between Highway 1 and Asilomar. As a result there it will reduce highway congestion, improve emergency access to the hospital, and make it safer for biking and walking in business districts, school zones and residential neighborhoods.

Habitat Preservation/Advance Mitigation

Investment Plan Funding: $5 million

The goal of this program is to mitigate habitat impacted by transportation projects in a more comprehensive and cost-effective manner so as to benefit both taxpayers and the environment. It will be done by creating a plan that identifies high quality habitat and agricultural land to acquire to replace land that is needed to construct the transportation projects in this investment plan.

By surveying the project right of way needs and planning ahead, this project will allow quality habitat and agricultural land parcels to be purchased early to better meet strict environmental conservation requirements.This plan will allow early preservation of quality habitat and agricutural land, while reducing the cost and the time it takes to build transportation projects.