Caltrans to air plans for Highway 37 during ’virtual open house’

The California Department of Transportation will have a “virtual scoping open house” on Wednesday evening, July 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., to discuss “congestion relief” for the state route known as Highway 37.

It’s the start of a public review period to request comments on the scope and content of a proposed environmental study for SR 37, specifically from the Highway 121 intersection (at Sears Point, or the Sonoma Raceway) to Mare Island – the part of the road that currently narrows to one lane in each direction, between four-lane highway segments from Novato to Sears Point, and again from Mare Island to I-90 interchange.

The 21-mile long roadway from US 101 to I-80 connects job markets and housing within Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties, but it’s often bottle-necked in heavily trafficked times, and the scoping project is focused on congestion relief by improving traffic flow during peak travel times, and increasing vehicle occupancy within the travel corridor.

“Three project alternatives are under consideration, including converting existing shoulders to part-time or full-time travel lanes, and/or installing a movable median barrier to provide three-lane facility within the project limits,” according to the announcement of the meeting.

“The additional lane(s) is intended to be a High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane to prove an incentive to shift to multi-occupant vehicles.”

Caltrans is making the proposals in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and transportation authorities of three involved counties: Sonoma, Solano and Napa.

The Virtual Scoping Open House will be held online, and attendees will be able to ask questions about the material presented during the meeting. All comments about the scoping must be submitted in writing, by email or post, by 5 p.m. on Aug. 24. Email StateRoute37@dot.ca.gov, or mail to Caltrans District 4, Attn: Yolanda Rivas, P.O. Box 23660, Oakland, CA 94623-0660.

For more information, visit https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-projects/d4-37-corridor-projects.

Spanish language translation is available through Yolanda Rivas, Caltrans District 4, (510) 286-1204.