Livermore, Pleasanton and Dublin residents have until November 1st to protest the dumping of thousands more Central Valley “cut-through” commuters onto local streets.

(See: https://205managedlanes.com/ and https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-10/district-10-current-projects/10-1h170.  The “Notice of Preparation” is found here: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/district-6/documents/d6-environmental-docs/10-1h170/10-1h170-nop-1021-a11y.pdf)

Caltrans has issued a “Notice of Preparation” of environmental reports for widening of the entire 15-mile length of I-205, from I-5 through Tracy to I-580, into an eight-lane freeway.  It now has six lanes.

Five westbound lanes presently narrow into the four westbound lanes of I-580 through congested Altamont Pass (three from I-205, two from I-580). This project would add a sixth lane funneling into Altamont Pass.  As I-580 through Altamont Pass would not be enlarged, the new traffic would seek alternatives via Altamont Pass Road, Patterson Pass Road, and Corral Hollow/Tesla Road and traverse Livermore and Pleasanton neighborhood streets to return to I-580 or to gain access I-680 or SR 84 (Vallecitos Road), which itself is planned to be widened to a four-lane expressway.

To compound the impending traffic tsunami, SR 120 will be widened into a six-lane freeway between I-5 and SR 99, adding more Lathrop and Manteca traffic to I-205.

A widened I-205 would dump thousands of additional cars onto Tri-Valley streets.  Why haven’t local politicians (e.g., Supervisors David Haubert and Nate Miley; Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore City Councils) alerted their constituents about the impacts of the impending project?  Perhaps it is because they will be out of office long before the voters of Tri-Valley feel its negative effects. Therefore, to fend off the destructive effects of the Caltrans plan, citizens must themselves be heard now. 

Comments are due by November 1st by email to scott.guidi@dot.ca.gov, or by mail to Scott Guidi, Caltrans, District 10, 1976 East Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Stockton, CA  95205.

BATWG also encourages citizens to contact local city councils to ask them to take positions on the I-205 expansion: cityclerk@cityoflivermore.net; citycouncil@cityofpleasantonca.gov; council@dublin.ca.gov.