Caltrans Ignored Road's Impact On Pollution And Sprawl

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today criticized Caltrans for ignoring increased air pollution from cars and auto-related sprawl development in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties in the agency’s plan to build a new lane on the Bay Area’s most congested highway, the I-680 Sunol Grade. At a Caltrans hearing held in Fremont for public comment on the agency’s environmental study of its plan, EDF also criticized Caltrans for putting off into the indefinite future more effective and environmentally sound solutions to reducing traffic delays on the Sunol Grade.

“Under Caltrans’ plan, traffic, air pollution, and sprawl development will quickly worsen,” said EDF senior economist Daniel Kirshner. “Caltrans plans to add a southbound lane, which would be limited to two-person carpools in rush hours. Our analysis shows that both the existing lanes and the new carpool lane on the Sunol Grade will be virtually gridlocked.”

EDF’s recently released report, Express Solutions on Sunol, demonstrated that while Caltrans’ plan to add a lane to the I-680 will be obsolete virtually from the day it opens, an Express Lane in the corridor would cut congestion on the Sunol Grade by two-thirds. An Express Lane is a three-person carpool lane that other cars can access for a fee. An Express Lane would also generate new revenue to increase Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) train service and fund other travel choices in the corridor.

“People are losing valuable time five days out of seven sitting in gridlock on the Sunol Grade, and they currently have very limited travel choices in the corridor,” said Meg Krehbiel, EDF policy analyst. “Caltrans should pull its head out of the sand and deliver with Express Lanes a reliable, quick trip, more travel options and flexibility, and benefits for the environment.”