Public Comment: Caltrans to close US101 to bikes in SLO County

Note: Public comment is due by the end of the end of the business day on TUESDAY, February 9, 2016. Sorry for the late notice, but I just received word on this myself.

Caltrans District 5 announced plans to close eight miles of US Highway 101 to bicycles near the Monterey County / San Luis Obispo (SLO) County line during the North Paso Rehab Project. Caltrans invites public input on this closure. The map below shows the construction area in orange.

Caltrans D5 Highway 101 project bicycle closure

This portion of Highway 101 is popular for cyclists touring California. Bicyclists are currently allowed on most of Highway 101 from Bradley to the town of Paso Robles, though they are required to exit at either end of San Miguel. Caltrans offers no suggested detour in their published project material, and any alternate routes in this region are challenging to cyclists with significant added mileage on steep roads.

Caltrans staff say they’re closing this portion of Route 101 during construction because of safety concerns for cyclists, but alternatives are on curvy roads with no shoulders, and poor sight lines.

In your public comment to Caltrans, please point out the Caltrans is obligated to provide a reasonable alternative to bicyclists. Suggested alternatives include:

  • Provide paved, two-way access through Camp Roberts.
  • Allow two-way access on the one-way frontage road between Camp Roberts and San Miguel.

This project from Fall 2016 to Fall 2018 will reconstruct both directions of US 101 and extend its service life. Caltrans will also widen the outside shoulders from eight feet to ten feet. Learn more by reading the North Paso Fact Sheet.

SUBMIT COMMENTS BY TUESDAY, FEB. 9, 2016 to Caltrans Project Manager Amy Donatello, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Call her at 805-549-3014 or email Amy.donatello@dot.ca.gov

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.