San Francisco’s Newest National Park Topping a Highway to Open This Summer

© James Corner Field Operations

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https://www.archdaily.com/979962/san-franciscos-newest-national-park-topping-a-highway-to-open-this-summer

Presidio Tunnel Tops is San Francisco’s upcoming national park destination, set to welcome visitors starting July 17th. The project reconnects the park formerly split in two by the Doyle Drive by creating new landscaped land over the highway now moved underground. Designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm behind New York’s High Line, the project brings 5.6 hectares (14 acres) of new parkland to the Bay Area, featuring trails, picnic areas, and scenic views over the city as well as a nature play area for kids.

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© James Corner Field Operations

In 1993, the seismically unsafe Doyle Drive required replacement and plans were put in place to construct the highway into tunnels and use the tops for new parkland. The design was shaped through community engagement and the participation of over 10,000 people, including community organizations, health leaders, and park planners. Presidio Tunnel Tops is part of a strategy to bring more national park experiences to the Bay Area and will become a gateway to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and broader National Park System.

© James Corner Field Operations© James Corner Field Operations

The project signed by James Corner Field Operations features a variety of amenities, including a Transit Center and Visitor Center that increase the site’s accessibility, together with a campfire circle and a pavilion. The The new parkland is home to 180 species of plants native to the Presidio. One of the project’s highlights is the Outpost, a nature play area for children featuring play structures inspired by the natural elements of Presidio and built from fallen tree trunks, boulders and other natural materials.

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Bjarke Ingels Group and James Corner Field Operations’ River Ring Proposal Approved by City Council

The post San Francisco’s Latest Nationwide Park Topping a Freeway to Open This Summer season appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

A 9-mile stretch of Highway 101 north of the Interstate 380 interchange could soon be the next span of the thoroughfare to get carpool or toll lanes — but opposition to the potential expansion is already mounting.

Multiple portions of the highway, which spans much of the state, are slated to receive such lanes, which are designed to reduce traffic and encourage ride-sharing or use of shuttles or buses. While the lanes are often added by widening the freeway, a South San Francisco Coalition is leading a charge to see the lane added by converting an existing lane, citing environment and other harms associated with increasing overall capacity.

“We really need to be, not just for the local community but for the global community, doing everything we can to reduce traffic now,” said Jennifer Garstang, a member of Sustainable South City, the coalition taking up the issue. “It’s been pretty clearly demonstrated over the past 60 years that when you add more lanes to the freeway, even managed lanes, it will increase traffic.”

According to the coalition, freeway expansion induces demand by further enabling reliance on cars for transportation needs. The coalition, Garstang said, would like to instead see investment in public transit in addition to improving bicycle and pedestrian facilities.

The span in question, from the interchange to a mile north of the northern county line, is currently four lanes in either direction. The project, a collaboration between the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and Caltrans is still in its early stages, and both options to add a lane and convert a lane are being considered. The agencies hope to finalize a design by 2025 and complete the project in 2027.

The lanes to be added, defined as “managed lanes,” would likely be implemented as high-occupancy toll lanes, or express lanes. Express lanes function as carpool lanes but also allow lone drivers to pay a fee for use.

The lanes would join with those currently being built south of the I-380 interchange to Whipple Avenue in Redwood City where an express lane is being added, and south of that, from Whipple Avenue to the southern county line where an existing carpool lane is being converted to an express lane. Those lanes are planned to be open early next year, and more lanes are planned to be converted further south.

Garstang said the elimination of a standard lane for a managed lane would help put downward pressure on motorists to adopt more environmentally friendly means of transportation. As an example of induced demand, she pointed to a Houston portion of Interstate 10, now built out to 26-lanes including frontage roads, which still draws gridlock traffic.

“If you expand roadway capacity, if you build more roads and make it easier to drive, more and more people are going to drive, and they’re going to drive more often,” she said. “Over time you see more infrastructure, more houses, more shops and destination points get built along the freeways and along the roadways because that’s the primary way people get from point A to point B, and of course that makes more traffic over time.”

Among other concerns, the coalition points to disproportionately low income and people of color who live near the freeway who are most impacted by air and noise pollution. Widening would also serve to further divide those communities from the rest of the city, Garstang said.

“You can see how the freeway splits us essentially up the middle,” she said. “The much more vulnerable communities … it’s through their communities. The wealthier neighborhoods don’t really have to think about it as much.”

And electric cars, according to the coalition, while better, still produce brake dust and microplastic from tire wear. They also produce emissions associated with the generation of the electricity they rely on, Garstang pointed out.

Garstang said support for the coalition’s initiative has been picking up, and the coalition will ask for the South San Francisco City Council’s backing in January, something she believes will be granted. Co-signers of a letter sent to the collaborating agencies include South San Francisco Council member James Coleman.

“It’s very exciting to see how much support there is for this right now,” Garstang said. “It’s extremely heartening and makes me very optimistic in our chances of actually succeeding.”

The proposal is currently in the environmental scoping phase. It will next undergo environmental review and project approval, expected in 2023.

corey@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200, ext. 105

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South San Francisco councilmembers this week expressed a desire not to see a lane added to a 9 mile stretch of Highway 101 that partially runs through the city, citing increased pollution from vehicles that could affect nearby neighborhoods.

A proposed project would add managed lanes to the span, currently four lanes wide from the Interstate 380 interchange to the San Francisco/San Mateo county line. The task could be carried out by either converting an existing lane or by widening the freeway to accommodate a new lane.

While the council will not be making the ultimate decision, the critique could help sway the direction of the project, a collaboration between the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County and Caltrans.

Adding a lane, councilmembers said, would ultimately increase the amount of people traveling on the thoroughfare, something that could have negative effects for the adjacent downtown neighborhood.

“We represent that neighborhood, we have to make sure and think about what would happen if more cars are allowed on the freeway,” Mayor Mark Nagales said. “I think for all of us here, we’re concerned about adding additional cars that will have a huge environmental impact on that neighborhood.”

The managed lanes would be implemented as high-occupancy vehicle lanes (carpool lanes) or express lanes (similar to carpool lanes with the added option for lone drivers to pay a fee for use).

The lanes would join with express lanes currently being built south of the I-380 interchange to Whipple Avenue in Redwood City, and south of that, from Whipple Avenue to the southern county line where an existing carpool lane is being converted to an express lane. Those lanes are planned to open this year and more lanes are planned to be converted further south. A managed lane project is also being considered to continue into San Francisco via Interstate 280.

The agencies cite “significant congestion” on the corridor through South San Francisco and limited existing incentives to carpool or use public transit. Congestion, according to the agencies, will worsen as the population increases in the region and as traffic returns as the pandemic subsides. Stated project goals include to increase mobility on the corridor, reduce travel times for managed lane users and increase carpooling and transit use.

Joe Hurley, the county Transportation Authority director, emphasized the goal of the project is to facilitate the movement of more people, not vehicles.

“If you can incentivize people to either take public transit or carpooling, you’re going to be more efficient with the infrastructure that you’ve got,” he said.

The agencies hope to finalize a design by 2025 and complete the project in 2027. The proposal is currently in the environmental scoping phase and will next undergo environmental review and project approval, expected in 2023.

A complicating factor that could limit the viability of converting a lane is state law, which allows for converting an existing lane for traditional carpool use but prohibits converting a lane to be used as an express lane.

Council member James Coleman expressed concern that an express lane would mean wealthy drivers could pay to avoid congestion. Express lane pricing would be determined based on current traffic conditions, with prices increasing during peak times with the goal of keeping the lane flowing freely.

“If you can afford it, you can use that lane and not carpool,” he said. “Personally, I’d prefer a dedicated [high occupancy vehicle lane]a carpool lane, or even a bus lane.”

He requested also to know the cost difference between adding a lane or converting a lane, pointing to investments that could be made in public transit in the likely event a lane conversion would be cheaper. Cost estimates were not immediately available.

Councilmember Eddie Flores said he would like to see increased outreach to communities near the freeway, pointing to “vulnerable disenfranchised” residents who would be most affected and unlikely to be reached by online surveys or presentations during government meetings.

Nagales said he would like the council to have a discussion on the matter to provide formal input to the agencies upon completion of the environmental impact study. Coleman said he would prefer the council to approve a resolution opposing the expansion option prior to the environmental review.

The post South San Francisco opposing growth on Freeway 101 | Native Information appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

REDWOOD CITY (KPIX) — New express lanes along Highway 101 running from the Santa Clara County line to Whipple Ave. in Redwood City are set to open Friday.

“This will be transformative for commuters in this corridor, make no mistake about it,” said Kevin Mullin, a California state assemblyman. Mullin said that this commuter corridor between San Francisco and San Jose is the most economically productive in the state.

The express lanes will operate from 5 am to 8 pm on weekdays but will be free for vehicles with three or more people inside. Single-occupant cars or those with two people will pay a toll and all drivers need to have FasTrak.

“Projects like this are making a difference. They’re providing significant savings to those who use the corridor to go to work, go to appointments, centers of education or wherever they need to go,” said Carolyn Gonot, general manager of the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority.

Express lanes recently opened along a stretch of Interstate 880 between Oakland and Milpitas. The carpool lanes were converted in October, 2020 so more drivers had the option to move faster along the freeway by paying the toll.

“Moving more people in fewer cars through our most congested corridors. That’s what express lanes are all about,” said John Goodwin, public information officer for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. “They really don’t generate that much cash. In an ideal world they don’t generate any cash at all because the lane would be filled with carpoolers or buses.”

While money is not the goal, revenue from tolls increased 23 percent from the second quarter of 2021 to the third quarter. Drivers are moving at a faster speed in the express lanes, between 16 to 18 miles per hour faster than other lanes during peak hours.

“Time spent in traffic is not time that is productively spent. Consequently, that’s a drag on the economic efficiency of the whole Bay Area,” Goodwin said. “The numbers are clear. People are voting for express lanes by using them and the usage numbers are rising steadily.”

In the most recent quarter with data available, trips on that stretch of I-880 were approaching 4 million, more than a million above the same quarter in the prior year. Express lanes will continue to expand in the Bay Area including on Highway 101, extending north later this year.

The post New Freeway 101 Categorical Lanes to Open Friday on the Peninsula – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

NOVATO (CBS SF) – A large drill rig carrying hundreds of pounds of crushed cars overturned on Highway 101 in Novato early Friday, scattering piles of debris along the lanes heading north and south.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the single vehicle accident occurred at 1:27 a.m. on Highway 101 near De Long Ave. when the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

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The truck crashed into the guardrail that divided the lanes, overturned the trailer of the vehicle and tipped its load over two lanes in both directions.

The impact also pierced the truck’s gas tank and spilled fuel at the scene of the accident.

At 4:55 a.m. the CHP reported that lanes 1-4 were closed to the south and that traffic was passing on the hard shoulder. In the north, lanes 1-3 were closed, traffic on lane no. 4 was continuous.

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The driver suffered minor injuries in the crash.

At 10:44 a.m. all lanes to the north were released again. The CHP said lane # 1 was closed to the south.

Motorists heading south have been advised to expect delays and to use an alternative route. Caltrans crews cleared up the debris, cleaned up the fuel and made temporary repairs to the guardrail.

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The CHP advised drivers to look for alternative routes – from Lakeville to Highway 37 to Highway 101 – to avoid the scene of the accident.

The post Massive Rig Crash Dumps Piles Of Particles On Freeway 101 In Novato – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SONOMA COUNTY (CBS SF) – CHP issued a severe traffic warning Friday afternoon following an accident involving multiple vehicles, including two large oil rigs, that blocked both directions of State Highway 37 in Sonoma County for hours.

KCBS Traffic’s Twitter account posted about the incident around 1:24 p.m.

There’s a new crash going east 37 east of Hwy-121 that at least partially blocks the lone trail. A large team and two cars are involved and the traffic hardly moves behind them. #SonomaCounty #KCBSTraffic photo: Caltrans pic.twitter.com/XqLNQbMPH2

– KCBS Radio – The Traffic Leader (@KCBSAMFMTraffic) November 5, 2021

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The Twitter account 511.org published about the accident around 1:40 p.m. and said that traffic was blocked in both directions.

UPDATE: Traffic collision with injuries on CA-37 heading east and heading west east of CA-121 in Sonoma County. All lanes blocked in both directions. https://t.co/ITRwoLsl4h

– 511 SF Bay (@ 511SFbay) November 5, 2021

The accident on CA-37 east of CA-121 blocked traffic to both east and west, according to the CHP.

Shortly after 2 p.m., authorities confirmed that traffic on CA-37 had been diverted east to CA-121.

UPDATE: Traffic collision with injuries on CA-37 heading east and heading west east of CA-121 in Sonoma County. All lanes remain blocked in both directions. Eastbound traffic will be diverted at CA-121. https://t.co/ITRwoLsl4h

– 511 SF Bay (@ 511SFbay) November 5, 2021

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Photos released by an ambulance service showed several rescue vehicles, including a CHP helicopter at the scene. Footage captured by Chopper 5 appeared to show a lane of traffic moving past the accident.

Skaggs MVA pic.twitter.com/SbeHVWNfjW

– Paramedics Ambulance (@MedicAmbulance) November 5, 2021

It took a few hours for tow trucks to clear the wreckage of the large oil rigs from the scene of the accident. Two vehicles were also involved in the clash, one of which was a sport utility vehicle.

At least one person was flown to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment.

Around 4:30 p.m., according to KCBS Radio, the lanes of the motorway to the west were released again.

Update – #SonomaCounty – # Highway37 WB lanes are now open. 37 EB remains closed on # Hwy121. #KCBSTraffic https://t.co/3vpTT8uPJk

– KCBS Radio – The Traffic Leader (@KCBSAMFMTraffic) November 5, 2021

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Shortly before 5 p.m., CHP announced that all lanes were open again. The drivers were advised to expect residual delays.

UPDATE: Residual delays on CA-37 going east between Walnut Ave and CA-121 in Sonoma County. All lanes open.

– 511 SF Bay (@ 511SFbay) November 5, 2021

The post All Lanes Reopen After Large-Rig Accident Shuts Down Freeway 37 for Hours – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

KYBURZ (CBS SF) – Gusty winds from the canyon lashed the Caldor fire along Highway 50 as firefighters lit flames near the mountainous community of Kyburz early Thursday in an attempt to keep the fire from advancing toward densely populated Lake Tahoe. Pelvis to slow down.

The winds and burning scaly wood and brush threw up clouds of embers well in front of the main fire and lit point fires beyond the containment lines. One of those larger point fires broke out along Wrights Lake Road north of the freeway and had grown to over 700 acres by Wednesday evening.

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“The wind was blowing from the southwest all day, challenging our lines,” said Eric Schwab, director of operations at Cal Fire, during a community update on Wednesday evening. “Unfortunately, one point fire threw another point fire over Wright Lakes Road. We are currently trying to contain it. It’s about 700 acres … We’re chasing this one. It moves sideways. “

Point fires were a challenge.

“Ninety out of 100 embers that go out and end up in the fuel will create an ignition that will cause us to mitigate this,” said Steve Volmer, the chief fire behavior analyst working on the fire.

The fire burns in an area that was not lit by a major fire or flames before the 1940s.

“We’re looking at very dense wood, trees that are very large in diameter – 40 inches in diameter,” said Volmer. “Heavy dead and run down fuels. That causes us some control problems. These dead and knocked down materials are very receptive. They are extremely dry … A very absorbent burning bed. ”

The most intense firefight was fought on the eastern edge of the fire. To the west, the crews used backfiring to gain better control of the fire and stop it from spreading along the northern and central bifurcation of the Cosumnes River.

By Thursday morning, the fire had grown to 136,643 acres with a 12 percent containment. It devastated the mountain community of Grizzly Flats and destroyed at least 465 homes in the fire zone.

Almost 3,000 firefighters were involved in the firefight, aided by a steady stream of helicopters and air tankers dumping flame retardants and water.

According to meteorologist Jim Dudley, firefighters will also be assisted by a change in wind conditions over the next three days. The gusty southwest winds in the afternoon will calm down.

“This southerly wind current, which was fed into the fire area and helps to drive the south to south-westerly winds in the afternoon, will cease,” he said. “We will have very light winds at high altitudes. On the ridge tops and the very critical east side of the fire, we will not have the supportive effect of the south-westerly winds. “

The wind shift will help thin the layer of smoke over Lake Tahoe.

South Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City on the west bank had the worst air pollution in the country on Wednesday lunchtime, scoring 334 in the “dangerous” category on the Air Quality Index 0-500, according to AirNow, a partnership between federal, state and local airline agencies.

Just south of Tahoe, Rick Nelson and his wife Diane had planned to hold a weekend wedding at Fallen Leaf Lake, where his daughter and her fiancé had met. However, the smoke caused most of the community to leave. The sun was an eerie blood orange and the swimmers and boats in the lake were obscured by mist on Tuesday.

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In the end, the Nelsons spent two days arranging the relocation of the wedding from Glacier Lake several hours southwest to the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Everyone is trying to escape the smoke. And I think it’s going to be a reality for us, unfortunately, ”said Diane Nelson. “I just think the smoke and fires got bigger, hotter and faster.”

While thousands of residents were forced to flee, a suspected looter was arrested on Wednesday while on patrol in the evacuation area.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said a suspicious man was found on the surveillance camera of a Pollock Pines resident.

“We received a call from a citizen who was actually watching one of their surveillance cameras,” said Sgt. Eric Palmberg of the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office.

MPs soon met in the field and stopped the man. He was found with items that MPs believed had been stolen.

This man, identified as 51-year-old Brandon Massey, has since been arrested and is now charged, among other things, with looting during the State of Emergency and possession of a controlled substance.

CALDOR FIRE: Information on incidents, evacuations, maps

Current mandatory evacuations include:

• Grizzly Flats: The areas on Grizzly Flats Road east of Kendra Way in Grizzly Flats Proper. The Diamond Railroad Grade, Old School House, Sweeney Road, Caldor Road, and Steely Ridge areas.
• Grizzly Flats Road east of Four Corners in Somerset in Grizzly Flats Proper.
• The areas of Myers Lane, Varmet Ridge Road, Rodwell Canyon Road, Snowbird Lane, and Mehwald Lane.
• East of Sly Park Road between Highway 50 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail to Ice House Road. These include the Pacific House and Fresh Pond communities.
• North of Highway 50, east of Forebay Road to Ice House Road.
• Junction of Perry Creek and Hawk Haven, the east side of Fairplay Road from Perry Creek South to Cedarville Road. These include Slug Gulch, Omo Ranch, and all roads away from Slug Gulch and Omo Ranch.
• All streets of Omo Ranch from Cedarville Road to Hwy 88.
• The area between Highway 88 and the Mormon Emigrant Trail
• South of Highway 50 from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• Between Highway 50 and Slab Creek from Snows Road to Ice House Road.
• South of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road. This also includes the community of Kyburz.
• North of Highway 50 from Ice House Road to Silver Fork Road with the Ice House Reservoir, Union Valley Reservoir and Loon Lake.
• Silver Fork Road in Kyburz east to Twin Bridges.
• North and south in a line extending from Twin Bridges to the Placer County Line and south to the Amador County Line.
• Areas south of Farnham Ridge Road and east of Bridgeport School Road to the Amador County Line.

REMINDER: Highway 50 remains closed between Sly Park and Meyers due to #CaldorFire. Listen to your local authorities and know alternative routes. Check @ CaltransDist3 for the latest updates. https://t.co/uvpiHqQn5n pic.twitter.com/hjreey5n6p

– Cal JA (@Cal_OES) August 23, 2021

Evacuations Warnings for El Dorado County and Amador County along with Road closures You will find here.

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© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report

The post Up-Canyon Winds Whip Up Flames Alongside Freeway 50; Firefighters Battle Blaze Close to Kyburz – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

August 5, 202

The route from Lincoln Way to Sloat Blvd will remain closed to car traffic on weekends and holidays, but will be open to car traffic during the week

San Francisco, California – Today, Mayor London N. Breed and Supervisor Gordon Mar, with the assistance of Supervisors Connie Chan and Myrna Melgar, announced that the Great Highway will have an amended operational plan tied to the pandemic emergency shutdown from Monday August 16. The Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Blvd is only open to pedestrians and bicycles on weekends and holidays, and open to motorized traffic on weekdays. The timing of this new operations plan should be combined with the first day of school to help students and families attend school and return to work during the week.

Starting Monday, August 16, the Great Highway will be closed to car traffic from Friday 12:00 p.m. to Monday 6:00 a.m. and only open to pedestrians and bicycles until 12:00 p.m. on Fridays. The Great Highway is also closed to car traffic on public holidays. This change phase of the contingency measures will continue until the Board of Supervisors is considering a bill to set up a one- or two-year pilot project in this or any other configuration that would go beyond the pandemic emergency closure.

“Using the Great Highway during this pandemic has shown what we can do to give our residents and families more opportunities to enjoy the west side of our city,” said Mayor Breed. “Closing the Great Highway on weekends and holidays ensures that residents and visitors can continue to enjoy this incredible space while also catering to the needs of our families and residents who will need to go to school and work during the week when we reopen There has been a lot of ongoing community discussions and meetings about the long-term future of the Great Highway and I look forward to continuing this over the coming months to inform the next phase of the project. ”

“Creating a boardwalk on the Great Highway during the pandemic has been transformative, with incredible benefits and real challenges,” said Supervisor Mar. “It will take new and solid investments in transit and transportation in the west to truly address the traffic impact . ”And it is unreasonable to continue a 24-hour closure without them. Meanwhile, a weekday carriageway and a weekend promenade are a sensible compromise and the way to go. We balance the benefits of this unique open space with the real need for safe and efficient traffic flow and maintaining a boardwalk when it is most used while providing some relief during the weekday commute times. I am grateful to Mayor Breed for listening and working with us on this adaptation to pandemic use of the Great Highway as we move forward to determine post-pandemic use. “

“As the chief of the Richmond District, I have heard from most of my constituents that more traffic and connectivity are needed in north-south directions, and the Great Highway has been a major access road. The future of the Great Highway must also increase public transportation and service frequency for Richmond, “said Supervisor Chan, whose borough includes Lone Mountain, Richmond and most of Golden Gate Park.” I want to thank Mayor Breed for letting her Heard the concerns of Richmond District residents and welcome their guidance for a solution that includes outdoor recreation and access to travel. “

In April 2020, the Great Highway between Lincoln Way and Sloat Blvd was closed to vehicle traffic as part of the city’s response to the pandemic and the need to make more space for people. Going forward, San Francisco officials are going through a long-term process to plan the long-term future of the Great Highway. These changes are being made to balance reopening schools and overcoming the pandemic in the city.

This press release was produced by the San Francisco Office of the Mayor. The views expressed here are your own.

The post San Francisco Metropolis Reveals Subsequent Section For Nice Freeway To Begin On August 16 appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A section of San Francisco’s Great Highway will reopen to weekday traffic after being restricted to pedestrians and bicycles as a safe recreational area for more than a year during the COVID pandemic, city officials said on Known Thursday.

The route – from Lincoln Way to Sloat Blvd – has been a popular spot for local residents to walk, hike, or cycle since April 2020.

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According to the new plan, car traffic on the route will be prohibited on weekends.

“Using the Great Highway during this pandemic has shown what we can do to give our residents and families more opportunities to enjoy the west side of our city,” the Mayor of San Francisco London Breed said in a press release. “Closing the Great Highway on weekends and holidays ensures residents and visitors alike can continue to enjoy this incredible space while also addressing the needs of our families and residents who will have to go to school and work during the week when it reopens.”

Starting Monday, August 16, the Great Highway will be closed to vehicle traffic and only open to pedestrians and bicycles from 12:00 PM Friday to 6:00 AM Monday

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“Creating a boardwalk on the Great Highway during the pandemic has changed with incredible benefits and real challenges,” said Supervisor Gordon Mar. “New and solid investments in Westside transit and transportation will be needed to really get the traffic going.” “Impact, and it is unreasonable to continue closing around the clock without them.”

Supervisor Connie Chan expressed her support for the plan.

“As the chief of the Richmond District, I’ve heard from most of my constituents that more traffic and connectivity are needed in north-south directions, and the Great Highway has been an important access road,” said Chan.

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Going forward, San Francisco officials said they would develop a plan to determine the long-term future of the Great Highway.

The post Stretch Of San Francisco’s Nice Freeway Reopening To Weekday Visitors – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

SAN JOSE (KPIX) – A small but intense fire fueled by the heat wave and wind destroyed two cars and injured their owner on Thursday evening.

“This fire was moving very quickly, we were lucky we were a few blocks away with another incident and were releasing units when we saw the column of smoke,” said San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow. “We are currently seeing the types of fuel moisture that we would normally see in September or October before that.”

Matlow said the drought robbed the moisture normally found in vegetation this time of year, causing fires to spread aggressively. He said there was concern about the potential for fast moving, aggressive fires ahead of the July 4th holidays and warned the public to think twice about setting up illegal fireworks.

Thursday’s fire burned McKee Road and Highway 101 vegetation near the exit. It came near a couple of houses.

Neighbors said the burned homeowner tried to protect his cars and property. The fire burned part of the fence he had just built, neighbors said.

“Then he went back to try and get things from his house,” said Brian Cromosini.

Brian and his brother Chris Cromosini took action when they saw his neighbor had burns on his arm.

“I said, ‘Let me get you some water, everything to drain,’ because he had second degree burns, it was pretty bad,” Cromisini said.

The couple also ran across the street to an elderly neighbor’s house to spray water on her back yard where they saw smoke.

“You couldn’t even see anything, my eyes were burning,” said Chris. “But do what you can to help, I think.”

Residents of the cul-de-sac next to the vegetation on the highway said the area burns every year and the bushes are never cut. Nobody knew exactly who owned the property. KPIX called CalTrans to ask if the agency owns the property. A spokesman said they would look into it.

“On the other hand, it will happen again,” said Al, not wanting to give his last name. “You don’t do anything, you know. Every year the same.”

“It’s pretty frustrating, but also kind of scary, because they have kids here,” said Melissa Cromosini. “It’s every year. That’s the worst thing ever, and that’s pretty bad. Two cars and the guy is lucky he got out. “

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but local residents agreed what would have happened if the vegetation had been preserved.

“We were able to help something, we can be really grateful for that,” said Cromosini.

The post 1 Taken To Hospital, 2 Autos Broken In Vegetation Hearth Alongside Freeway 101 In San Jose – CBS San Francisco appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.