Year: 2010

COMMUTER ALERT

Date: June 21, 2010

Contact: Rose Willems, Measure “C” Advocate (559) 251-6709 or Rose_Willems@ dot.ca.gov

State Route 180 Construction Update: 45-Day Closure of McCall Avenue

WHAT: McCall Avenue will be CLOSED to all through traffic at the intersection of Kings Canyon Road/SR-180 as part of the on-going construction of SR-180 from Temperance Avenue to Academy Avenue, in Fresno County.

WHEN: This CLOSURE will be in place Monday, June 28 and remain in place for the next 45-days, weather permitting.

DETOUR: All motorists are advised to use Belmont or Jensen Avenues to avoid the Construction Zone and use Temperance or Academy Avenues to travel north or southbound from SR-180.

SCHEDULE: This $27 million project is locally funded by Fresno County’s ½ cent Transportation Sales Tax, “Measure C” & was leveraged with Federal Stimulus Money. It is scheduled for completion in the Summer of 2011, weather permitting

QUESTIONS: For additional information on this project, please contact: Rose at 251-6709/email: Rose_Willems@dot.ca.gov or Gloria Rodriguez at 444-2409/email: Gloria_Rodriguez@dot.ca.gov

Date: May 11, 2010

District: 6 – Fresno

Contact: Jose Camarena, Caltrans

Phone: (559) 488-4067

Or

Brenda Lauchner, Fresno COG

(559) 233-4148, ext. 219. www.measurec.com or www.fresnocog.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FINAL FUNDING SECURED FOR “BRAIDED RAMPS” PROJECT IN FRESNO METROPOLITAN AREA

Fresno – Today, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), in partnership with the Council of Fresno County Governments (Fresno COG) and the Fresno County Transportation Authority (FCTA) announced $55 million in newly secured funding which will bring mobility improvements to State Route (SR) 180 between SR’s 41 and 168.

Commuters in the Fresno Metropolitan Area are more than familiar with traffic along State Route (SR) 180 between SR’s 41 and 168.  Daily traffic congestion and delays during morning and evening commutes are caused by vehicles merging onto SR180 from SR41 and/or SR168, and the traffic already on SR 180.  Converging streams of commuters become entwined in a dance of braking, dodging, darting vehicles that is enough to rattle even the most experienced driver’s nerves.

“Caltrans is working hand-in-hand with Fresno’s COG and the FCTA to ensure tax dollars are utilized quickly and responsibly to help stimulate our local economy, reduce congestion and further invest in Fresno County’s transportation infrastructure,” said Caltrans District 6 Director Malcolm X. Dougherty.

The Braided Ramps Project, which will receive $55 million in funding from Caltrans’ State Highway Operation & Protection Program (SHOPP) and an additional $14.5 million from Fresno County’s Measure C, will reduce traffic congestion and delays along this system of interlocking freeways by eliminating as many merging and transition conflicts as possible in order to get motorists safely and efficiently from one area of town to another.

Trinidad Rodriguez, Fresno COG Policy Board Chairman, stated, “This is yet another example of projects being delivered faster thanks to Fresno Voters and Measure C sales tax dollars. Thanks to this effort $55 million is now available for other regional transportation projects, and the Braided Ramps Project will likely be completed years ahead of our original schedule making this Ground Zero for Mobility in Fresno County”

March 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: John Downs Fresno Council of Governments City of Fresno (559) 621-1502 john.downs@fresno.gov

Public meetings set to gather input on transit plans

FRESNO – Fresno Area Express (FAX) and the City of Fresno are planning to apply for a federal grant of up to $40 million to improve transit along two key corridors, and public input on the plan is needed. Three meetings, all covering the same information, will be held to gather that public input:

• Wednesday, April 1, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Caltrans Yosemite Meeting Room (Room 145), Manchester Mall, 2015 E. Shields Ave. at Blackstone

• Thursday, April 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. outside Fresno City Hall, 2600 Fresno St. at P Street, and from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. inside City Hall in Room 2125

• Wednesday, April 8, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Sunnyside High School Cafeteria, 1019 S. Peach Ave., Fresno.

The Federal Transit Administration (Very Small Start) grant would help fund improvements that decrease bus travel times, increase frequency of service and add passenger amenities at key stops. The corridors are East Ventura Avenue/East Kings Canyon Road and North Blackstone Avenue. In addition, street modifications are being considered, such as dedication of traffic or parking lanes to transit on Ventura/Kings Canyon and redesign of major intersections on Ventura/Kings Canyon and Blackstone. At each meeting, FAX staff will be available to answer questions and then will make a brief presentation, followed by an open comment period for the public. Comments can be made in writing during the meeting, or by calling FAX at 621-RIDE. Translators and refreshments will be available. Any person with a disability requiring an accommodation should contact The Lockwood Agency at 733-3737 at least two working days in advance of the meeting so that accommodations can be arranged. For more information on these meetings, visit Fresno.gov/FAX or Fresnocog.org