Highway 12 safety improvements announced

Legislators, Caltrans, CHP detail comprehensive improvements on ‘Blood Alley’

SACRAMENTO--Representatives of the State Legislature, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and California Highway Patrol (CHP) today announced a comprehensive plan to improve safety conditions on State Highway 12, the site of a recent series of fatal and nonfatal collisions.

“Today begins a new, and we hope brighter, chapter in the tragic story of Highway 12,” said Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis), whose district includes a majority of the highway, during a press conference on Route 12 near Suisun City. “Today, with the support of our partners at Caltrans and CHP, we hope to close the door on the chapter that earned this highway the name ‘Blood Alley’.”

Wolk, along with Senator Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa), Assembly Members Alan Nakanishi (R-Lodi) and Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa), pressed Caltrans for immediate action earlier this month after the first in a series of six accidents, four of them fatal, on Highway 12.

Kempton responded March 21 with a letter announcing a number of immediate, short term and long term actions being pursued by Caltrans, which he outlined at today’s press conference.    

"Caltrans is reviewing the entire corridor and we will use all available opportunities to implement additional safety measures immediately or as soon as possible," said Caltrans Director Will Kempton. "We are also working with our partners such as the CHP and local transportation agencies to assure that all drivers are well aware of conditions on this corridor."

Key Caltrans improvements include:

• Concrete medians along 5.7 critical miles of Highway 12, roughly a third of the 18-mile stretch in Solano.
• Double yellow lines and no passing over the center line for the entire 18 miles in Solano County.
• Median lane separators and rumble strips in the center median for the entire 18 miles.

(A full list of improvements and map of their location is attached.)

“These measures will make it very difficult for anyone to intentionally cross the center line and risk head-on collisions,” said Wolk.

Caltrans’ improvements will have a significant impact, said CHP Captain Sue Ward, in combination with added CHP enforcement initiated recently in response to increased traffic on Highway 12.

“Due to growth on Hwy 12 from I-80 to I-5, what was once a rural roadway has since evolved into a heavily used dynamic transportation corridor. This has become a major commuter route,” said Ward, CHP Solano Area Commander. “CHP’s collaboration with Caltrans on these issues will help improve the safety for the public, and of the officers who patrol it.”

According to Ward, CHP’s increased efforts have resulted in a dramatic increase in citations, as well as a 65 percent decrease in total collisions from the first quarter of 2006 to that of 2007.

Also included in the plan to improve safety on Highway 12 is legislation by Wolk to double fines on Highway 12 between Highway 5 and Highway 80 for violations such as speeding, as well as drunken and unsafe driving. 

The bill, co-authored by Senator Wiggins and Assemblymembers Nakanishi, Noreen Evans and Guy Houston, will be heard at 1:30 p.m. today in the Assembly Transportation Committee.

“The urgent need for additional safety measures on this highway has been highlighted by the most recent tragic events in which five people have died in the last few weeks,” said Senator Wiggins. “I believe that Director Kempton’s reaffirmation of the verbal commitments he made to us on March 12 constitutes an important step towards saving lives and decreasing serious injuries along Highway 12, as does Assemblymember Wolk’s AB 112, which I am proud to co-author.”

“Combined with the enhanced enforcement by the California Highway Patrol, and increased signage alerting drivers of the fines, we expect these increased fines to contribute to a greater awareness by the public of the dangers of unsafe driving on this highway and the severe financial penalties to be paid by those who violate the law,” said Wolk.

Over the span of three days, from March 5 to 7, three accidents on Highway 12 claimed three lives. On March 8 and 9, two additional accidents left others in critical condition.

“The dangers of Highway 12 have been well known for years, but now it has reached an epidemic rate,” said Assemblymember Nakanishi.  “I’m glad that Caltrans is prepared to take serious steps to make this road safe for commuters and travelers.”

“The need to make Highway 12 safer is something that we all agree on,” said Assemblymember Evans.  “Our community has endured far too much tragedy on ‘Blood Alley.’”