Date: November 16, 2007
Melissa Jones
(916) 319-2008
Wolk honored for work to improve safety on Blood Alley
Solano Transportation Authority names Wolk State Elected Official of the Year
"The STA recognizes Lois Wolk's successful efforts this year to improve safety on Highway 12,” said STA Chair Anthony J. Intintoli, Jr., also the Mayor of the City of Vallejo. “Thanks to her responsiveness and leadership, we are continuing to make significant progress.”
STA honored Wolk for her support of Solano County transportation projects, particularly her work to develop a Highway 12 safety package with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and California Highway Patrol (CHP). The package includes increased CHP enforcement, a public awareness campaign, and more than $46 million in Caltrans safety enhancements, including concrete medians, lane separators, rumble strips, and no passing zones.
It was noted that Wolk’s support led Caltrans to expedite delivery of these safety enhancements by more than two years—and that the legislator’s support also led to an accelerated the schedule for resurfacing of I-80 through Fairfield and Vacaville.
Wolk’s AB 112, part of the Highway 12 safety package, establishes a safety enhancement double fine zone on State Highway Route 12 between Interstate 80 to Interstate 5 where base fines can be doubled for traffic violations such as speeding, reckless driving, and drunken driving. The bill also streamlines the process for designating dangerous highways throughout the state as double fine zones.
Wolk’s Assembly Concurrent Resolution 7 to name a length of Route 12 after Rio Vista Police Officer David Frank Lamoree, who died as a result of a head-on collision on the highway nearly two years ago, also contributed to her selection. Both ACR 7, sponsored by STA, and AB 112 take effect on January 1, 2008.
“I am honored to be recognized, and to be a part of this effort with Caltrans, CHP, and Solano County,” said Wolk. “We accomplished a lot this year. But our work isn’t done. We must continue to keep tabs on Route 12, and continue to push for improvements until citizens can feel safe on this stretch of highway.”