Tools

State Transportation Leaders Try to Unclog Highway Gridlock

Local funds could be very helpful

Written by KEYT Reporter

Story Created: Oct 13, 2011 at 6:18 PM PDT

Story Updated: Oct 14, 2011 at 12:04 PM PDT

Santa Barbara - The State Transportation Commission held a local community meeting Thursday to talk about Highway 101 funding that could ease the bottlenecks on the Central Coast.

Local funds have been helpful and the state says it can not fund the bulk of the costs anymore.

Some commission members are very familiar with this area and visit often. They also said they are stuck in bumper to bumper traffic like everyone else, especially between Santa Barbara and Carpinteria.

A CalTrans official said it was an acute problem in the morning and evening hours every day.

Some of the widening work is taking place now, between Milpas Street and Hot Springs Road. That project will be finished in early 2012.

The transportation leaders did not just talk about the issues, they boarded a bus and went on a driving tour through the problem areas to see first hand what needs to be resolved to fund and widen the freeway.

They also said a project that will stretch over the Ventura and Santa Barbara County line is getting underway soon and have an HOV lane, the first one in the area.

KEY News Senior Reporter John Palminteri was at the meeting and has our report.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Primetime

Middle
8.00
the middle
8.30
suburgatory
Modern Family
9.00
modern family
9.30
don't trust the b in apartment 23
10.00
revenge
11.00
key news