Transportation
The Hwy 149 Expansion
The following are articles and letters that will hopefully provide some balance to the often lopsided arguments presented in the mainstream local press on the Hwy. 149 expansion project.
Hwy. 149 Expansion: Do We Really Need an L.A. Freeway Near a Cow Pasture?
This project will turn a 4.6 mile highway between highway/freeway 70 and highway/freeway 99 into a four-lane freeway with two clover-leaf intersections. All this is occurring in the middle of grazing land. Is this really what we want? There are some timely, cheaper and safe alternatives. (Jan. 2006)
CalTrans: Save Lives Immediately!
BEC has repeatedly suggested over three years that the Butte County Association of Governments, Butte County Supervisors, and CalTrans should prioritize public safety right now instead of waiting for their expensive, unfunded, sprawl inducing Highway 149 expansion and cloverleaf interchanges with Highways 70 and 99.
Beavers or Meadowfoam, Widening Highway 149
The question of whether to protect beavers or meadowfoam when widening Highway 149 took center stage at a recent meeting between the Butte County Association of Governors (BCAG) and CalTrans. County Supervisor Jane Dolan spoke for protection of the beavers, inhabiting a nearby lake; CalTrans project engineer, Winder Bajwa, reminded association members that, unlike the beaver, meadowfoam is an endangered species in need of protection. All were trying to grapple with the soaring costs of expanding the highway, costs that have doubled from a 1991 estimate of $41.5 million to a current estimate of $80.9 million. (Mar. 2001)
Other Transportation Articles
City of Chico Manzanita-Widening Proposal Analysis
The City of Chico has produced a draft of an environmental impact report and environmental assessment on widening of Manzanita Avenue. The City is considering-out of multiple options-one that would turn Manzanita Avenue from a two-lane road to a four-lane expressway. The stretch of road being considered begins at East Road and ends at State...
Hwy. 149 Expansion: Do We Really Need an L.A. Freeway Near a Cow Pasture?
The Highway 149 expansion project epitomizes an exhausting and unhealthy lifestyle of urban sprawl, traffic jams, and air pollution. It is expected to start in 2006, even though it never analyzed the obvious growth inducing impacts...
BEC Byline: Highway 149
This article first appeared in March 2001. It is posted here for archival purposes. Some material on this page may be dated.Beavers or Meadowfoam, Widening Highway 149 The question of whether to protect beavers or meadowfoam when widening Highway 149 took center stage at a recent meeting between the Butte County...
Hwy 149 Expansion Project FAQs
Below are a set of FAQs intended to illuminate the issues regarding the Highway 149 Expansion that is slated to turn Hwy. 149 into a four-lane freeway, complete with a Los Angeles-style clover-leaf interchange at the intersections with Highways 99 and 70. What's...
America's Clean Energy Blueprint
by the Union of Concerned Scientists, Sound Science InitiativeThe Union of Concerned Scientists' (UCS) Sound Science Initiative (SSI), a program designed to relay information and action outlets, has been tracking the federal energy debate closely because the Bush...
CalTrans: Save Lives Immediately!
BEC has repeatedly suggested over three years that the Butte County Association of Governments, Butte County Supervisors, and CalTrans should prioritize public safety right now instead of waiting for their expensive, unfunded, sprawl inducing Highway 149 expansion and cloverleaf interchanges with Highways 70 and 99. A CalTrans response to our...
Keeping an Eye on the Butte County Association of Governments
What is BCAG? BCAG stands for the Butte County Association of Governments with offices located in Chico. After attending several monthly meetings, to figure out what they do, I can say I THINK I understand. BCAG is the overseer for all of Butte County transportation needs, including the Bus services....
Hog Wild: Hwy. 149 Expansion - Your Tax Money for Urban Sprawl or Safety?
The intersection of Highway 149 and Highway 70, just north of Oroville. Butte County is no different than...
