Join the Davis Futures Forum and Yolo Mobility, Cool Davis working groups, as they host guest speaker Susan Handy, Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation, who will offer her perspective on the current planning for I-80 traffic congestion and the Yolo Causeway.  Her presentation will be followed by a diverse panel who will give us their thoughts about the Caltrans I-80 Corridor Master Plan and the associated widening project planned within Yolo County.

 DATE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR Thursday December 7th

TIME: 7:00 pm

LOCATION:Davis Community Church, 412 C St. Davis CA

REGISTER HERE TO RECEIVE ADVANCE MATERIAL AND VIDEO LINK

Please sign up in advance and you will receive advance material and a video recording of the teach-in whether you can attend or not.

7:00 Introductions and Program Begins

Guest Speaker: Susan Handy Susan Handy, Director of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation

Followed by a Local Panel:

  • Autumn Bernstein, Executive Director, Yolo County Transportation District
  • Nailah Pope-Harden, Executive Director, ClimatePlan
  • Steve Wheeler, Prof. of Urban Planning and Design, UC Davis

& Q&A.

I-80 Widening Impacts Versus Sustainable Alternatives

I-80 traffic congestion is frustrating for all of us. Caltrans’ solution has been to widen the freeway—increasing travel lanes. However, many Davis citizens have expressed strong opposition, noting the need for alternative strategies to reduce driving, congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions. Further, an executive level Caltrans employee has accused her peers of violating the law by proceeding with I-80 widening. And research at the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies shows that attempts to address congestion by increasing road capacity only works for a short time before the lanes are filled again by new drivers.

What is the solution?  The public is invited to a talk by Professor Susan Handy, the renowned head of the National Center for Sustainable Transportation. Her presentation will be followed by a diverse response panel whose comments may include an examination of the long-term impacts of widening freeways versus considering alternatives like improving transit, using pricing incentives, and considering traffic impacts in the next general plan update. Other related topics include how the City of Davis and Yolo County might actively pursue more environmentally and socially responsible solutions.

Key issues for the community are whether the project will fix congestion and the project’s impact on the climate crisis. The first (and only) public pro and con discussion of the widening project has been arranged by the Davis Futures Forum with the help of Cool Davis. The keynote speaker is Professor Susan Handy, the renowned head of the National Center for Sustainable Development. Her presentation will be followed by a diverse response panel, including speakers from Yolo
Transportation District and other transportation agencies. The speakers will share their thoughts and respond to questions. The event will be held Thursday Dec 7th at 7 pm in at the Davis Community Church.

This is a FREE event.  No donation is required to register.