Excerpt from the 1982 General Plan.


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TRANSPORTATION

In an era of decreasing funds, increasing costs, and increasing demands on transportation it is imperative to correlate Monterey County's land use activities with the capabilities of its transportation systems. By incorporating transportation information into the land use planning process, optimum use can be made of existing transportation systems, and future system expansions can be anticipated and implemented in a timely fashion.

ROAD AND HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION

Existing Road System

Monterey County's transportation systems are dominated by a 2,274-mile network of county roads, state highways, and city streets. The 1,278 miles of county roads are by far the largest component of the network and serve functions ranging from local roads to arterials. Most travel between cities, however, takes place on the County's 288 miles of state highways. Highways 1, 68, 101, and 156 carry the highest highway traffic loads in the County while Highways 25, 146, 183, 198, and 218 serve minor arterial functions similar to major county roads. The County's state highways and major roads are shown in Figure 11. Locations of the state highways indicate their primary roles as intercity travel corridors, with county roads connecting more remote areas with cities and highways.

Use of Roads and Highways

Two types of travel data, Daily Vehicle Miles of Travel (VMT) and Average Daily Traffic (ADT), reveal more information about the use of roads and highways. Analysis of VMT data compiled between 1973 and 1979 for the County indicates several major travel trends. During the 1973-1979 period, VMT for the entire system increased 18%, with travel on state highways increasing 12%. Between 1975 and 1979 however, while use of urban systems increased 14%, use of rural county roads and highways increased only 5%, a much slower rate of increase for long-distance driving.

The roads and highways having the most significant increases in Average Daily Traffic between 1970 and 1979 show a trend of increasing traffic loads to, from, and within the County's major urban centers: the Monterey Peninsula area, Salinas, and Watsonville (just north of the county line). Of particular note are the traffic increases in the Highway 68 corridor between Salinas and the Peninsula, along Carmel Valley Road (particularly toward its western end), and Highway 1 in the vicinity of Carmel Hill.

Road and Highway Performance

Performance of the County's roads and highways is evaluated based on level of service (LOS) calculations. Six levels of service represent varying roadway conditions ranging from ideal, LOS "A," to forced flow, LOS "F." The Monterey County Transportation Commission objective for optimum driving conditions is LOS "C" or better. Examples of County roads whose present or future traffic loads indicate unacceptable levels of service include portions of Blanco Road, Carmel Valley Road, Corral de Tierra Road, Echo Valley Road, Elkhorn Road, Hall Road, Laureles Grade, Salinas Road, San Juan Road, and San Miguel Canyon Road. All are projected to have LOS "E" or "F." Deficient levels of service also exist or are predicted for portions of State Highways 1, 68, and 156.

Road performance is also evaluated by safety, which usually, but not always corresponds to levels of service. State Highway 101, north from Espinosa Road is an example where the level of service calculated, LOS "C," does not accurately reflect the hazards associated with driving it. The section is deemed deficient not because of level of service, but because of its high accident rate.

Road and Highway Improvements

The County's Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) recommends system improvements to upgrade nearly all of the road sections mentioned as deficient by the year 2000. This longterm planning document is backed up by two short-term implementation plans, the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the Transportation Systems Management Element (TSME). The countywide TIP, developed jointly by AMBAG and MCTS, implements RTP plans through a staged multi-year program of transportation improvements. The regional TSME, developed by the Monterey County Transportation Commission (MCTC), implements strategies to improve the people-moving capabilities of the existing system without requiring expensive new facilities.

The TSME program was developed to meet the challenges of ever-decreasing transportation funds and ever-increasing construction costs. Decreasing funds reflect decreases in gas tax revenues, caused by less gasoline being used in recent years and the fact that gasoline is taxed on a fixed price per gallon basis. Since state and local transportation construction projects are financed primarily by federal and state gas taxes, planned construction projects have been cut back dramatically. To compound this problem in Monterey County, an inequitably high share of the available funds are being directed toward more highly populated areas in other parts of the state. Thus, with the exception of the Toro Park interchange on Highway 68, none of the major projects recommended in the RTP are expected to be funded in the near future.

Aesthetic improvements on the County's most scenic roads and highways are provided for through the Scenic Highway Program, administered through the Planning Department. Scenic treatment is accorded to both the roadway and corridor, and for official status the Scenic Route or Highway must be approved by the State.

Monterey County has 97.4 miles of officially designated State Scenic Highways, which include portions of Highways 1, 68, and 156. In addition, the County has 17.0 miles of County Scenic Routes, which include Laureles Grade and Interlake Road. No additions have been made to the County's Scenic Highway system since 1973.