“When coming here today someone hit a pole on Marconi. On Marconi, people just don’t pay attention and it’s foggy. They don’t care if it’s 50 mph in a 30. People don’t care,”

…so is quoted in a story from KCRA on CalTrans’ newly released 2008 California Highway Safety Improvement Program 5 Percent Report (don’t read that title while driving).

According to the study, Sacramento ranks number two (behind Los Angeles) in the number of traffic accident hot spots in the state. The worst spot in Sac? It probably won’t surprise anyone:

Over the past 10 years, Watt Avenue has been the site of 7,800 crashes, according to the California Highway Patrol, while Highway 99 near 12th Avenue hosts three accidents a month. Also, the link between Interstate 5 and 50 averages a crash almost every other day.

Who could have guessed?

This guy probably gets
free washes everywhere

Today is Veteran’s Day, and Harv’s Metro Car Wash will be offering free car washes for veterans.

[Harv's co-owner] Aaron Zeff and business partner Doron Levitan are both veterans themselves. Zeff trained locally at Mather Air Force Base before its closure and finished his career flying the supersonic RF-4 Phantom.

Harv’s Metro Car Wash
1901 L Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.446-0129
http://www.harvscarwash.com

Regional Transit has put together a little Flash game that tests your willingness to pay for certain elements of the Transit Master Plan. By selecting among various options you can see how much your version of the TMP would cost — in aggregate dollars and per-household costs. The game scores your suggestion by its effect on transportation choices, congestion relief, and environmental benefit.

• Transit Master Plan “Willingness to Pay” Game

I think my favorite view of the 56′ tall bright red rabbit sculpture, approved by the County Board of Supes last night for installation in the new airport terminal, is the following where you can just see his teeny immense feet:

Continue reading “Rabbit, Fly” »

Today the Host Airport Hotel is being demolished to make room for the new airport terminal. And I never got a chance to see the interior of this strange little building. Has anybody out there ever been inside?

The six-county regional planning agency has been collecting pats on the back for its Blueprint process for a few years now, but today’s front page treatment in the venerable Wall Street Journal all but smashes all previous accolades.

For those who don’t know what SACOG is, it oversees planning for the Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba, Placer, and El Dorado county region. It’s not a federal, state, county, or city agency — it’s a joint powers authority, comprised of paid staff and a board of directors who are elected officials (city council and county supervisors) from throughout the region, with some jurisdictions having more votes depending on population. Continue reading “SACOG nabs impressive front page ink in WSJ” »

Via David Watts Barton’s awesome Sacto/music blog Blogging the Grid, and as blogged previously by RT Rider, it turns out Sacramento was added to Google Street View last week. Neato Speedo! Check it out here. Or follow the jump to see the most blighted block of the grid…

Continue reading “Sac’s up on Google Street View” »

Unless you’ve been too busy reading old posts on The Sac Rag, you know that northbound I-5 has been closed for the past nine days to repair drainage issues and to repave.

Caltrans, CC Myers, and a host of subcontractors worked around the clock to meet their initial deadline of 5am today.

Not enough credit is given to Caltrans for projects like this. While Myers is the main man, a lot of the brains and guts behind projects like these goes to Caltrans Director Will Kempton — a take-no-prisoners transportation expert who has laid down the law within an organization that has long been the butt of countless jokes. Kempton is more than the figurehead of the agency (as some would argue that previous directors have been), as he has the experience and clout to make things happen.

Credit, surprisingly, should also go to lawmakers who have allowed public-private partnerships to be able to expedite significant projects like this one.

It was downright impressive seeing hundreds of people and pieces of equipment moving all at once, 24 hours a day. Parts of the project were adjacent to regular traffic, so there were plenty of men and women toiling away with just a cone between them and distracted drivers.

Wondering what’s next? Check it out. (Now with the correct link. Thanks, T Mc!)

Long known for its cheap fares and no-frills service, Southwest Airlines was once also known — in the pre-9/11 era — for its cheeky flight attendants.

Hubby and I are each frequent flyers, on Southwest and other carriers alike, and we had both noticed that Southwest’s no-nonsense approach had affected the flight attendants too for the past several years.

This past week, however, marked the return of the snark, puns, and levity. Continue reading “Southwest is fun again” »

A bevy of local organizations is convening a “Sanframento” conference to discuss issues that concern the blurry econotransport* line between our conveniently located and charming town with the bay area.

No joke.

Along with UC Davis, this Thursday’s event will is being spearheaded by regional planning agencies and transportation authorities.

Note to sac-eats: Be sure to clear your schedule so you can weigh in with your SMEP! scheme. (As a former employee of a regional planning agency, I can say with great authority that yours would not be the most out-there idea presented in such a forum.)

*my own hybrid word of “economy” and “transportation”