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Commission hears Modoc County request to delete Route 299 widening from STIP; action deferred for further review
Summary
Modoc County transportation officials asked the commission to delete a Route 299 widening project from the State Transportation Improvement Program, citing changed local needs and concerns about scope and speed, while Caltrans recommended retaining the project; commissioners deferred a final decision and asked staff for further investigation.
The Transportation Commission considered a STIP amendment request from Modoc County on Jan. 17, 2013, after the Modoc County Transportation Commission asked to delete two programmed projects — a highway advisory radio project and a Route 299 widening in Alturas — from the STIP.
Debbie Peterson, executive director of the Modoc County Transportation Commission, told commissioners the county no longer supports the Route 299 widening because local conditions and priorities had changed: developers who had been expected to generate traffic pulled out, federal land‑management offices moved their activity away from the corridor, and citizens wanted lower travel speeds approaching town. Peterson said the county’s project priorities had shifted to downtown rehabilitation and local preservation work.
Caltrans district director John Balinski outlined the state’s view: the Route 299 project includes eight‑foot shoulders, left‑turn pockets at public intersections, radar speed feedback signs, pedestrian improvements (including a crosswalk near the school with pedestrian‑activated flashing beacons) and drainage work that Caltrans says conforms to the city’s drainage master plan. Balinski said the project addresses mobility, safety and drainage and that deleting the project would waste prior preconstruction spending (Peterson estimated about $221,000 spent so far) and could increase the commission’s liability exposure by leaving a corridor with identified safety benefits unbuilt.
Why it matters: the item pits local political opposition and revised local priorities against the state’s assessment of a state high‑way system need and exposes communication and coordination gaps in programming decisions.
Commission discussion and outcome Commissioners expressed concern about the breakdown in local–state coordination and about the late timing of the county’s request. Some commissioners said they were reluctant to override a local jurisdiction’s decision; others worried about wasted preconstruction work and potential liability. The commission did not vote to delete the Route 299 widening. Instead members deferred the decision, asked staff to investigate further and requested a follow‑up at a subsequent meeting. The commission did agree to staff’s recommendation to delete the smaller highway advisory radio project, subject to the staff recommendation recorded on the record.
Clarifying details - Modoc County estimated about $221,000 had been spent on the projects to date. (speaker: Debbie Peterson) - The Route 299 widening project was programmed for roughly $3.6 million for construction; Caltrans staff warned the project’s deletion could waste preconstruction expenditures and increase liability risk. (speaker: Caltrans staff)
Ending The commission directed staff to investigate and return with additional information at a subsequent meeting; commissioners did not finalize the STIP amendment on Jan. 17.
