Caltrans District 10 outlines $1 billion in SHOP proposals, highlights $155 million SR-152 rehabilitation and local pedestrian, bike projects

Caltrans District 10 Director Grace Magsayo told the Interagency Transportation Equity Advisory Committee on Oct. 15 in Merced that the district has proposed more than $1 billion in projects in the 2026 SHOP (State Highway Operation and Protection) cycle and identified nearly $350 million in projects specifically in Merced County.

The projects list includes a proposed $155 million rehabilitation of State Route 152 that would repair and rehabilitate 81 lane miles and add more than 4,000 feet of class I and class IV bike lanes, sidewalks and new curb ramps; a State Route 140 Plainsburg safety project in Planada that will construct a roundabout; and pedestrian improvements in Gustine and Dos Palos that will add about 14,000 feet of new sidewalk, Magsayo said.

"Our district is a geographically diverse district located in the Northern San Joaquin Valley, and we encompass 29 cities in 8 counties," said Grace Magsayo, Caltrans District 10 director. "The upcoming 2026 SHOP cycle proposes more than $1,000,000,000 in projects focusing on safety, preservation, operations and climate resilience for District 10."

Why it matters: the SHOP proposals determine which highway preservation, safety and multimodal projects receive state funding. The Merced-area projects described would affect travel lanes, pedestrian access and the local bike network and are part of larger district- and state-level capital planning decisions.

Key details and context

- Scale and scope: Magsayo said District 10 maintains more than 3,500 lane miles of highway, about 1,400 centerline miles open to pedestrians and bicycles, four Sierra snow passes and 19 airports inside its boundaries. She said 15 Merced County projects were under development, totaling nearly $350 million, and the SR-152 rehabilitation would be added as a candidate project for the 2026 SHOP cycle.

- Multimodal elements: The SR-152 rehabilitation would add bike facilities and sidewalks in addition to pavement and structural repairs. The SR-140 Plainsburg project is described as a safety project intended to reduce the severity of accidents by building a roundabout.

- Equity and outreach efforts: District 10 highlighted an internal Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) task force that helped launch a mural initiative with local high schools and supported outreach to expose students to transportation careers. The district said it plans at least two community walk assessments annually and named Dos Palos in Merced County as a first site for this year. "Guiding our priorities and initiative is our people and community first action plan," Magsayo said.

- Bicycle and pedestrian advisory work: District 10 noted its Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), started in 2022, provides technical guidance and strategic input and has influenced feasibility studies and local crosswalk and shoulder improvements.

Youth and regional planning

The Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) presented community outreach work supporting the regional transportation plan. Susie Puente, program manager for YLI’s Merced office, said youth leaders collected surveys and held focus groups in Merced County and in cities such as Los Banos to bring community perspectives into regional planning.

Committee process and next steps

Magsayo said the commission will be in Merced for additional meetings and tours of locally funded projects on Oct. 16–17. Project proposals in the SHOP cycle will move through Caltrans and the California Transportation Commission processes for scoring and programming before final funding decisions are made.

Votes at a glance

The committee adopted the minutes from its September 2025 meeting by roll call vote during this session. The motion to adopt was made and seconded and was recorded as passing; members recorded voting "Aye" included Lisa Marie Alvarado, David Acevedo, Ana Gonzalez, Gloria Huerta, Naomi Hiwasaki, Peggy Martinez, Andres Ramirez, Michelle Roussy, Pualani Vasquez, Howard Wong and Chair Martha Armas Kelly.

What to watch

Projects proposed to the 2026 SHOP cycle will be scored and prioritized at the state level; public outreach and final design details for SR-152, SR-140 and the pedestrian projects will follow separate environmental review and public engagement steps. Caltrans District 10 staff said they will remain available to answer community questions as project development continues.