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Highway 1 solutions

A feature of the Monterey Peninsula Toy Box

Seeking Highway 1 Solutions

presented in Collide-O-Scope

For over 40 years Caltrans, the citizens of Carmel, as well as the greater Monterey Peninsula fiercely debated the merits of the controversial Hatton Canyon Freeway bypass at Carmel. Hatton Canyon, which lies just east of Carmel High School, runs parallel to Highway 1 from Carpenter Street to Carmel Valley Road. The proposed freeway would have run through its entire length. Plans called for deep hillside cuts, masses of earthen fill, and an elevated highway across the mouth of Carmel Valley. Many people, including Mr. Toy, believed was such things would have been completely incompatible with Carmel's natural beauty, culture and lifestyle.

The End of the Freeway.

But on March 24th, 1999, the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), realizing that the freeway plan still faced countless hurdles, voted to transfer the freeway funding to pay for the the101 bypass at Prunedale. TAMC's decision was formally approved by the California Transportation Commission the following June. For the next two years Caltrans was hoping to keep the Hatton Canyon "option" open by keeping the right of way in their hands. But on June 27th, 2001, it was announced that the California legislature had passed a bill which would turn Hatton Canyon over to the California State Parks department. The bill was signed by Governor Gray Davis, who finally put the 47 year controversy to rest.

But that is not the end of the story. The hatton Canyon freeway is dead, but Carmel still has problems that need to be solved. A second northbound "climbing lane" was constructed in 2002 which, despite Caltrans' predictions to the contrary, eliminated the gridlock at the mouth of Carmel Valley. That was a major success, and it clearly proved that massive multi-million dollar projects are not needed.

However, there is much more to do. Southbound traffic continues to back up at the bottleneck below Ocean Avenue. During peak traffic hours, Carpenter and Ocean Avenue leading to the highway experience back-ups as well. As of now, there is no money allocated and no plans for permanent, environmentally sensitive highway improvements to solve these problems.

New Complications

Caltrans now claims that without the Hatton Canyon bypass option, Carmel will soon require a massive $90 million project to convert the existing highway into a freeway. According to reports in the Carmel Pine Cone, this will require condemnation of up to 17 homes, construction of massive interchanges, and more abominations.

One must approach these claims with a healthy dose of skepticism. After all, this is coming from the same people who said the climbing lane wouldn't work, even though it obviously did.

What will we do?

Mr. Toy has studied this issue extensively since 1986. He read the Hatton Canyon Freeway Environmental Impact Report (EIR) from cover to cover (no small feat, for it is three inches thick). While sitting in traffic he has taken the opportunity to study the traffic patterns. He has talked many times with Caltrans engineers. He has worked with the Hatton Canyon Coalition, an organization which shares his goals of seeking viable, environmentally sound traffic solutions.

His research has convinced him that there are alternatives which would achieve 80-90% of a freeway's benefits at a fraction of the cost and with very few environmental consequences.

To learn about the possibilities see:

To learn about Hatton Canyon:

To learn about the defunct freeway designs:

To see what Caltrans is up to these days:

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