The Central Coast Coalition was formed to raise awareness of the US 101 Corridor within the boundaries of Caltrans District 5 as a major economic asset to the state and nation and encourage investment in the corridor. The Central Coast Coalition members are Santa Barbara County Association of Governments, San Luis Obispo Council of Governments, Transportation Agency for Monterey County, San Benito Council of Governments, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments, and Caltrans District 5.
A Business Plan provides the roadmap to achieving the corridor’s goals. It identifies priority investments and examines how well improvements will serve the corridor. It uses research from previous corridor plans. The US 101 Business Plan solely used projects that have previously been identified. The Business Plan includes a financial plan which sets it apart from a traditional corridor plan. The US 101 Business plan states the total funding need of the US 101 corridor and explores potential funding sources.
The US 101 Business Plan was proposed by Central Coast Coalition members following the California Transportation Commission Workshop in Salinas. The US 101 Business Plan follows the model of the Central Valley’s State Route 99 Business Plan. The SR 99 Business Plan showcased the importance of the SR 99 corridor and identified investment needs prior to Proposition 1B in 2006, which ultimately provided $1 billion in bonds for SR 99 improvements.
The purpose of the US 101 Business Plan is to provide the data, strategy, and community support needed to help secure financial investment in the US 101 corridor. It provides a medium to communicate the importance of investing in the US 101 corridor with policymakers, partners, and the public.
Caltrans and the Central Coast Coalition have established goals for the US 101 Business Plan that align with existing Regional Transportation Plans and other plans/studies (see the Fact Sheet for the goals).
The draft (see attachment) will be available for public review and Caltrans staff will be collecting questions and comments until February 1, 2023. Comments can be submitted via email at matthew.welker@dot.ca.gov