Latest news with #gridlock
CBS News
08-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Highway 37 project in North Bay could get environmental exception to proceed
The 10-mile stretch of Highway 37 between Mare Island in Solano County and Sears Point in Sonoma County is considered one of the most problematic roadways in the state of California. About the only thing that moves slower than the traffic on Highway 37 is the progress to correct the problem. But now it looks like the state is prepared to suspend some of its own regulations in order to get that job done. "We know that there's this 10-mile stretch between Sears Point and Mare Island that is an absolute bottle neck," said Assemblymember Lori Wilson. "And it doesn't have to be commute hours. This is kind of like an all-day thing. There's a small window to get through there unscathed." As an Assembly member from Solano County, Wilson is well aware of the gridlock on Highway 37. And so are her constituents. So, she spoke at a committee hearing last week to make sure that her fellow legislators understood, as well. "It is so unreliable that North Bay transit operators won't even run buses on the corridor because it would be impossible to stick to a regular schedule," she told members of the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. The state has plans to widen Highway 37 to two lanes each way, and they've been talking about it for decades, held up mainly by a lack of funding. But something else is standing in the way — the animals that live in the salt marshes on either side of the roadway. Some of them have protected status, specifically the salt marsh harvest mouse, the California clapper rail, its cousin the California black rail and the white-tailed kite. The law said no construction can be done nearby during critical periods in their life cycles, and that would have a profound impact on the road project. "Based on their life cycles, it would reduce construction time period to basically about three months out of a 12-month year," said Wilson. "Which you can imagine if you could only build three months out of a 12 month year, how long that project would take." So, Wilson has introduced Assembly Bill 697 which would exempt the Highway 37 project with what's known as an "incidental take" permit. Construction crews would still have to take precautions to protect the wildlife, but the state won't automatically assume that something terrible will happen. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission said that's vital for the project to happen at all. "The way the law is written now," said MTC spokesperson John Goodwin, " because there is the possibility of harm being done to these animals, work cannot take place. This would allow work to take place in this location." It seems like common sense, but that hasn't always been the hallmark of California law. Now, lots of regulations, from housing rules to environmental laws to species protection are being reconsidered. And Wilson may be one of the new species of Democrat legislators, willing to take a second look at a law's practical value. "We needed to strive to have these aspirational goals, but at the same time, you have to be balanced," she said. "So, you can't just swing the pendulum the whole other way and not care about people. Because the whole point of doing this work is to support people." AB 697 passed the committee with a unanimous vote. The current Highway 37 project is expected to cost about half a billion dollars, and Goodwin said, while there are still plenty of funding issues to work out, if all goes well, it's possible construction could begin sometime in 2027.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Calls for A6136 Catterick Garriosn 'gridlock' to be tackled
Petition calls for A6136 'gridlock' to be tackled More than 500 people have signed a petition calling for action to tackle the "frequent gridlock" on the main road between a military town and the A1(M). Launched by North Yorkshire councillor Kevin Foster, it urges improvements on the A6136 through Catterick Garrison and a better bus service. The Green Party councillor said residents were "fed up with the congestion on this vital route" and called for a "forward-thinking approach" across the region to ease traffic. The petition was launched as North Yorkshire Council accepted £1.2m of funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority to develop investment plans for 32 areas across the county, including Catterick Garrison and Colburn.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Drivers warned to 'stay off roads' for 48 hours from Friday evening
The RAC has issued a bank holiday traffic warning as one million extra drivers are expected to hit the road this weekend. The motoring services company has revealed that the May Day weekend is still set to produce more traffic than 2024, with over 17 million getaway trips by car planned, up from one million last year. Today, Friday 2 May, is expected to see the largest volume of leisure travellers on major roads, with 3 million journeys expected to be made. The quietest day of the weekend to travel is expected to be Sunday, 4th May, with just 2.4 million trips scheduled - meaning drivers should stay off the roads for 48 hours from today. While being caught in gridlock is often unavoidable, there are steps you can take to prevent you from being too held up, according to Graham Conway, Managing Director at Select Car Leasing. READ MORE: Drivers face £5,000 fines on Thursday and Friday for law it is 'tempting' to break READ MORE: State pensioners face 2026 rule change they are 'definitely not looking forward to' READ MORE Six driving law changes in May set to affect millions of drivers He said: "The RAC suggests the worst of the traffic is predicted to fall later in the afternoon and into Friday evening, so if you can, try to avoid those peak times. But if you can't, and you're going to be rushing to a given location, do your homework in advance. Google Maps is your friend here. "If Plan A is going to take you on a motorway that's always crowded, is there an alternative Plan B, and even a Plan C? It might be a more scenic route that's longer, but ultimately less congested. If you've already got some options in your head, you can always make a diversion if the cars in front start to slow to a crawl." He went on, saying: "You don't want to add to the congestion yourself, so make sure your car is in good working order before you set off in order to swerve an avoidable breakdown. "It sounds obvious, but check you've got enough fuel, or enough charge if you're driving an EV, and make sure you've got plenty in reserve should the worst happen, and you do end up sitting in traffic with the engine on. "Check fluid levels of screen wash, coolant, engine oil and make sure your tyres have enough tread. "If you're unsure about conducting these checks independently, several places provide a complimentary check, such as Halfords, Kwik Fit, and ProTyre. These checks typically cover five to ten crucial points, ensuring your vehicle is roadworthy."
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why redistricting reform advocates oppose this redistricting reform bill
The Minnesota Capitol. Photo by Max Nesterak/Minnesota Reformer. Legislation at the Minnesota Capitol aims to end 140 years of squabbling over legislative district boundaries by removing lawmakers from the redistricting process and putting it under the control of a bipartisan commission instead. Bills in both chambers (HF550/SF824) would create an eight-member panel to oversee the redistricting process, with an equal number of panel members selected by each of the two major political parties. The bill's supporters say the panel would ensure that the state's districts are drawn in the spirit of compromise, rather than the ferocious partisan brinkmanship that characterizes the redistricting process in some other states, including Wisconsin. 'It creates a transparent framework where political biases are exposed, rather than hidden, giving Minnesotans meaningful insight into how district lines are drawn,' Brian Cook of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce said last month in support of the bill. But the bill has run into opposition from a seemingly unusual quarter: good governance groups that have been pushing for redistricting reform for years. 'This legislative session started with unacceptable levels of partisanship and gridlock and this bill will accelerate it,' said Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. 'If Minnesota wants true redistricting reform that puts the people first, HF550 is not getting us there.' The opponents fear that a bipartisan commission will fall prey to the same partisan disagreements that have derailed the existing legislative redistricting process over the years. Consider what happened in New York. In 2014, voters there approved the creation of a bipartisan commission almost identical to the one under consideration in Minnesota. Then-Governor Andrew Cuomo boasted at the time that the bill would 'permanently reform the redistricting process in New York to once and for all end self-interested partisan gerrymandering.' The committee faceplanted right out of the gate by failing to agree on a plan. Instead, each party's representatives on the commission presented their own competing proposals to the state legislature. The legislature rejected both proposals and told the commission to draw up a new one. It deadlocked again. The legislature went ahead and drew up its own plan, which was signed into law by the governor. Less than a month later, state courts invalidated the entire process and struck down the congressional maps as an illegal partisan gerrymander. The state Supreme Court ordered a special master to draw up temporary maps in time for the 2022 midterms, and then in 2023 it ordered the original redistricting commission to go back to the drawing board and give the whole thing another go. That second independent redistricting attempt went marginally better: The proposed maps for state legislative districts were approved by April 2023. But legislators didn't like the congressional district maps. The Democratic supermajority threw them out and eventually drew their own, which were signed into law a little over a year ago. The whole process took twice as long as the previous round of redistricting under the old rules. HF550 is different from New York's setup in one critical respect: The Minnesota bill does not require state legislators to sign off on the new maps created by the commission. And while the bill provides for judicial review of any legal challenges to a commission plan, it is silent regarding what might happen if the commission members can't agree on one to begin with. Common Cause Minnesota and allied groups like the League of Women Voters want to see a bill more along the lines of one proposed last year. That bill would allow members of the public to apply to serve on the redistricting commission, with the state Legislative Coordinating Commission ultimately selecting a 15-member panel: Five Democrats, five Republicans, and five people who are politically independent or affiliated with a third party. 'Our goal is to advance grassroots, people-centered reforms by establishing a citizen-led independent redistricting commission,' Belladonna-Carrera said. 'This commission will focus on the needs and voices of the people, rather than political parties, incumbents or candidates.' It's unclear whether anything will pass this legislative term, and the clock is ticking. Ongoing chaos at the federal level will inject even more uncertainty into the next round of redistricting: In February, the Trump administration abruptly halted the work of the committee planning the 2030 Census.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After school shooting, Madison event seeks to get past typical us-vs.-them gun stalemate
Two years ago, a former student at the Covenant School in Nashville shot and killed three 9-year-old students and three teachers. Between the first 911 call and the police killing the assailant, just 14 minutes elapsed. In the wake of the tragedy, a group of 11 ideologically disparate strangers came together to reach consensus on gun safety, came up with eight proposals, and opened the discussion up to the public. After more than 30,000 Tennesseans from its 95 counties weighed in, five proposals got majority support last August. A special session of Tennessee lawmakers on the same topic, meanwhile, predictably ended in gridlock. Now, a window into that "civic experiment," as it was described in the film-length documentary "Tennessee 11" is coming to Madison, three months after the capital experienced the deadliest school shooting in Wisconsin history at Abundant Life Christian School. The shooting at the private school left three dead Dec. 16, including the shooter, a 15-year-old freshman named Natalie L. Rupnow, who went by Samantha, and wounded six others ― two critically. On March 30, Wisconsinites are invited to the Overture Center for the Arts to attend a free screening of the film "Tennessee 11," followed by a panel discussion that seeks to reveal "the hidden common ground on the prevention of gun violence in schools and the community," according to a news release from the Builders Movement, a non-partisan organization that tries to equip people to solve problems by broadening the typical "either-or" conversation on guns. After the Abundant Life shooting, Ali Muldrow, who lives in Madison and serves as the Board of Education treasurer for the Madison Metropolitan School District, contacted the Builders Movement because she was tired of hearing the same common response. Muldrow will be leading Sunday's event alongside Bria Halama, a Milwaukee County-based licensed professional counselor, and Jake VandenPlas, a former squad leader for the National Guard based in Door County. "Everyone blames each other and is too busy digging their heels in their positions to have a constructive conversation," Muldrow said. "I'd like to do that in partnership with folks I know are really good at doing that work." In addition to her work on the school board, Muldrow is the executive director of the Wisconsin Abortion Fund and engages regularly in those kinds of difficult conversations. For Muldrow, "differences shape us more than they divide us," she said. "If we can stay in conversation and engage in critical thinking and have our own ideas strengthened by someone else's different ideas, I think there's a lot of power there," Muldrow said. That's Steven Olikara's philosophy, too. Olikara, one of the panelists Sunday, knows how visceral and emotional the topic of firearms is for people. Olikara, a Wisconsin native who founded Future Caucus, the largest cross-partisan organization of young elected leaders in the U.S., believes so many of the fissures in society come from what he terms the "division industrial complex." "It can apply to any issue, but it's absolutely going to prey on the issue of gun violence, which is intentionally pushing people's emotional buttons to turn us against each other and hate each other," Olikara said. "Division is a really profitable industry." Olikara sees Sunday's discussion as a direct rebuttal against the division industrial complex. Differences are a reality, but it's how we bridge those differences that we can find solutions to problems as complex as the topic of firearms. Steve D'Orazio, another panelist participating Sunday, is well-versed in how to start conversations around firearms. D'Orazio opened the gun shop and range Max Creek Outdoors in Oregon, Wisconsin, 15 years ago and said he does as much education around guns as he does sell them. He also was one of the first gun shops in the state to participate in a program to prevent suicides. A few years ago, D'Orazio spoke with Madison family medicine physician, Dr. James Bigham, about a program to train doctors and medical students at University of Wisconsin-Madison about how to talk to patients about firearms. D'Orazio's first question to Bigham: How many of these doctors know anything about a gun? "How are they going to answer questions from their patients if they have never touched a gun, shot a gun, know what a bullet is?" he said. "That's where I come in." D'Orazio began opening his shop to the first-of-its-kind program to educate doctors on firearms. Earlier this year, a similar session was held in the Milwaukee-area. Through the sessions, D'Orazio learned how to find ways to communicate with people who may have no history and may have a very negative view of guns. He raises a shared area of concern, among gun owners and non-gun owners ― something he plans to do at the panel. "It's all about the kids with me," he said. "Whether they're in their home, school, church or out in public, they're the innocent ones. And if I'm talking to adults that throw up the wall, I don't want to hear about it, whether a gun owner or not. Let's take the walls down, and let's talk about our kids." To that end, D'Orazio stresses secure storage of guns with his customers and for that reason, he said, he sells many safes. "It's amazing how many customers walk in here and say 'They're in the closet, they're under the bed,'" he said. "We hear it all the time. 'I can't afford it. It's not in my budget.' Oh, my Lord, what's the value of guns you own? How can you not afford to lock them up so somebody doesn't steal them, let alone have one of your children get to them?" In addition to D'Orazio and Olikara, Sunday's panelists will include Rev. Everett Mitchell, a gun owner and education and equity advocate who presides over the Juvenile Division in the Dane County Circuit Court, and Charles Franklin, a government scholar and director of the Marquette Law School Poll. Register for the event at the Eventbrite page. Doors open at 12:15 p.m., with the event beginning at 1 p.m., and ending at 3:30 p.m. The free event is open to anybody 14 years or older. In 2023, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published 'Behind the Gun,' which revealed the full extent of gun deaths, and showed that almost three-quarters of gun deaths in the state are suicides. It explored gun owners' stories and highlighted their ideas for tackling issues like suicides and accidental shootings. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Madison event seeks discussion on guns that doesn't just divide people
