Norris Canyon HOV Ramp Proposal Facing Resistance

San Ramon residents Andrew Weiss, Jeff Rackmil and Jim Blickenstaff were sitting around a table at a local Starbucks recently talking about the proposal to build an on- and off-ramp on Norris Canyon Road.

They weren't happy about it.

"It's an on- and off-ramp between two other ramps [Bollinger Canyon and Crow Canyon]."

"There are no definitive studies to justify it. Give us some data."

"They never let the community know about this."

"This is going to cost $102 million and it's not needed."

"This is a quiet, family neighborhood and these ramps are going to lower proprety values. People aren't going to want to move there."

Weiss, Rackmil and Blickenstaff aren't the only people upset. They have set up an online petition calling on the San Ramon City Council to state its opposition to the proposal. So far, 416 people have signed.

The I-680/Norris Canyon HOV Direct Ramps Project will add High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes off and on I-680 (HOVs include buses, carpools and vanpools). It's a unique design. The planned lanes would converge in the middle of the Norris Canyon overpass, making a T-shaped intersection (see photo).

Some of the funding from the project comes from Measure J, a half-cent sales tax passed by Contra Costa County voters in 2004 for transportation improvements. The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) projects the cost to be $102 million, and the City of San Ramon won't be responsible for any of the funding.

The CCTA is the project sponsor, working in cooperation with Caltrans. The project hasn't been approved and is currently going through environmental and traffic studies. Alternative plans are also being looked at. A final determination isn't expected until the fall of 2013.

The CCTA says the ramps are expected to provide direct access and reduce travel times for express buses and HOVs during peak periods and along I-680 between Crow Canyon Road and Bollinger Canyon Road. It will also improve express bus operations by making travel times more consistent and reduce scheduled uncertainty.

One of the complaints against the project is many residents feel they weren't informed of the ramps until the plan was already fully in motion. The CCTA is trying to make up for that, and recently mailed information on the project to residents in the impacted area.

They also plan three workshops for the public in 2012, with the first coming on March 22 at 7 p.m. at the .

"We want to give everyone a chance to review the project and studies and tell us what they think," said Scott Steinwert, President of Circlepoint, which is consulting the CCTA. "After we hear comments, at that point we can decide what's best for the community and its transportation issues."

San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson said he does not have a position on the project and won't form one until he hears all of the evidence and testimony.

He says previous support for the project came before he took office and noted that he wants to look at alternative projects, including an off ramp for Executive Parkway that would only take westbound traffic.

"It's important for citizens to share with us their opinions," Clarkson said. "We need to understand all the pros and cons and what the other possibilities are before we make a decision."