Very few freeways will be widened over next decades

QOne possible solution to improving local traffic congestion:

Pour some concrete. Make Interstate 880 between

San Jose and Oakland a minimum six lanes in each direction. Same for Highway 101 between San Jose and San Francisco. Make Interstate 5 between Sacramento and Los Angeles at least three lanes in each direction. Make Highway 152 east of Gilroy and Highway 37 between Vallejo and Novato freeways. Add another lane to Highway 101 between Morgan Hill and Highway 25.

AThis is day two of suggestions to ease our traffic woes. On Tuesday, we heard from folks wanting to get out of their cars. Today it’s folks who want wider and new highways. Some of Larry’s solutions have merit, but there are no plans to turn I-880 and 101 to 12 lane freeways. But this will happen:

• Widen Highway 101 between Morgan Hill and Highway 25. Maybe in a decade.

• Widening I-5, maybe in two decades.

• Making Highway 152 east of Gilroy and Highway 37 freeways. Many decades away.

QAnother possible solution: Stop removing existing traffic lanes for bus lanes, stop removing lanes for traffic calming and stop removing lanes for bicycle lanes. … Do away with express lanes. — Larry J., Fred Hayes and others

AWell, that won’t happen. All those ideas are being actively pursued across California.

QCalifornia hasn’t built a new freeway in 40 years or more. This can be fixed. There is a canyon from Alum Rock Road in San Jose that leads to Tracy, Patterson, Modesto and I-5. There is another canyon from Calaveras Road in Milpitas to Livermore.

It is time to get creative. This is where workers in Silicon Valley can afford to live and raise their families. They will not live in high-rises on BART parking lots. They need a more direct way to get home than going all around through Fremont and I-680 to Pleasanton and out to their homes. The only other way is south through Gilroy to Los Banos. It is time to get real. — Norma Neto, Fremont

ASome hope looms. Widening Highway 84 from I-680 to Livermore is in the works as well as adding an extra northbound lane on I-680 over the Sunol Grade and eventually into Contra Costa County. The rest of it is not going to happen.

QSo, about solutions to that awful freeway traffic. If I only need to go a short distance, I will take surface streets, and not add my four wheels to the freeways. I often find my trips take no more than a few minutes, if any, longer than by freeways. I can also tell my app to “avoid freeways” if I’m not sure of a route. Since I’ve lived in the area for decades, I know lots of streets. — Sharon Meyers, San Jose

AIbet you do.