Sen. Dodd Secures $5 Million for Hwy. 37 Improvements

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, announced today he has secured $5 million to help reverse the effects of climate change and sea-level rise along Highway 37.

“Global warming has triggered a dangerous rise in tidal waters across the San Francisco Bay and that’s now threatening a vital commuter route,” Sen. Dodd said. “This funding helps us address the environmental degradation of our wetlands and advance improvements to this critical transportation artery. These investments bring us closer to creating a sustainable and less congested roadway.”

Senate Bill 170, which passed the Senate and Assembly late Thursday, includes $5 million to be administered by the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. The allocation comes in addition to $3 million secured by Sen. Dodd in the July budget. Details include:

$5 million for environmental mitigation, marsh restoration and sea-level rise protection along Highway 37.

$3 million (July budget) for design and planning of interim improvements including adding a lane between Sears Point and Vallejo to increase capacity and reduce traffic.

“This infusion of early funding will keep Highway 37 improvements on track and ensure we are doing all we can to restore the bay lands,” said Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, who chairs the State Route 37 Joint Policy Committee. “We are excited to put the funds to good use and leverage them to provide relief for commuters stuck in traffic.”

“Sen. Dodd’s leadership is again bringing critical resources to the urgent task of rebuilding Highway 37 to withstand catastrophic flooding events,” said Eamon O’Byrne, Sonoma Land Trust executive director. “We are excited to work with our partners at SCTA to carry out priority natural climate solutions, like restoring wetlands to protect both crucial habitats and key transport infrastructure.”

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Yolo, Sonoma, Contra Costa, and Sacramento counties. You can learn more about the district and Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.