Sen. Dodd’s Hwy. 37 Improvement and Resiliency Bills Approved by Senate

SACRAMENTO – Legislation from Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to ease congestion along Highway 37 and protect it from sea-level rise by authorizing a toll to pay for critical improvements and by tapping roughly $2 billion in federal infrastructure funding has been approved by the California Senate.

“I appreciate my Senate colleagues for taking action now to improve a vital route that is plagued by congestion and threatened by the effects of climate change,” Sen. Dodd said. “Creating a dedicated funding stream and leveraging federal dollars is the only way we can afford these critical improvements that will keep this artery working, while reducing daily commute times. “With the highway projected to be underwater in 20 years, congestion and seasonal flooding will only get worse.”

For years, traffic jams and seasonal flooding have plagued the 21-mile Highway 37, which runs from Interstate 80 to Highway 101, connecting Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. Caltrans recently estimated that because of climate change, the section along San Pablo Bay could be fully immersed within 20 years, cutting off a regional artery serving 40,000 motorists a day. Transportation planners are identifying solutions, including building a raised causeway that would cost billions of dollars.

In response, Sen. Dodd has introduced two bills. The first, Senate Bill 1050, authorizes creation of a toll between Mare Island and Sears Point. The revenue would finance construction costs and environmental remediation, and it could be used to leverage state and federal funding. The second bill, SB 1049, directs $1.9 billion in federal infrastructure funds to climate-adaptive transit projects including along Highway 37.

Sen. Dodd’s proposals have broad support from community leaders, environmental organizations, business groups and regional transportation officials.

SB 1049 and SB 1050 both were approved by the Senate with overwhelming support.

“This is an important step toward keeping Highway 37 open and safe for the tens of thousands of people who travel it each day,” said Suzanne Smith, executive director of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. “It will allow us to make much-needed improvements to relieve congestion, get transit going in the corridor and pursue long-term projects to address the effects of climate change on this critical route.”

“Highway 37 is a critical route that is impacted by traffic congestion, frequent flooding and the threat of sea level rise,” said Daryl Halls, executive director of the Solano Transportation Authority. “Sen. Dodd’s bill sets up a dedicated local revenue stream we can use to improve access and provide transit services to overcome these challenges and keep the highway viable for years to come.”  

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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.