Question: I’m not sure where all the traffic is coming from, but starting at about 3 p.m. every day, westbound Highway 12 starts to back up almost into Kenwood. It sometimes takes two or three cycles to get past Oakmont Drive or Melita Road.
Getting down to Farmers Lane from Calistoga Road is even worse. The lights at Mission and Highway 12 back up almost to Middle Rincon. Can someone from Caltrans, the County or the City of Santa Rosa get together and do something about this? I am curious to know where all this traffic is coming from every day? — Philip Snodgrass
Answer: Who knows where the traffic is coming from or where they’re going? There are no manufacturing plants or other big employers who stop work at 3 p.m. But Caltrans was willing to check the traffic volume at two locations — just east of Farmers Lane and just east of Calistoga Road.
As it turns out, you’re almost right about peak evening hours on westbound Highway 12. The biggest volume at Farmers Lane occurs between 2 and 3 p.m., and at Calistoga Road between 4 and 5 p.m. Morning traffic peaks between 7 and 8 a.m. at Farmers Lane and between 8 and 9 p.m. at Calistoga Road.
As far as adjusting the traffic signals to speed the flow, Caltrans spokesman Allyn Amask said signal operations will check on the coordination, adding “I’ll have an update for you in the next few weeks.”
Question: What happened to the hill at Hwy 12 on ramp westbound from Hoen? — Bill
Answer: Caltrans is using the dirt for the Airport Blvd. intersection project, so they’re carrying away the dirt one truckload at a time.
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