Bay Area labor leaders and representatives convened for a press conference Wednesday to call for the release of $100 million in upgrades to Highway 37, a heavily trafficked 21-mile highway that services Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Solano counties.
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena), Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James, Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos, California Alliance for Jobs Executive Director Joshua Arce and Operating Engineers Local 3 members all gave remarks at the press conference, held at Wing and Barrel Ranch in Sonoma County, right off Highway 37.
Calls for funding came days ahead of Friday’s California Transportation Commission meeting in San Diego, where members will vote on allocating state funds to the California Department of Transportation for the extensive modernization project.
This is not just congestion. It’s a daily erosion to quality of life.
Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James
“For too many residents, SR-37 is the only viable connection to employment, education and opportunity,” said Solano County Supervisor Cassandra James at the press conference. “This is not just congestion. It’s a daily erosion to quality of life.”
Highway 37 serves some 40,000 commuters every day, many crossing several counties to go to and from work, according to Fix 37 Now, a coalition of local labor groups, business leaders and community advocates. But most days, a 10-mile, one-lane stretch of the highway between Vallejo and Novato that sits level with bay waters is a bottleneck, often causing delays up to 90 minutes due to flooding and traffic.
“It’s hours lost sitting in traffic that can never be recovered,” said James. “Time stolen from children at dinner tables, from parents making it home after a long shift.”
What the $100 million would fund
The pot of $100 million includes $32.4 million to replace the Tolay Creek Bridge in Sonoma County and upgrade the Highway 37 crossing at Highway 121. Around $62.8 million is earmarked to expand the water-logged stretch of Highway 37 — including widening the single-lane road to include two carpool lanes and bus transit. The work also entails climate-ready upgrades, like a replaced median and new retaining walls.
Dave Harrison, a member of Operating Engineers Local 3, commutes several days a week on Highway 37. He recently drove through sea foam on the highway while crossing into Vallejo.
“I was lucky the tide wasn’t a little bit higher, because I’d be driving through seawater,” said Harrison after the press conference. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and it’s only gotten worse.”
Harrison and other commuters have been advocating for upgrades to the highway for around 30 years, he said, which have been held up by funding constraints and regulations protecting migratory birds and marshland around the highway.
County officials say the upgrades will have minimal impact on the area’s sensitive environment and could ultimately reduce greenhouse gas emissions from traffic.
“We have the opportunity to say, you can do both — you can create jobs and improve quality of life, and you can honor the environment,” said Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos at the press conference.