Big News! On 2024aug22, Caltrans announced they will "pause" this closure!

Caltrans apparently noticed the letters that everyone has been sending in, and has graciously decided to "pause" the Breslauer/Westside closure. Alas, this doesn't seem to be final; the letter from Caltrans is maddeningly ambiguous.

Click here for the "pause" letter from Caltrans.

(You did send a letter or email to Caltrans, didn't you? If not, click here to create a letter.)

What's this about?

This is about the intersection of Westside Road and Breslauer Way in Redding California. Caltrans is planning to block off this intersection; drivers will be forced to drive to Buenaventura Boulevard instead.

If you don't live in Redding California, this probably doesn't concern you. (But you're welcome to keep reading!)

BLOCKED

Can you show me on a map?

Sure! Click here.

Save273.com is a dumb name, and inaccurate too!

We agree, but all the other names we could think of were too long, like

http://www.help-us-save-the-westside-breslauer-273-intersection-from-caltrans-in-redding-california.com

Also, many folks probably aren't aware this cross street is named Breslauer, and some folks would have trouble spelling Breslauer correctly. We needed a unique website name that could easily be memorized and typed into a smart phone. (If you know a better name, please tell us! Email link below!)

Why do I care?

If you live in, or near the Country Heights subdivision, you probably drive through the Westside/273 intersection every time you visit Downtown Redding. This includes:

Why is Caltrans doing this?

Caltrans claims this is all about "safety." Caltrans claim that blocking the Westside/273 intersection will enhance safety of pedestrians crossing Highway 273, and that there are lots of near-misses at that intersection.

However, when pressed for their evidence, Caltrans employees become defensive, and refuse to answer questions.

Today, pedestrians enjoy a dedicated crosswalk across 273 with Walk/Dont-Walk signs. Caltrans is not planning to alter this. But it's obvious that blocking cars at Westside/273 will not "improve" safety for pedestrians; their crosswalk won't be changed.

If you live here, you're probably unaware of any accidents at this intersection, because... there aren't any! If Caltrans has evidence of accidents or problems, they would surely show it to us, to buttress their case. They haven't.

Why is this wrong?

Objectively, blocking the Westside/273 intersection trades a working, safe intersection for alternatives that are less safe.

If Westside/273 is blocked, you must choose:

When one of our neighbors inquired at the Redding Police Department, RPD had records going back six years, and found 11 nearby traffic incidents where RPD was involved. None of these traffic incidents occurred at the Westside/273 intersection.

A colossal waste of time

Furthermore, there's a serious time cost here. If the Breslauer/273 access is closed, everyone living in Country Heights will drive north to Buenaventura Boulevard. That adds about a minute to every trip, or two minutes to every round-trip. If you make that trip five times per week, that's ten minutes per week; in a year, that's 520 minutes, or 8 hours and 40 minutes. And that's 8 hours per person, per year, for every person that accesses CA 273 via Breslauer Way. This is a significant time cost that the closure will impose on everyone living in Country Heights, as well as hundreds of customers for the businesses on Westside Road.

When?

Caltrans predicts the Westside/273 intersection will actually be blocked sometime in 2026.

What about Fires? Evacuations?

The barrier Caltrans plans to install will be designed so that fire trucks can drive over it. (Remember, Redding Fire House #3 is very close by.) Likewise, Caltrans assures us, members of the public will also be allowed to drive over the barrier during a fire evacuation.

Left unsaid is "How will drivers know about the evacuation/barrier-drive-over exception?" (Also: "Will my car be damaged if I must drive over the barrier during an evacuation?") Given Caltrans' dismal record of outreach to the public, most drivers will not be aware of this exception. This could become a serious problem during a real evacuation; minutes count when you're fleeing a fire.

How come I've never heard about this?

Caltrans is bad at public outreach. Existing law presumably requires they hold some sort of "public information meeting" to explain their plans, and to accept public feedback. Caltrans held such a public meeting on 2024 May 29, from 4-6PM in Redding Fire House #3. If you were not aware of this meeting, you're not alone; Caltrans didn't try very hard to tell you about it. Only about 30 people showed up, and that was much more than Caltrans expected. Also, everyone that attended was bitterly opposed to the project; Caltrans didn't expect our opposition either.

Has Caltrans published anything about this project?

Thus far, the only published information about the Block-Breslauer-273 project has been one Public Meeting, and the flyer that announced it.

Well, since I wrote the above, I found this: a Facebook posting. So, Caltrans tried, if only a little bit.

Also, the City of Redding reposted the Facebook posting on the Nextdoor website.

Caltrans does maintain an "outreach website," but it doesn't say very much. It's full of vague positive assurances, nothing concrete. More specifically, it has no mention of their plans to block the Westside/273 intersection.

Here is the Caltrans website about their plans for CA Highway 273: http://www.envision273.org

California Public Records Act

I filed a California Public Records Act request with Caltrans, asking for traffic and accident survey data for three intersections:

To their credit, Caltrans replied promptly with one PDF that seemed to cover all of the above, plus:

Here is the Caltrans Traffic Survey document.

Unfortunately, the survey document is full of traffic engineer jargon, making it mostly incomprehensible to me, as well as ordinary humans. However, it's pretty clear that it says nothing about accidents, probably because Caltrans doesn't have an easy way to collect such data. Instead, it seems to be focussed on

What can we do?

Complain to Caltrans

Caltrans employees have told us, "If you want to stop this project, we suggest you complain, in writing, to Caltrans."

The very best thing you can do is to write a letter to Caltrans, in your own words, expressing your opposition.

If you need a prompt, I've included a "boilerplate letter" (see below) for you to use.

Please emphasize our basic argument: Blocking Westside/273 trades a safe intersection for others that are less safe.

Click here for the boilerplate letter and addresses for communicating with Caltrans.

Contact your local Politicians

Admittedly, none of our local politicians (City of Redding, County of Shasta, State Representatives and Senator) has any direct control or influence over Caltrans, but if they add their voices to our angry chorus, maybe Caltrans will be dissuaded.

Endorsements

I have personally spoken with the management at all the businesses on Westside Road, and every one was opposed to the closure. All of the locally-owned ("mom-and-pop") businesses further granted me explicit permission to mention them here, on-record as opposing the closure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Click here for the FAQ.

Donations - No

We are not asking for donations. This is not about raising funds; this is about stopping a misguided road project. This is a genuine, Grassroots Community Effort, supported by volunteers living in the Country Heights subdivision.

Who are we?

We're some businesses on Westside Road, a few residents of Country Heights, and residents of the adjacent neighborhoods listed above. We drive through Breslauer/273 every day, and we're outraged that Caltrans is planning to block it.

Your humble webmaster is Stuart Hastings; I live in Country Heights, and I'm paying for this website. You can send me email using the link below.

Flyers

Click here for a printable flyer and a petition form.

I'm outraged, and I want to help!

You can reach me here:

email: saveca273@gmail.com

Version

This was last modified on 2024aug22.

Needed

This website is a "work in progress"; it will never be "finished." Below is an incomplete list of stuff we need to add. If you can help, please send us an email!

Bad Poetry

Yes, this doesn't belong here. But it might provoke a chuckle in a few readers.

Life just couldn't

be as sweet

once Caltrans blocks

two seven three.

Burma-Shave™

(With apologies to the owners of the Burma-Shave™ trademark. Note that Burma-Shave™ and save273.com are not affiated in any way, and Burma-Shave™ does not endorse save273.com.)