Yolo 80 Managed Lanes Project

About the Project

Yolo Transportation District (YoloTD) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have joined forces for a freeway expansion initiative aimed at enhancing traffic flow within the I-80 corridor on the west side of the Sacramento-Yolo metropolitan area. This comprehensive project encompasses multiple components, including the introduction of approximately 17 miles of tolled managed lanes, new lane construction, intelligent transportation system (ITS) enhancements, and improvements to cycling and pedestrian facilities.

Learn More & Get Involved

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) is now released and available for public review and comment. Community members, stakeholders, and interested parties are encouraged to participate in the public comment process by visiting our online survey. This is an opportunity to share thoughts, concerns, and recommendations related to the project. Community input is essential in ensuring that all aspects impacting Yolo residents are thoroughly considered.

Read the DEIR

Caltrans Website

YoloTD Website

Project Fact Sheet (Nov 2023)

What this Project Will Do

Reduce Congestion

Prioritize Transit

Safe, Low-Stress Bicycle Facilities

Support Local Communities

Construct a new tolled managed lane along 17 miles of I-80, reducing bottlenecks without expanding the current causeway footprint.

Prioritize transit and carpools with adaptively managed lanes, minimizing climate emissions and providing priority to transit vehicles.

Upgrade existing bike paths, ensuring safe and low-stress cycling on both the Davis and West Sacramento approaches.

Mitigate cut-through traffic, and reinvest new toll revenue in local communities, with a focus on environmental justice communities.

Project Area

The project area includes the entire length of I-80 in Yolo County, along with a portion of US 50 in West Sacramento. The project also touches the edges of Solano County (east of Kidwell Road) and Sacramento County (west of W El Camino Ave).

Get Involved

Thank You for Your Input

The comment period for the survey is now closed. We would like to thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their input.

Why can’t we just leave the freeway as is?

If we do nothing, by 2049 the congestion will be significantly worse than it is today. That means the level of congestion experienced on Friday afternoons and holiday weekends will become a daily occurrence. This level of congestion has harmful impacts on freeway-adjacent communities, including air pollution, cut-through traffic, and higher rates of collisions.
Where can I find more information or updates about the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

More project information is available at: Yolo Transportation District: https://yolotd.org/yolo80 Caltrans: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3/d3-projects/d3-i80-corridor-improvements
Has there been a public participation process to solicit feedback and input from stakeholders regarding the policy aspects of the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

Yes, both Caltrans and YoloTD have actively engaged in public outreach efforts over the years. Caltrans has performed numerous public outreach between 2017-2021 to gather public input on the planning process of the project. Since the Fall of 2022, YoloTD has conducted targeted outreach efforts with key stakeholder organizations to inform them of the project and also gather their input. With the release of the Draft Environmental Document (DED) on November 13, 2023, both Caltrans and YoloTD will be collecting public input on the DED and various aspects of the project. Comments will be collected until January 5, 2024. To find out how to participate online and in-person, please click here.
Who is responsible for developing the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

Yolo Transportation District (YoloTD) and Caltrans are partnering on this project. Caltrans is responsible for the environmental review process, project design, and construction. YoloTD is the recipient of the federal INFRA (Infrastructure for Rebuilding America) grant and is also responsible for planning and implementing express lanes on the corridor.
We should be improving transit, not freeways. Won’t this project be bad for transit?

The existing traffic congestion discourages people from taking transit, because the buses sit in traffic and fall behind schedule. By providing a new lane that is actively managed to speed up transit and carpools, this project will improve reliability and travel time for transit. For this reason, express lanes have been demonstrated to increase transit ridership and carpooling. This project will also reinvest toll revenues into transit, making bus service more frequent and convenient.
Will widening the freeway just induce more travel, with traffic congestion recurring?

To an extent. The majority of induced travel comes from population and employment growth in the region. Multiple studies of the I-80 corridor estimate that population and employment growth will lead to an 18% increase in travel demand over the next 25 years, while widening the freeway will lead to a 3% increase in travel over the same time period.
Why is the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project needed?

The stretch of I-80 in Yolo County is a major bottleneck for the movement of people and goods in Northern California, experiencing severe congestion seven days a week and causing spillover traffic on neighborhood streets and rural roads in Davis and West Sacramento. It is the only stretch of I-80 that is less than four lanes between San Francisco and Roseville. As the only east-west crossing of the Yolo Bypass, I-80 is the primary route between the Bay Area and Sacramento regions, so congestion on this corridor affects tens of thousands of commuters who work in Yolo County or the Bay Area, but live in the Sacramento region due to the lower cost of housing.
Where will the express lanes be located on Yolo-80?

The new lanes will be located in the existing center median. The existing outside shoulder will remain open for emergency vehicles and incident management.
How will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes reduce traffic congestion and improve overall traffic flow?

Increased capacity provides short-term (0-5 years) traffic congestion relief for all lanes, but not necessarily at all times (such as peak holidays). Long-term, without proactive management, congestion is likely to return due to people shifting back to driving from using other modes, returning to peak hour travel, or taking trips otherwise avoided. Express lanes perform better at managing congestion because toll prices can be adjusted to regulate demand, and because express lanes increase transit ridership and carpooling – particularly when toll revenues are reinvested in transit.
I’ve heard you’re going to convert the existing freeway lanes to express lanes – is that true? 

Express lanes charge a fee for all users without exception. This project does not propose to implement express lanes for any travel lanes. Any consideration of express lanes would be subject to further study.
How will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project integrate with other transportation systems in the area?

W. Sac. Park & Ride upgrades Causeway bicycle facility improvements Increased transit service Transportation Demand Management programs Transit-Oriented Development housing infrastructure contributions
Will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project have any environmental impacts?

The Draft Environmental Document (DED) identifies specific project-related environmental impacts. The DED is designed to comply with both the state's California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and federal's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental laws. Caltrans released the DED for public review on November 13, 2023. Click here to view the documents.
I’ve heard you’re going to convert the existing freeway lanes to express lanes – is that true?

This project does not propose to convert existing freeway lanes to express lanes. Any consideration of converting existing lanes to express lanes would be a separate project subject to its own environmental review and public input.
Are there any plans for future expansion or development of the managed lanes?

Physical expansion and/or additional lanes are not planned.
Can anyone use the express lanes, or are they restricted to specific vehicles?

YoloTD and Caltrans will develop detailed operations policies, subject to public input and review, prior to the opening of the express lanes. We anticipate that most vehicles will be allowed to use the express lanes, subject to paying the appropriate tolls, except for large trucks with more than two axles.
What are the projected timelines for the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

Caltrans released the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) on November 13, 2023. Caltrans will be accepting public comments from November 13, 2023-January 5, 2024. As of November 13, 2023, the projected timeline for this project is as follows: Note that the timeline is subject to changes.
Are there any plans for future expansion or widening of the Yolo Causeway?

Physical expansion and/or widening of the Causeway structure is not under consideration. The Causeway spans the Yolo Bypass, an environmentally-sensitive area that is also subject to seasonal inundation as a key component of California’s floodwater management system. Any changes to the Causeway structure to allow for additional widening are beyond the scope of this project.
What strategies are in place to promote sustainability and minimize environmental impacts associated with the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

$55 million of the project budget is allocated to reducing environmental impacts including the development of the VMT Mitigation Plan in addition to preemptive environmental measures in project design as well as mitigation measures from the EIR. Specific environmental impacts and their mitigations can be found in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR).
Will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project impact existing exits and entrance ramps?

Existing ramps will receive new or upgraded ramp metering with transit prioritization technology.
Why is the environmental review process still moving forward, even though the CTC didn’t fund the project?

Environmental review and funding are two separate processes. Projects can proceed through the environmental process regardless of their funding circumstances. The California Transportation Commission (CTC) did not select the project for funding in the last round of the Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP), which is one funding program among many for which the project may be eligible. The environmental review process moves forward as the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project has been awarded $86 million from the federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant, and those funds are set to expire in September 2024. The project team is actively pursuing additional funding and evaluating options for constructing an interim project with the existing funding.
How do express lanes differ from regular lanes?

Express lanes are actively managed to minimize congestion and encourage transit and carpooling. Express lanes are free for buses, shuttles and some carpools. Solo drivers can pay a variable fee, known as a toll, to use the express lanes. Toll revenues are reinvested in community transportation needs, such as improved transit. There are currently several express lanes in the Bay Area, including I-680 between Concord and Pleasanton, and US 101 on the Peninsula.
Will this project take away the shoulders on the causeway? Won’t that make it more dangerous?

This project will convert the inside shoulder to a new lane, but the outside shoulder will remain available for accident management and emergency response.
Will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project require lane closures?

While great efforts are made by Caltrans to minimize construction impacts, highway construction is an inherently disruptive activity that may require lane closures. It is too early to know at this point what construction impacts will look like as the project is not expected to break ground until summer 2025.
What policies or regulations govern the operation and management of express lanes?

AB 194 (Frazier, 2015) and Division 17 of the California Streets and Highways Code govern the development of express lanes. Tolling authority must be granted to an eligible agency by the California Transportation Commission. Eligible agencies must prepare and submit a plan to the Commission and receive approval to collect tolls.
How will the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project contribute to the long-term regional transportation planning and policy objectives?

This project will be the first express lane in the Sacramento region. Express lanes are a key strategy for SACOG, and the State of California, to help meet the region and state’s targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Yolo-80 project has been included in the five-county metropolitan transportation plan for many years and is one of just three highway expansion projects identified as a priority by the Northern California Megaregion Working Group, which consists of the regional transportation planning agencies for the Sacramento region (SACOG), Bay Area (MTC) and Northern San Joaquin Valley (SJCOG).
Are there any specific policies or incentives to encourage carpooling or the use of high-occupancy vehicles (HOV) in the express lanes?

Carpools will receive free or discounted travel in the express lanes, making them an attractive option for travelers to benefit from faster travel times without paying the full toll. Exact policies regarding carpools will be developed and approved, subject to public input, prior to the opening of the express lanes.
Are there any policies in place to address potential impacts on adjacent communities or neighborhoods resulting from the Yolo-80 Managed Lanes project?

The project is expected to improve safety in neighborhoods adjacent to the freeway by reducing or eliminating cut-through traffic. The project also includes a mitigation plan that will invest in improvements such as bicycle and pedestrian safety projects and infrastructure to support new transit-oriented housing development.
Will there be tolls or fees associated with using the express lanes?

When tolling is implemented, some high-occupancy vehicles (i.e. carpools) can use the new lanes without charge, with a minimum number of passengers (still to be determined). Drivers with fewer than the minimum number of passengers will pay a toll to travel in the new lanes. Existing lanes will remain free. The amount of the toll will vary depending on congestion – tolls will be higher during congested periods and lower during uncongested periods. This will ensure that vehicles in express lanes will continue to travel quickly even during congested periods.
Will tolls make the freeway unaffordable for blue-collar commuters and low-income families?

The existing general-purpose lanes will remain free for all users. The project will reinvest toll revenues in transit, improving mobility for transit-dependent populations. Caltrans and YoloTD have also committed to developing an equity program that will explore options such as low-income toll discounts for qualifying drivers.
How much will the tolls be? How much revenue will the tolls raise?

YoloTD and Caltrans will develop detailed operations policies, subject to public input and review, prior to the opening of the express lanes.