All posts by Michael F Ballard

Michael F Ballard is the author and administrator of the Southern California Regional Rocks and Roads website, https://socalregion.com, since 1995. I have been studying the geology and highway history throughout southern California for most of my life. I am also the President of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization. Founder of the Historic Highway 99 Association of California, https://historic99.org .

FasTrak and Express Lane Information

After having done a fair amount of research into how roads in Southern California are tolled and how each agency handles the tolling itself, I decided it was time to add another page to the site. Seeing as how each agency uses FasTrak in a different way and that there are, at least for now, five different agencies, each with their own transponder, in the region, it was time to help clarify some things. Please use the link below to access the new page. I hope the new page helps explain the confusion that is FasTrak.

FasTrak and Express Lanes

Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup – May 20, 2017

On May 20, 2017, I am planning a cleanup of my section on I-5 in Grapevine Canyon. Specifically, this is KER-005-6.0/8.0. For those interested in joining, please send us a message to add your name to the list. The plan, thus far, is to meet in Lebec in the morning and carpool to the cleanup site to reduce the number of vehicles along the roadway. Let us know as soon as possible if you are interested in joining us. A partial tour of the remaining sections of US 99 and the Ridge Route in Grapevine Canyon, including Deadman’s Curve, will also be included in the cleanup.

Image of the Week – 4/25/2017

State 79 at Samagatuma Creek with new bridge railing. This is a new style of metal railing that Caltrans has been installing on bridges lately.

San Diego Electric Railway Exposed!

For the first time since 1949, a section of the San Diego Electric Railway, double track at that, is exposed for only a short time before it will be destroyed in Hillcrest. They last saw service on April 23, 1949 as a part of the #7 streetcar line. The City of San Diego is currently restoring the 1914 Georgia St bridge over University Ave. As a part of this project, they are also lowering University Ave between Park Blvd and Florida St.

These tracks represent a bit of San Diego history and I highly recommend a visit in the next week or so before they are gone. Remnants of the former railway are getting harder to find as time passes and more roads are torn up for various projects.

Looking east from Georgia St, tracks are in the median.

Looking easterly toward Georgia St

Looking toward the Georgia St bridge with the tracks in the median

Angled view of the tracks between Georgia St and Park Blvd.

Looking down at the torn up eastbound tracks.

Railroad ties on top of the Georgia St bridge from the roadway below.

Torn up tracks and a #7 bus

Looking west from near Florida St.

More information about the San Diego Electric Railway

Los Angeles County Survey Records

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has a wealth of information available on their website. With a bit of patience and some looking around, you can find quite a few treasures using their mapping application. I’ve so far found the original survey data for the “Bridge To Nowhere” roadway, plans for other roadways that were never built in the Sierra Pelona Mountains, as well as the forest service permit for the Shoemaker Canyon Road that was never completed.

http://dpw.lacounty.gov/sur/landrecords/index.cfm