As the Sand Fire has grown quite substantially in the past few days, it has become more difficult to track where it is going. I’ve found a couple of good links for up-to-date information on this fire. Map below courtesy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
California is implementing a pilot program for mileage based taxes, in lieu of the gas tax, to provide monies for roadway maintenance and improvements. I have volunteered for this program. It doesn’t cost anything, which is good. I certainly don’t wish to pay twice for taxes. SB 1077, the bill which implements the study for the “California Road Charge Program“, is simply an experiment. Will this help us in the long run? I guess we shall see. I am apprehensive about it and am not necessarily in favor of it. However, as it is free and a perfect way to gain insight as to its viability, I’m in.
I will report, on occasion, about this program and how it works. It starts July 1. As I only have a motorcycle as motorized transport, it will indeed be an interesting test. I will test different methods of reporting to see how it works. Who knows what the future holds for the gas tax at this point?
State Route 78, one of the original State Highways in the region, has has undergone many changes since it was originally built. Most of the original routing west of Vista, CA, known as Vista Way, has been eliminated by the current alignment of the highway. By the 1960’s, State 78 was an expressway west of Vista, CA. It was gradually upgraded further to a full freeway, bypassing or replacing yet more of the original alignment. Today, there are some original sections still around, albeit very short. The two main sections of old paving, mostly dating to the late 1920’s to early 1930’s, exists near El Camino Real and College Ave in the Oceanside area.
The first section, near El Camino Real, is located on Haymar Dr / S Vista Way and is only partly exposed. Here, the concrete has been repaved but is showing through some of the potholes.
To the east of this section, there is another and more exposed bit of old paving. Adjacent to the Marron Adobe on Haymar Dr (old Vista Way), this paving still retains the feel of the old roadway. No date stamps could be found, but the style of the concrete seems to date it from 1926 to 1935.
Other sections of older alignments do still exist, but they are all completely reconstructed and no longer retain the old paving.