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Recommended Improvement Plan -- Plan Overview The-TVTAC used the policy direction to create a set of actions comprising ~n integrat- -- ed plan. The transportation plan comprises enhancement to roadway capacity coupled with increased transit service, control of demand (growth management and TDM), and acceptance of congestion in locations where it csnnot be avoided. The plan is financial- -- ly constrained in that it includes only elements that are already funded, likely to be funded given extension of federal and state programs, or fundable by new development at an affordable level. Chapter 8 describes the financing plan. _ The following sections provide an overview of the plan. Road Improvements The plan includes many improvement projects for freeways, interchanges, arterials, and intersections. These are all based on the reality of gateway constraints. Gateway Constraints. Analysis of alternatives through the planning process showed that the TVTC's best interests would not be served by widening any of the gateways for single-occupant vehicles leading into the area. The gateways include 1-680 north and south, 1-580 east and west, Crow Canyon Road to Castro Valley, and Vasco Road. Widening of these gateways would still leave the freeways congested, would lead to ' more through traffic, and would increase traffic volumes on other Tri-Valley roads. This is true because of the Tri-Valley's strategic location between San Joaquin County and the Bay Area ~nd also between Central and Eastern Contra Costa County and " Santa Clara CounLy. The implication of gateway constraints for roadway planning is that the interior freeways and arterials sh,::ald be sized to handle only what traffic can get through the gateways. Thus, the plan recognizes that congestion will occur for several hours each weekday at the gateways, but this will · :~ve the positive effect of metering single- - occupant vehicle travel to and from the area. Within the Tri-Valley area, the road system is designed to minimize congestion. While not ideal (the ideal would be to have no congestion anywhere), the roadway plan when combined ~th a balance between -- jobs and housing, produces the best conditions to be reasonably expected. The reasons behind the gateway constraint concept are different for different gate- _ ways, as discussed below: 1-680 North. The section north of Diablo Road cannot practically be widened _ beyond the HOV lanes under construction. The gateway constraint assumption recognizes this reality. 1-680 South. The section south of Route 84 has room to be widened, and limited widening would support the investment in Route 84 capacity. Accordingly, the plan recommends the addition of HOV lanes (see Chapter 7). Gateway constraints would still apply for single-occupant vehicles. ' Barton-Aschman Associates, Inc. 123 '