Stanislaus County’s first on-ramp meters will activate on Highway 99 in a few weeks
Stanislaus County’s first on-ramp meters — a variation on the familiar stoplight — will start operating this spring on part of Highway 99.
The meters at the Hammett and Kiernan interchanges in the Salida area will ease vehicles onto the highway during peak commute hours. One car per lane can proceed each time the signal changes from red to green.
The meters will operate weekdays from 6 to 9 a.m. and from 3 to 6 p.m. to start. The hours could change as the California Department of Transportation analyzes traffic data, public information officer Skip Allum said.
These meters are part of a rollout that also includes additions to those already in San Joaquin County.
The lights and pavement striping already are in place for the latest meters, but they will activate gradually so Caltrans can tweak the system. The current startup schedule from south to north:
- Kiernan Avenue: southbound on-ramp April 1, northbound April 7
- Hammett Road: southbound March 24, northbound April 14
- Main Street in Ripon: southbound March 17, northbound April 21
- Milgeo Avenue: northbound only, April 28
Jack Tone Road: southbound March 10, northbound May 12
Colony Road: northbound only, May 5
Austin Road: southbound March 3, northbound May 19
- Yosemite Avenue in Manteca: northbound May 26, southbound June 2
Each startup will be preceded by a week of green-only operation. After that, drivers on the on-ramps will stop on red and proceed on green.
Meters also have been installed on the Pelandale Avenue interchange, but a startup date has not been announced. Long-range plans call for a southbound meter at the Briggsmore/Carpenter interchange and a northbound meter at Sixth Street in downtown Modesto.
San Joaquin County already has meters operating at seven Highway 99 interchanges in Stockton and at the Mountain House Parkway connection with Interstate 205.
This story was originally published March 1, 2020 at 1:21 PM.
