The SR-67 Highway Improvements Project is primarily an operational improvement project emphasizing improving typical and emergency highway operations under evacuation conditions such as wildfires. Various travel modes are considered during typical and emergency highway conditions, including emergency access, recreational access, and wildlife connectivity. The improvements will address deficiencies in multimodal transportation along with recreational and wildlife movement. Multimodal transportation includes buses, active bicycles, and pedestrian options. Three improvement alternatives and a No-Build alternative are being evaluated and considered as potential improvements to the SR-67 Highway Improvements Project.

The State Route (SR-67) Improvements Project aims to improve the safe and efficient movement of people and goods utilizing various modes of travel during typical highway operations and emergencies such as wildfires.

The objectives of the proposed Project are to:

• Enhance traveler safety;
• Maintain or reduce travel times within the project limits;
• Increase temporary emergency evacuation capacity during wildfires and other emergencies;
• Encourage multimodal transportation by providing active options such as bike paths and/or lanes where feasible;
• Facilitate recreational and wildlife movement along and across the route; and
• Actively preserve the human and natural environment along the route.

Highway travelers experience increased travel times and overall delays during everyday highway operations. This condition is exacerbated during emergencies such as wildfires due to a lack of temporary evacuation capacity. In addition, multimodal infrastructure is lacking despite the public demand for bus, bicycle, and pedestrian accommodations. The existing highway also limits the movement of recreational users and wildlife, including many endangered wildlife species. Access to recreational areas along SR-67 has insufficient parking, few dedicated crossings, and limited trail-network connectivity. There are no dedicated crossings for wildlife within the project limits.

The alternatives for potential improvements being considered are the following. A no-build alternative is also being considered. All three studied alternatives meet evacuation performance goals:

• 4 Southbound Evacuation Lanes (Highland Valley Rd / Dye Rd to Poway Rd
• 3 Southbound Evacuation Lanes (Poway Rd to Scripps Poway Rd)
• 1 Northbound Lane throughout the project limits.