Such route pathways as CHSR and this SR99... if Logical, California would emulate how we do such things in Europe. The California High Speed Railway route was chosen to 'open up' the central valley to 'Urban Over-Flow' of LA, SC, SD, and SF. People will be able to actually work to LIVE by choosing to Rent or Buy a European Density (higher density of people per sq km). The new stations will have 100s of 1000s of people living within a 15 minute Walk of each of the Central Valley HSR Stations. Each station will have millions within a 15 minute Bike, Motor scooter, Bus, etc distance. Making each an epicentre for commuters who will be able to walk or cycle to the station, and get on a train to LA, SC, SD, SF and Vegas and in 30 to 90 minutes be in one of any of the city centres central business districts: door to desk time, door to theatre time, door to sports venues, door to any and every entertainment that either has a HSR station or a short journey on the Metro (walking, trams, buses, cycling, etc). SoFi was built with zero provision for a 400metre long platforms to reduce the traffic congestion. Each 400m train can have anywhere from 800 to 2000+ (depending on the seating layouts). With four to six platforms at SoFi and each track Up and track Down can have a train every three to four minutes. Every three minutes is 20 trains per hour per rail per direction. There is Zero space in the SF, LA, SD urban conurbations to construct another 5 to 10 million housing units. Building the cities like China, it will make home/flat (condo) ownership affordable and within reach of twenty year olds Again. To make the HSR route European would be to use the same right of way that was purchased... to put a motorway (freeway), Long Distance HVDC power lines, five metre diameter poly tunnels to transport water, gas/oil pipelines, the windmills - wind turbines with solar panels filling the gaps between the fan blades on spikes. MultiPurpose use of the same Right of Way. When on a TGV train from Paris to anywhere, for most of the surface level running or on pillars (elevated 10 to 15 metres above ground level) - Look out the Window at the view and you will see cars on the Motorways going SO SLOW. When enough people see the speed of the HSR trains parallel to the HSR route path... there will be another dozen routes constructed connecting all parts of California and adjacent states (and countries - Mexico and Canada). When People Actually Experience the High Speed Train travelling in person, they will ditch their cars and the sitting in the slow moving traffic on the Freeways.... Cloggedways. A person in Merced or SF or Reno etc can go to station, get on a train, and go to entertainment to medical to education... I remember years ago when lived in the SoCal Bowl (their universe... as nothing exists outside the bowl created by the mountains)... I knew people who lived in Riverside, San Berdo, Lake Mathews, Corona, who would depart between 0500 to 0600 to be at work in OC or CBD of LA etc... to be there before 0900 and work until 1900 or later, then they may be lucky and be home by 2300 (11pm). Wash, rinse, repeat... until old and dead. Trains could even motivate the state to Recognise people as human beings and give people in each state REAL Human Rights. Not the gun, happy clapper crap... the right to housing, education, healthcare, and a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks of Holiday/Vacation days of YOUR Choosing each year starting from Day ONE of employment! These are just a few of the Real RIGHTS those in other parts of the world take as standard. Extra days are added to work contracts to entice you to work for said xyz company. Yes High Speed Railways can be the catalyst that ends the LIVE to WORK... it is not a way of life, it is a way of Wage Slavery.

since SR 99 is already up to Interstate Standards, just make it into I-7 or I-9 now with Historic Route 99 shields to remember the old highway. I hope I can get to see this dream before I leave this earth

Quit widening the freeways it makes traffic worse. Put the money into railways.

I liked the old bumpy 99 40 years ago when nothing but farms were around, I would gladly go back to those days if I could.

Stop throwing around billions to make traffic worse

Just convert it to a new interstate. A 300 mile freeway as a state route crossing through multiple cities is pointless. Widen it enough to make it an interstate to take the weight off of I-5