MTC works with the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans, on a wide range of initiatives to maintain and improve the Bay Area’s 1,400 miles of state highways.
Caltrans, which appoints a non-voting member to the Commission, owns and operates the state highway system.
Caltrans has 12 district offices, each of which concentrates on highway projects in a specific geographic area.
Caltrans District 4 covers Bay Area highways: Get the latest information on its website.
MTC and Caltrans are working together to develop the Bay Area Express Lanes network.
MTC will operate 270 miles of the 551-mile network, converting 150 miles of existing carpool lanes to express lanes and later adding 120 miles of new lanes to fill gaps in the network.
Visit the Bay Area Express Lanes website for more details. The system is slated for completion by 2035.
Smile, you’re on Caltrans’ cameras!
Caltrans’ Traffic Management Center in downtown Oakland is the nerve center of the Bay Area freeway network—and MTC’s 511.org traveler information system.
The center’s focal point is an MTC-funded video wall featuring 35 state-of-the-art LED panels.
Each panel streams real-time footage of key interchanges and other freeway segments from hundreds of cameras installed in our region.
MTC teams with Caltrans to implement our Freeway Performance Initiative.
This initiative aims to boost the speed and reliability of our freeways and select arterial (high-capacity) streets.
Key components include:
- Activating metering lights at 300 more freeway on-ramps
- Installing traffic cameras, changeable message signs, speed sensors and other equipment to improve travel time reliability
- Traffic signal coordination, transit-priority timing and incident/emergency clearance plans on key routes (such as San Pablo Avenue in the East Bay)