Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil (R-Jackson) today celebrated the advancement of her Rural Roads and Small Business Protection Act out of the Senate Transportation Committee. The three-bill package delivers real relief to rural communities in Senate District 4 by strengthening project notifications, securing a critical emergency corridor, and improving transparency on mountain pass openings.
“These bills are about respect for the people who keep rural California moving,” said Senator Alvarado-Gil. “Small businesses, families, and first responders in our counties shouldn’t have to guess when a road will close or when a mountain pass will reopen. Today’s committee vote means we’re cutting red tape, protecting local economies, and giving our communities the heads-up they deserve.”
The package includes: SB 1293: Rural Resident and Business Project Notification
Requires Caltrans to provide written notice at least 14 days in advance to residents and businesses within a five-mile radius of major state highway projects in counties of 60,000 residents or fewer. Notifications will detail project scope, planned closures, and detours when closures last 7 days, or more with no alternate route, or 14 days or more with an alternate route.
Calaveras Supervisor Martin Huberty had this to say, "A huge thank you to the Senator Alvarado-Gil and her team. They have listened to and worked tirelessly on behalf of my constituents proving that small rural communities matter, and nobody knows this better than Team Alvarado-Gil. This is a big step for local residents and small businesses.”
SB 1334: County Route J59 State Highway Reclassification
Transfers and reclassifies County Route J59/La Grange Road, currently maintained by Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties, as part of State Route 59. The move shifts primary maintenance responsibility to the state, strengthens emergency access for rural communities, and follows years of local advocacy. The road saw heavy use in recent years, including the 2013 Rim Fire with thousands of personnel and heavy equipment traversing it.
Merced County Supervisor Lloyd Pereira, who lives along Highway 59, welcomed the progress: “This isn’t just professional for me, it’s personal. I live on this road. County leaders have worked on this reclassification for years, and Senator Alvarado-Gil listened to our constituents and has brought the issue to Sacramento. Her ability to work across the aisle shows what real representation looks like for rural districts.”
SB 1382: Mountain Passes Opening
Mandates that Caltrans notify local officials by April 1 each year of the department’s proposed schedule for opening California’s mountain passes which in Senate District 4 includes the Sierra Nevada passes, Carson, Donner, Ebbetts, Echo Summit, Luther, Monitor, Sonora, and Tioga, and requires a public outreach plan posted online. The bill ensures greater transparency for communities that depend on these routes for daily travel and commerce.
All three measures now head to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Alvarado-Gil thanked the co-sponsors, Counties of Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne, the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), and supervisors from Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, for their strong support.