In northwest Fresno, Herndon Avenue is no longer undisputed king of the roads | Opinion
Herndon Avenue has finally met its match.
The arterial that bisects north Fresno ranks among the city’s biggest surface streets. Only Friant Road sees more sets of tires roll across its pavement than Herndon’s busiest segment.
But in Fresno’s rapidly changing northwest corner, Herndon is no longer the undisputed king of the concrete jungle. As Veterans Boulevard continues to take shape, things are not the same.
Four decades in the making, the Veterans Boulevard freeway interchange and railroad overpass is scheduled to open in November. As that date approaches, new traffic patterns implemented along completed sections are upsetting long-standing norms.
In Fresno’s grid street design, Veterans is a rare diagonal thoroughfare from Shaw and Grantland avenues west of Highway 99 to Herndon and Polk avenues. As the six-lane road approaches Herndon and Polk, it sweeps to the right before merging with Herndon’s eastbound lanes.
Opinion
Only it’s Herndon — not Veterans — that is doing the heavy lift.
Earlier this month, the city closed Herndon’s old eastbound lanes between Hayes and Polk. From now on, drivers headed from the Herndon exit on 99 or the El Paseo mall veer slightly to the right before reaching a traffic signal at Veterans. To continue on Herndon, they must turn left and drive a little ways on Veterans until Veterans rejoins Herndon at Polk.
Got all that?
(Ha. Not without resorting to Google Maps or carefully studying the above screenshot I took from a city-produced video about the $140 million Veterans Boulevard Corridor Project.)
In the hierarchy of Fresno roadways, Herndon’s brief eastbound disappearance is notable. Akin to a new feeder creek taking over a stretch of the Kings River.
On the new alignment’s first day, at least one motorist was caught off guard. Instead of veering right toward Veterans, the driver continued straight and destroyed a newly erected soft barrier intended to prevent people from doing that very thing.
Some steering habits are tough to break.
City’s reasons for reroute
Why was Herndon rerouted in such a manner? Why interrupt the continuous flow of traffic on Fresno’s brawniest street?
I queried the always helpful Scott Mozier, the city’s public works director, who said that particular design offered “the best operation, efficiency and safety” among those considered.
“In any event, eastbound Herndon traffic would need to take turns with eastbound Veterans traffic at this location,” Mozier said in an email.
“Realigning the Herndon movement provides enough space between the Polk intersection to give the westbound traffic enough room. Without the realignment, there would not have been enough room for the lanes turning from westbound Herndon onto Veterans.”
The old eastbound Herndon lanes, the ones that continued straight to the Polk traffic signal, are slated for demolition. After that, the city will be left with a triangular-shaped parcel landlocked between Veterans and westbound Herndon.
Mozier said there is no project planned for those difficult-to-access 2.6 acres. The city’s video depicts rows of trees growing on the site. I’d suggest some public art as well. Anything but a bunch of weeds.
The new road alignment will undoubtedly peeve Herndon drivers now forced to make an extra left turn. It also seems an odd design choice based on long-established traffic patterns.
However, when the Veterans interchange and overpass finally open and all those people living west of 99 have an easier time crossing the freeway and railroad tracks, there could actually be more traffic traveling on Veterans in that area than Herndon.
Nutty as that may sound to anyone who has driven across north Fresno during the last 20 years.
