Los Gatos residents are sick and tired of being trapped in a beach traffic hellscape, and they’re finally taking matters into their own hands.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) just dropped a cool $11.3 million to tackle the Highway 17 congestion beast, with plans to add a third lane in both directions and transform the current traffic nightmare into something slightly less soul-crushing.

The Traffic Transformation

Imagine a world where you can actually drive through Los Gatos without wanting to scream into the void. The proposed project will extend merging lanes, reconstruct on and off ramps, and create safer sidewalks and bike lanes. Total price tag? A whopping $138-166 million, because solving traffic apparently costs more than a Silicon Valley tech startup’s annual budget.

More Than Just Extra Lanes

But wait, there’s more! The town isn’t just sitting back and hoping extra lanes will magically solve everything. They’re exploring wild ideas like congestion pricing, transforming University Boulevard into a pedestrian and cyclist paradise, and even potentially creating a light rail line. Talk about thinking outside the gridlock box.

The Human Cost of Traffic

Local residents like Carl Lumma have been living this traffic nightmare for years, unable to leave or return home on peak beach days. “The real problem is there’s just too many people coming all at the same time on 17,” he says, embodying the collective frustration of every Bay Area commuter ever.

While the project won’t completely eliminate traffic - because let’s be real, this is California - it’s a step towards making Los Gatos slightly more navigable. And in the land of perpetual road construction, we’ll take what we can get.