The 415
No more Novato Narrows: New lanes open at infamous commute bottleneck North Bay commuters’ daily dredge to and from work got a jolt of energy recently when first the new southbound lane of the Novato Narrows opened Sept. 24, followed by a Sept. 29 opening of the northbound lane. For the first time, three lanes both ways ferry drivers from the San Marin/Atherton exit in Novato to north of San Antonio Road near Petaluma, a 16-mile stretch known for decades as the Novato Narrows—where four lanes dropped quickly to two, creating daily bottlenecks and no shortage of stop-and-go drive time for area commuters. The $762 million Marin-Sonoma Narrows widening project has been in various stages of construction for 14 years. While lanes are open to traffic, a final phase of the project is still underway for additional paving, striping and signage, including some overnight closures of northbound Highway 101 to allow for the work.
Meanwhile, as the narrows finds relief, other commute-heavy portions of Highway 101 are absorbing new traffic woes. As the Novato Narrows project comes to completion, Caltrans is extending HOV lane hours to 5 to 10 a.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. in both directions—an increase of between three to four hours throughout Marin and Sonoma counties, which previously enforced slightly different carpool hours. The new HOV hours bring the North Bay into conformity with the rest of the nine-county Bay Area—but have increased morning and afternoon commutes through Santa Rosa and central Marin.— JW
Highway 37 interim project approved Highway 37 is battening down the hatches—thanks to Assembly Bill 697, which was signed into law last month by Gov. Gavin Newsom, clearing the path for fortifying a 10-mile stretch along the San Pablo Baylands from Sears Point to Mare Island and widening the lanes in both directions. Caltrans will lead the $500 million project; its first of three phases is planned to begin in late 2026. The project is expected to improve traffic flow between Marin, Sonoma and Solano counties, while keeping rising waters at bay from expected sea-level rise. Meanwhile, long-term plans to raise a full 21 miles of the highway from Novato to Vallejo are still being formalized. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), also calls for replacement of the Tolay Creek Bridge and the creation of a tolled eastbound lane. The highway is used by around 40,000 commuters on a daily basis.— JW
Water, water everywhere—and an albatross! A majestic species of albatross was spotted last month soaring off the coast of Marin, in what some are saying is the first-ever confirmed sighting of the bird in waters of the United States. The waved albatross, typically found in the Galapagos region, was seen by passengers of the New Sea Angler during an ocean birdwatching excursion near the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, several miles west of Point Reyes. Peter Colasanti, tour leader of the Redwood Region Ornithological Society, told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat it was the first documented sighting of that species of albatross north of Costa Rica. The birds are distinct for their large wingspan, cream-colored head and neck, brown body and yellow bill. Named for its wavy feathers, the waved albatross is a protected species, its status listed as critically endangered since 2007. Albatrosses are perhaps best known for their mythic role as a harbinger of fortune for sailing ships. In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a seaman brings doom and gloom upon his ship and crewmates when he mindlessly slays a friendly albatross with an arrow.— NBb
November 2025
NorthBaybiz 13
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