Early in the process we came to realize that the cause of
traffic congestion in Willits is primarily due to local traffic.
It wasn't the tourists, trucks to Laytonville and north, or
people from the coast. It was us ... the 70 percent to 80
percent. This traffic congestion was compounded when Caltrans
re-striped northbound 101 and created the frustrating merge to
one lane at the intersection of Highway 101 and Highway 20 in
Willits. The next day, the traffic backed up and has remained
that way ever since. In 1999, the Willits Environmental Center
brought walkable communities and roundabout experts Dan Burden
and Michael Wallwork to Willits to explore solutions to our
traffic congestion. We looked at an alternative north-south
route in Willits to relieve congestion at the intersection of
Highway 101 and Highway 20, safety improvements to Main Street
and a possible “truck route” that avoided Main Street.
Collaborating with the Chamber of Commerce and others, we hoped
to solve local and regional traffic problems