Transportation In Kern County, California
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Kern County’s transportation system was quoted as the “unseen industry.”''Crisis at the Crossroads''. Kern Transportation Foundation. Produced by: White Bear Enterprises, 2008. Located at the southern end of the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...
, the county is at a prime location to ship goods west to the central coast, south to ports in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, and east to corridors that connect to the rest of the country. It is also on major corridors that link to all northern points.


Intercity Highways

Kern County is served by a large network of
highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ...
s,
expressways Expressway may refer to: *Controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane markings, etc., for high-speed traffic *Limited-access road, a lower grade of highway or arterial road * ''Expressway'' (film), a 2016 Fi ...
and
freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s. It is easier to break the network down into three categories: primary, alternate, and local. It is also easier to view Bakersfield as the center of the transportation network, and the routes traveling away from that point. They are listed below, with the names either officially designated by the state, or commonly used by local authorities and Caltrans. Primary routes are the mainline highways connecting Bakersfield with major destinations and other major transportation infrastructure. Alternate routes are other routes that connect major destinations and other major transportation infrastructure, but do not require travel on the primary route. The exception is SR 58 (Mojave Freeway), which is a primary route and part of the alternate route to I-5 (Golden State Freeway). The reason is SR 58 and SR 14 are both mostly freeways and are capable of handling large semi-trucks. Local routes are the remaining state routes. They primarily connect local roads and rural communities to primary and alternate routes. Although Kern County is located at the center of an important
interstate highway system The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
, it is only served by one interstate (I-5). Ironically this interstate bypasses many important transportation hubs and connectors in the valley, currently served by state routes (SR 99 and SR 58). This includes the two largest cities not served by an interstate, which are
Fresno Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
and
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
. Efforts have been made for inclusion of the other two routes into the interstate system. SR 99 has been designated a NHS future interstate, which would either be number I-7 or I-9. Currently
Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
and the
Federal Highway Administration The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
are negotiating what needs to be upgraded to conform to interstate standards. SR 58 is currently being converted to a freeway, but has not been submitted for future interstate status. If adopted, it would be an extension of
I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway in the southeastern and southwestern portions of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and ...
which currently terminates in Barstow, CA. Currently about 65% of truck traffic which use the route does cross the California state line.


Primary

''* denotes freeway'' * Westside Freeway* - north to San Francisco/Sacramento/California state line *
Golden State Freeway Interstate 5 (I-5) is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Coast between the Mexican border and the Canadian border. The segment of I-5 in California r ...
* - north to Fresno/Sacramento, south to Los Angeles * State Route 41 - north to Fresno/Yosemite, south to Central Coast * Paso Robles Highway - west to Central Coast *
Mojave Freeway Mojave or Mohave most often refers to: *Mojave Desert * Mojave River *Mohave people * Mojave language *Mohave County, Arizona, a county in the U.S. state of Arizona Mojave or Mohave may also refer to: Places * Fort Mojave Indian Reservation * ...
/ Westside Parkway* - east to I-15/I-40 in Barstow Note: The Mojave Freeway (State Route 58) should not be confused with Interstate 15. In Kern County, The Mojave Freeway name is used by local authorities and Caltrans to refer to SR 58 between Bakersfield and Barstow. The California Legislator gave the same name to the Barstow Freeway (I-15) between San Bernardino and the Nevada state line.


Alternate

''* denotes freeway'' *
Antelope Valley Freeway State Route 14 (SR 14) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of California that connects Los Angeles to the northern Mojave Desert. The southern portion of the highway is signed as the Antelope Valley Freeway. Its southern te ...
/
Mojave Freeway Mojave or Mohave most often refers to: *Mojave Desert * Mojave River *Mohave people * Mojave language *Mohave County, Arizona, a county in the U.S. state of Arizona Mojave or Mohave may also refer to: Places * Fort Mojave Indian Reservation * ...
* - alt. to I-5 (Golden State Freeway) south * Westside Highway - alt. to I-5 (Westside Freeway/Golden State Freeway) north and south * Central Valley Highway - alt. to SR 99 (Golden State Freeway) north * Porterville Highway - alt. to SR 99 (Golden State Freeway) north * Taft Highway/ Cuyama Highway - alt. to SR 46 (Paso Robles Highway) west Note: There is a gap in the primary/alternate route network. SR 178 should be the alternate route to SR 58. However, there is currently an approximately 14-mile gap in the highway in Kern, San Bernardino, and Inyo counties. Since the detour route is about 100 miles, and requires travel on SR 58, the route can not be considered an alternate route.


Local

*
Midland Trail The Midland Trail, also called the Roosevelt Midland Trail, was a national auto trail spanning the United States from Washington, D.C., west to Los Angeles, California and San Francisco, California ('' though the Lincoln Highway guide published ...
* McKittrick Highway * Garces Highway * Maricopa Highway * Kern Canyon Road * Weedpatch Highway *
Valley Boulevard Valley Boulevard is a street in Southern California, running east from Los Angeles to Pomona, where it becomes Holt Avenue, and a continuation from Fontana to Colton. It generally parallels Interstate 10 (I-10) and State Route 60 ...
* Golden State Highway * Bear Mountain Boulevard * Three Flags Highway


Intercity Rail

Kern County is served by
Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...
and
BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...
; both are class-1 railroads. Both railroads parallel each other north of Bakersfield through the
San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...
. Within the county, Union Pacific follows SR 99, while BNSF follows SR 43. The distance between the two railroads average about 16 miles. South of Bakersfield, both railroads must use the route over the
Tehachapi Mountains The Tehachapi Mountains (; Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States. The range extends for approximately in southern Kern County and northwe ...
. This route is owned by Union Pacific, but BNSF has trackage rights over it. This segment is the busiest single line route in the world. Regional service is provided by the
San Joaquin Valley Railroad The San Joaquin Valley Railroad is a short line railroad, among several in the Western Region Division of parent company, Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates over about of owned or leased track primarily on several lines in California's Centr ...
, which was purchased by
RailAmerica RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, was a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada. In 2007, RailAmerica was acquired by Fortress Investment Group. Before that, it t ...
. It provides service between
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
and agricultural centers of Arvin, Buttonwillow, and Lamont. At one time, a railroad line connected Bakersfield and the oil rich City of Taft, known as the Sunset Railway. However, the construction of oil pipelines and equipment being hauled by trucks resulted in the removal of the route. Passenger service is provided exclusively by the San Joaquin Route, run by
Amtrak California Amtrak California is a brand name used by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Division of Rail for three state-supported Amtrak regional rail routes in Californiathe ''Capitol Corridor'', the ''Pacific Surfliner'', and the ...
. North of Bakersfield the train uses the BNSF route through the valley. The line terminates in Bakersfield, where passengers transfer to one of five Amtrak Thruway bus routes. They travel to, among other places, the Central Coast,
Los Angeles Basin The Los Angeles Basin is a sedimentary Structural basin, basin located in Southern California, in a region known as the Peninsular Ranges. The basin is also connected to an wikt:anomalous, anomalous group of east–west trending chains of mountai ...
(with connections to other trains at
Los Angeles Union Station Los Angeles Union Station is the main railroad station in Los Angeles, California, and the largest passenger rail terminal in the Western United States. It opened in May 1939 as the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, replacing La Grande Sta ...
),
Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...
,
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, and
Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla language, Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Rivers ...
. High level of demand through the
Tehachapi Pass Tehachapi Pass ( Kawaiisu: ''Tihachipia'', meaning "hard climb") is a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, California. Traditionally, the pass marks the northeast end of the Tehachapis and the south end of the Sierra N ...
has prevented any rail service from extending south of Bakersfield. Kern County is located on the proposed
California High-Speed Rail California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system being developed in California by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Phase 1, about long, is planned to run from San Francisco, California, San Francisco to ...
. This proposes to link
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
with
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
and
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
by a high speed train. Bakersfield is the location of the station within
Kern County Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...
, and will serve the southern San Joaquin Valley region. The desert communities in eastern Kern County will be served by the
Palmdale Palmdale is a city in northern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city lies in the Antelope Valley of Southern California. The San Gabriel Mountains separate Palmdale from the Los Angeles Basin to the south. On August 24, 1962 ...
station, in
San Bernardino County San Bernardino County ( ), officially the County of San Bernardino and sometimes abbreviated as S.B. County, is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, and is located within the Inland Empire area. As of th ...
.


Air Transportation

The primary airport used for the transportation of passengers and goods is
Meadows Field Meadows Field is a public airport in Kern County, California, United States, three miles northwest of downtown Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. It is the main airport for the Bakersfield area, and one of two international airports in the S ...
in Bakersfield. Several industrial complexes are located around the airport for easy transportation of goods from warehouses to airplanes. More industrial complexes are planned in the future. Passenger travel is relatively light at the airport. Domestic flights are run out of the William M. Thomas Terminal, constructed in 2006. There is also an international terminal located at the old terminal building. Originally flights were flown between Bakersfield and Mexico; however, the terminal closed when the air carrier discontinued service. In addition to Meadows Field, there are a multitude of regional airports throughout the county. Most notably is Mojave Air and Spaceport. This is the only civilian spaceport in the nation. Spaceship One, the first civilian reusable spaceship, was launched from there. Several companies based out of Mojave are currently developing private spaceships from the airport, including the successor to Spaceship One, logically called Spaceship Two.


Bus Transportation

Regional transportation is provided by Kern Regional Transit. It connects
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
with the different regions of
Kern County Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...
. These are western San Joaquin Valley, eastern San Joaquin Valley, Mojave Desert, Kern River Valley, and Tejon mountain region. In addition, regional service is provided within the Kern River Valley, Mojave Desert, and Tejon mountain region. Within Bakersfield, primary hubs are located at the Bakersfield Amtrak Station and GET (Golden Empire Transit) downtown center. In addition, Taft Area Transit (TAT) provides regional service between
Maricopa Maricopa can refer to: Places * Maricopa, Arizona, United States, a city in Pinal County, Arizona ** Maricopa Freeway, a section of I-10 in Metropolitan Phoenix ** Maricopa station, an Amtrak station in Maricopa, Arizona * Maricopa County, Arizo ...
and Taft. It also provides local service throughout the city of Taft on two routes. Other bus operators include: * Arvin Transit is the local municipal bus operator in and around Arvin. *
Delano Area Rapid Transit Delano Area Rapid Transit (DART) is the operator of mass transportation in Delano, California. Four routes operate within the city, which serves most of the urban development. There is one transit hub, located at the intersection of 11th Avenue ...
is the local municipal bus operator in Delano. *
Golden Empire Transit Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 16 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. Since 2005, almost th ...
is the local bus operator in and near Bakersfield. Private regional bus service is provided by
Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...
and Orange Belt Stage. Both bus companies depart from the Greyhound bus terminal located in downtown. Another private bus carrier i
Airport Valet Express
located at Stockdale Hwy. and New Stine Road. It provides direct service to and from Bakersfield and all terminals at
Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles International Airport is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its Greater Los Angeles, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of California. LAX is located in the Westchester, Los Angeles, Westcheste ...
(LAX).


By taxi

*Bakersfield (661) 374-2227 *Lake Isabella (760) 384-2424 *Ridgecrest (760) 384-2424 *Rosamond (661) 256-2227 *Tehachapi (661) 771-2227


Greater Bakersfield

Similar to the county, the city also has a transportation network to facilitate the movement of goods both through and terminating in it.


Intracity highways

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
is served by three major freeways and two minor freeways. State Route 99 is the north–south route, running through the entire length of the city, just east of downtown. It is also the mainline connecting Bakersfield with interstate routes in
Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. State Route 178 connects east and northeast Bakersfield with downtown. However, it ends at the east end of downtown, approximately 1.5 miles from SR 99. State Route 58 is the mainline connecting Bakersfield with Interstates 15 and 40, which are major routes that serve the rest of the country. Since the route mostly travels along the southern edge of the city, it generally does not see as much intracity traffic as SR 99 and SR 178. Currently there is no state-maintained freeway in west Bakersfield. However, the Westside Parkway is currently being constructed parallel to Stockdale Highway and the
Kern River The Kern River is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between ...
as a local freeway (built to Caltrans standards). The Centennial Corridor project (which the Westside Parkway is a part of) will connect the freeway to SR 58, creating the first continuous east–west freeway to span the width of Bakersfield. Eventually, the freeway will be extended west to I-5. Bakersfield is also served by two minor freeways. State Route 204 (Golden State Avenue) is built as a four-lane freeway from SR 99 to F Street, a length of about 1.4 miles. This provides an alternate route for traffic from SR 178 and downtown to northwest Bakersfield and SR 99 north. The other freeway is Alfred Harrell Highway, which connects northeast Bakersfield to Hart Park and the rest of the Kern River County Park. Additional right of way was reserved to extend the freeway east to SR 178, but there are currently no plans for construction.


Intracity rail

BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...
and
Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...
have major yards located within Bakersfield. BNSF is located in downtown Bakersfield. Because of a land dispute between
Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...
(later merged with Union Pacific) and the City of Bakersfield in 1874, the railroad built its line five miles east in Sumner (later annexed by Bakersfield and renamed East Bakersfield).Lynch, Georg
The Streetcars, Gone but not Forgotten
. The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
Since
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
only runs on BNSF tracks, one station is used in downtown Bakersfield. Prior to Amtrak, both railroads had passenger rail service. The Southern Pacific station was located at the intersection of Sumner and Baker streets in East Bakersfield. The need for transportation between the two stations resulted in the first street car line being built to connect them in 1888. It was also the last line to be removed when street car line was discontinued and removed.


Street layout

Bakersfield
arterial An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...
streets are laid out in a grid pattern, running north–south and east–west. In central Bakersfield,
collectors Collector(s) may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Collector (2011 film), ''Collector'' (2011 film), an Indian Malayalam film * Collector (2016 film), ''Collector'' (2016 film), a Russian film * Collectors (film), ''Collectors'' (film), a 2020 So ...
are also laid out in a grid pattern parallel to the arterials. In East Bakersfield, since the streets were laid out by Southern Pacific, they ran parallel to their railroad tracks, which is about 45 degrees off from the rest of the city. In older sections of southwest Bakersfield, developers used the neighborhood design, where developments were laid out on arterials behind brick walls. Collectors followed curved paths through large tracts of land. Few streets would connect to arterials for each development. This created a maze of streets, where a resident could walk for miles, before being able to leave the development. However, later developments throughout the city created a more direct path for pedestrians to exit.


Bus transportation

Public transportation in the Greater Bakersfield area is provided exclusively by
Golden Empire Transit Golden Empire Transit is the operator of mass transportation in Bakersfield, California. There are 16 routes serving Greater Bakersfield, which includes both the City of Bakersfield and adjacent unincorporated communities. Since 2005, almost th ...
. There are two transit hubs: Downtown Transit Center and Valley Plaza Transit Center. A network of 18 routes traverses Bakersfield and serves many local attractions. These include: Northwest Promenade,
Bakersfield Museum of Art The Bakersfield Museum of Art is an art museum, in Bakersfield, California. It is located in Central Park, on the corner of 19th St. and R St. It has four galleries, which contains a permanent collection mainly from regional artists, as well as r ...
(and Mill Creek),
Kern County Museum The Kern County Museum is a history museum located in Bakersfield, California. Its main focus is the history of Kern County. Pioneer Village, located on , contains over 50 original buildings from around the county, related to life in the late 19t ...
, and
Valley Plaza Valley Plaza was a shopping center in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, one of the first in the San Fernando Valley, opened in 1951. In the mid-1950s it was reported to be the largest shopping center on the West Coast of the United States and the ...
. Transportation is available to
Meadows Field Meadows Field is a public airport in Kern County, California, United States, three miles northwest of downtown Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. It is the main airport for the Bakersfield area, and one of two international airports in the S ...
. However, unlike Kern Regional Transit, direct transportation to the Amtrak station is not provided.


Cycling

Bakersfield contains two bike trails. The primary trail (and the longest) is the Kern River Bike Trail. It is located in the Kern River Parkway and runs from China Grade Loop (west of Hart Park) to Enos Lane (east of I-5). The bike path follows the
Kern River The Kern River is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between ...
for its entire length. In addition, there are a couple of spur routes off of the bike path. One is located at
Cal State Bakersfield California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Ba ...
, and the other is near The Park at River Walk. The other shorter bike trail is in Kern River County Park. It runs from the east side of Hart Park to the east side of the
Kern River Golf Course Kern or KERN may refer to: People * Kern (surname), includes a list of people with the name * Kern (soldier), a light infantry unit in Medieval Irish armies Places * Kern, Alaska, a ghost town in Alaska * Kern, Austria, see Sankt Marienkirc ...
; at the large reservable picnic area.Bakersfield Metro Area
. South Valley Bicycle Coalition. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
In addition, many arterials and collectors in Bakersfield contain a bike lane. The distance from the curb varies depending on whether there is on street parking. GET buses contain bike racks on the front of their buses and Amtrak has bike racks on the trains.


On foot

In recent years, several projects have been undertaken that are making Bakersfield a much more pedestrian friendly city. The largest project is Mill Creek, in downtown. The Kern Island Canal, which runs through eastern downtown, was modified to resemble a natural creek. A path, with artistic landscaping, and decorative lighting was added along sides of the canal. The total length of the project is approximately 1.5 miles long. There has also been a variety of streetscape projects conducted throughout downtown. These include installing decorative lighting, planting trees, and decorative concrete. In addition to downtown, there are many other areas throughout Bakersfield friendly to walkers. Many trails exist throughout the Kern River Parkway, and the foothills in northeast Bakersfield. The Park at River Walk in the southwest, and Panorama County Park (on the Panorama Bluffs) in the northeast, are also popular places for walkers. Most new developments, primarily in the northwest and southwest, have created shaded, winding sidewalks adjacent to arterials.


Future


Kern County

SR 58, 46, and 65 are all in the process, or planned to be, converted to a minimum of a 4-lane expressway. SR 58 is the closest to being completed, with only two segments remaining (both outside of
Kern County Kern County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 909,235. Its county seat is Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. Kern County compris ...
). The first segment has started on
SR 46 The following highways are numbered 46: International * AH46, Asian Highway 46 * European route E46 Australia * Greensborough Highway * Carnarvon Highway Canada * Saskatchewan Highway 46 Czech Republic * part of R46 expressway (Czech Repub ...
, with the total project expected to take a minimum of 20 years. SR 65, the shortest highway to be converted within Kern County, is not scheduled to start construction on its first segment until at least 2025.2007 Destination 2030 Regional Transportation Plan
. KernCOG. May 17, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
In addition, Kern County has proposed constructing an intermodal facility near
Meadows Field Meadows Field is a public airport in Kern County, California, United States, three miles northwest of downtown Bakersfield, California, Bakersfield. It is the main airport for the Bakersfield area, and one of two international airports in the S ...
. Its purpose is to allow the easy transfer of goods from one mode of transportation to another. The location is close to air with Meadows Field, rail with Union Pacific mainline, and road with State Route 99. It would also be located in the midst of Bakersfield’s growing industrial center. In the future, SR 58 and SR 46 may be considered for a possible westward expansion of
Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west transcontinental Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the Southeastern United States, southeastern and Southwestern United States, southwestern portions of the United States. At a leng ...
via SR 58 from Barstow to
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
, from Bakersfield to I-5 via Westside Parkway, and then following SR 46 to
Paso Robles Paso Robles ( ), officially El Paso de Robles (Spanish for The Pass of Oaks), is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Salinas River about north of San Luis Obispo, the city is known for its hot springs, ...
.


Greater Bakersfield

Bakersfield has had the challenge of its freeways not connecting to each other and west Bakersfield. The Westside Parkway provides the western freeway and the Centennial Corridor will connect it to SR 58. The last connection, which is currently not listed as a future project, will be to connect SR 178 to the Westside Parkway. When the freeway is considered, most likely at least two routes will be studied, since both have been recommended in past reports. One would travel west through downtown and Westchester, while the other would travel south through southern downtown near the
BNSF BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...
railroad yard. In addition, future projects on SR 204 (Golden State Avenue) will construct an interchange at F Street and reconfigure ramps at SR 178. These changes, combined with the existing interchange at Garces Circle, would most likely result in extending the freeway to SR 178. Bakersfield also identified a network of
beltway A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducin ...
s, which would route traffic around the outer parts of town. These beltways would be initially built as expressways, and later converted to freeways as traffic increases. Currently three beltways are being considered. The West Beltway would run north–south from Seventh Standard Road to Taft Highway. It will run parallel to Heath Road to the north and parallel to South Allen Road to the south. A future extension would connect the West Beltway to SR 99 and I-5, providing a bypass to Bakersfield. The South Beltway would run east–west from SR 58 to I-5. From SR 58, it would run south, parallel to Comanche Drive, until Taft Highway. From there, the freeway would turn west and run parallel to Taft Highway until terminating at I-5. The East Beltway would run from SR 58 north to Morning Drive. North of SR 178, the route would most likely follow the existing Alfred Harrell Highway.


Light rail

Bakersfield has considered constructing a
light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...
system within the city. The proposed route would run from
Cal State Bakersfield California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB, Cal State Bakersfield, or CSU Bakersfield) is a public university in Bakersfield, California. It was established in 1965 as Kern State College and officially in 1968 as California State College Ba ...
in the southwest to
Bakersfield College Bakersfield College (BC) is a Public college, public Community colleges in the United States, community college in Bakersfield, California. BC serves about 31,000 students each semester or 46,500 annually, and offers associate degrees, certifica ...
in the northeast. It would travel on surface streets, and run through many populated parts of the city, including: southwest, downtown, east Bakersfield, and northeast. A study conducted in 1998 concluded that Bakersfield was not dense enough to justify the expense. However, the study did indicate that the city was large enough to justify an express bus system. A light rail system could be phased in, first constructing stations for the bus system, and later adding tracks when the demand increases.Phase 2 Poster
. KernCOG. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
A part of the study was a plan for regional rail throughout the county. The routes highlighted used existing rail infrastructure, except the Sunset route to Taft, whose tracks would have to be relayed. The primary communities connected would be
Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in and the county seat of Kern County, California, United States. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, which is located in the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's population as of the ...
, Taft, Lamont, Arvin, and Shafter. There would also be additional stations in East Bakersfield, Rosedale, and Gosford. Similar to the city, the county is also too small to support a system at this time. However, this system could be implemented in the future, as the population of the county continues to grow.


See also

* West Bakersfield Interchange *
Wheeler Ridge Interchange The Wheeler Ridge Interchange is a freeway interchange near Wheeler Ridge, California, where State Route 99 (SR 99) merges with Interstate 5 (I-5). Located approximately south of Bakersfield, it is the southernmost freeway inte ...


References

{{City of Bakersfield