One day back in July 2014, I was driving along on Northbound I-880. I saw a sign that I had passed hundreds of times before, a standard “CITY LIMITS” sign, installed by Caltrans throughout California, but missing the “CITY LIMITS” part since it was for our unincorporated neighbors in San Lorenzo.
This sign has been on 880 for decades. Suddenly, I was intrigued. If unincorporated San Lorenzo could get a sign like this, why couldn’t Castro Valley?
So, I did what any civic minded citizen would do and sent an email to Caltrans asking how we could get a sign, too. Apparently, that’s all it takes! With blistering speed and efficiency, I got a reply within ten minutes:
“Hello Michael,
Caltrans has issued an Installation Order for the Castro Valley signs, estimated installation in the Oct / Nov timeframe.
Thank you.”
Wow! Governmental efficiency at its finest! I sent them a thank you note and patiently waited for the “October-November” 2014 timeframe to arrive. It did, and no signs appeared. I sent in another note, and was told that they were running behind but it was still in the queue.
Then I promptly forgot about it.
Over a year later, on one rainy night in early March 2016, I was driving home from Pleasanton and saw a shiny, new “Castro Valley” signs just past the Eden Canyon off ramp on I-580 Westbound.
Who knew that our elevation was 180 feet?
This signs Eastbound companion can be seen on I-580 Eastbound, just East of the Strobridge off ramp.
So, CalTrans now “officially” recognizes Castro Valley. While, not exactly a “Miracle on 34th Street” courtroom precedent, it is definitely a moment of civic pride we can all hang our hat on.
All thanks to an email from a Castro Valleyan like me.
Love your articles and am reading thru them one by one regarding Castro Valley’s attempts at take control of its borders and continued existence as unincorporated.
My community is facing some of the same issues and fears.
Keep up the great work and hopefully one day I’ll read about the new “Town of Castro Valley”
