Editing Bakersfield, California (section)

=== Highways ===
[[File:CA SR178 Bakersfield CA.JPG|thumb|[[California State Route 178]] at M Street near downtown Bakersfield on a foggy day]]
[[File:2009-0726-CA-Bakersfield-GarcesCircle.jpg|thumb|Garces Circle]]
[[File:2009-0726-CA-Bakersfield-OldTStation.jpg|thumb|The old [[Bakersfield (Southern Pacific station)|Southern Pacific Railroad station]], currently the crew change depot for north and southbound Union Pacific Railroad trains. Old Town Kern is located primarily around Baker Street, near the former town of Sumner. It competed to be the commercial downtown, eventually losing to the present location west of Old Town.]]
Bakersfield is serviced by an extensive highway network which includes three freeways. [[California State Route 99|State Route 99]] bisects Bakersfield from north to south. At the same time, [[California State Route 58|State Route 58]] exists as a freeway east of SR 99, serving the southeast part of the city and extending over the Tehachapi mountains to [[Tehachapi, California|Tehachapi]], [[Mojave, California|Mojave]], and [[Barstow, California|Barstow]]. [[California State Route 178|State Route 178]] consists of a short segment of freeway that runs from a point near downtown to the northeastern part of the city, although there is currently no direct freeway connection between SR 99 and SR 178. [[Interstate 5 (California)|Interstate 5]] bypasses the city several miles to the west.

Bakersfield is also served by a short, unsigned, four-lane freeway called Alfred Harrell Highway. It was constructed between 1956 and 1958 and extends from China Grade Loop to Hart Park (a large recreation park in northeast Bakersfield). There is also a two-lane expressway to the east of the park. This section was initially reserved to be converted to a four-lane freeway similar to the constructed western portion.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.scvresources.com/highways/alfred_harrell_hwy/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411185135/http://www.scvresources.com/highways/alfred_harrell_hwy/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |title=Alfred Harrell Highway-Bakersfield |publisher=Los Angeles Rocks 'n Roads |access-date=August 6, 2009}}</ref> If it were ever constructed, it would have two interchanges (at Morning Drive and Lake Ming Road) and would terminate at the SR 178 adopted alignment (not built).

Both SR 58 and SR 178 have planned extensions. The western extension of SR 58 is known as the [[Centennial Corridor]], which will extend the freeway west to I-5.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/environmental/projects/centennial/projectdescription.html |title=Centennial Corridor Project Description |publisher=TRIP (Thomas Roads Improvement Program) |access-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091001134240/http://dot.ca.gov/dist6/environmental/projects/centennial/projectdescription.html |archive-date=October 1, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> Included in the Centennial Corridor is the [[Westside Parkway]] (sometimes referred to by its formal name, the Kern River Freeway).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bakersfieldfreeways.us/project_westside_parkway.html |title=Westside Parkway |publisher=TRIP (Thomas Roads Improvement Program) |access-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020160148/http://www.bakersfieldfreeways.us/project_westside_parkway.html |archive-date=October 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> This is a newer freeway which runs through western Bakersfield, on a route parallel to the Kern River and Stockdale Highway. The western extension of SR 178 is known as the Crosstown Freeway/SR 178 Connection, although it was formerly known as the Centennial Corridor before that name was moved to SR 58. It is planned to connect SR 178 to the Westside Parkway.<ref>Progress Report 2008/2009. TRIP (Thomas Roads Improvement Program). Page 7.</ref>

In addition to these freeway extensions, there is also a proposed network of [[beltway]]s. Currently, two beltways are being considered in Bakersfield. 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bakersfieldfreeways.us/project_west_beltway.html |title=West Beltway |publisher=TRIP (Thomas Roads Improvement Program) |access-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020160126/http://www.bakersfieldfreeways.us/project_west_beltway.html |archive-date=October 20, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.

A future extension would extend the freeway north to SR 178 and terminate at Alfred Harrell Highway. Bakersfield also envisioned Caltrans building a North Beltway as the western extension of SR 58, but this has been withdrawn in favor of the Centennial Corridor.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

Most of Bakersfield's major streets are six-lane divided roads with bike lanes, with most streets in the city having proper lane signage for bicycle traffic but little to no protection from vehicle traffic. Despite the city's relatively flat topography and grid-like street system, only around 2,782 bike commuters exist, as estimated in 2013, around 0.7% of its total population then.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 2013 |title=City of Bakersfield Bicycle Transportation Plan |url=https://www.kerncog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2013_BakersfieldBikePlan.pdf |access-date=December 23, 2023 |website=Kern County Council of Government |page=38 |archive-date=December 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224080119/https://www.kerncog.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2013_BakersfieldBikePlan.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Newer neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city, previously surrounded by two-lane farm roads, are prompting more large, divided roads to be built to help ease the increase in traffic that has resulted from the rise in population. Many developers choose to widen the roads that connect these neighborhoods at their own discretion, which can cause a major road to widen and narrow repeatedly over a short distance (Allen Road and Panama Lane are prime examples). Since the Bakersfield city limit boundaries are not uniform, this can cause Kern County "islands" to exist within Bakersfield. The county of Kern may choose not to upgrade a road while the city of Bakersfield does improve a road, which can cause traffic congestion to increase (Calloway Drive from the Westside Parkway north to Rosedale Highway best exemplifies this disparity).{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

Bakersfield is currently one of the largest cities in the U.S. that is not directly linked to an [[Interstate highway]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-005.html |title=Interstate 5 @ Interstate-Guide.com |publisher=Interstate-guide.com |access-date=November 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220135850/http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-005.html |archive-date=December 20, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, SR 99 and SR 58 have been considered for conversion to Interstates. SR 99 would be a new Interstate signed either as Interstate 7 or [[Interstate 9 (California)|Interstate 9]], while SR 58 would be an extension of [[Interstate 40 (California)|I-40]], which currently terminates in Barstow. In 2005, SR 99 was added to the FHWA list of high-priority corridors as "California [[farm-to-market road|farm to market route]]" and designated a [[Future Interstate Highways|Future Interstate]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-009.html |title=Interstate 9 |publisher=AARoads Interstate Guide |access-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-date=April 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100405073713/http://www.interstate-guide.com/i-009.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cahighways.org/057-064.html |title=State Route 58 |publisher=California Highways |access-date=September 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091002011343/http://www.cahighways.org/057-064.html |archive-date=October 2, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Garces Memorial Traffic Circle, informally known as Garces Circle or just "the Circle," is a [[traffic circle]] in Bakersfield. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Chester Avenue, Golden State Avenue ([[Route 204 (California)|State Route 204]]), and 30th Street. The Circle was built circa 1932 as a part of [[US 99]]. A large sculpture of [[Francisco Garces]] was erected inside the circle in 1939.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Garces Circle Statue – Bakersfield CA |url=https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/garces-circle-statue-bakersfield-ca/ |access-date=July 27, 2020 |website=Living New Deal |language=en-US |archive-date=December 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222083455/https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/garces-circle-statue-bakersfield-ca/ |url-status=live }}</ref>