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TA E-News
Moving San Mateo County Forward
Spring 2023
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TA E-Newsletter Serving San Mateo County
"Funding and delivering balanced and equitable transportation options for San Mateo County"
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101 Express Lanes Opening Celebration | |
Speakers, organizers and guests gather for a group photo at the San Mateo 101 Express Lanes opening celebration on Saturday, April 15, 2023. | |
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The San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority (SMCEL-JPA), TA, Caltrans and regional partners hosted a ceremonial event to celebrate the opening of the San Mateo 101 Express Lanes.
A crowd of nearly 100 people, including state and local leaders and media, turned out for the Saturday morning event. The project is expected to reduce traffic congestion and improve travel for motorists, carpools/vanpools, transit operators, and transit riders in the San Mateo County area. At $581 million, it was completed below budget and on schedule.
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Drivers now have access to 22 miles of express lanes in each direction on U.S. 101 from the San Mateo County/Santa Clara County Line to I-380 in South San Francisco. This project was funded through a combination of federal, state, local, and regional grants, along with over $50 million in private and contributions.
The southern segment, between the Santa Clara County Line and Whipple Road, opened to traffic in February 2022 and the northern segment, between Whipple Road and I-380 opened on March 3, 2023.
The SMCEL-JPA also funds the San Mateo 101 Express Lanes Community Transportation Benefits Program, which helps cover transportation costs for qualifying individuals in San Mateo County.
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Project Spotlight:
Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements in Belmont
| The image shown here is of a curb extension and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) located at Ralston and Villa Avenues. | |
As part of the TA’s Cycle 5 Pedestrian and Bicycle Program in 2021, the city of Belmont was awarded $1 million in Measure W funding toward the construction of the Ralston Avenue Segment 3 project.
The $2.3 million project between South Road and Alameda de las Pulgas also received a $1 million One Bay Area Grant Cycle 2 award and used $300,000 in local match to fully fund the project.
The project installed new sidewalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, reconstructed driveways, restriped and enhanced crosswalks, and installed a new flashing crossing beacon at Chula Vista Drive. Construction was substantially completed in August 2022 and the project came in under budget.
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US 101/SR 92
Smart Hub Mobility Plan
A project to reinvent the area surrounding Highway 92 at US 101 in San Mateo as a mobility hub and smart corridor was formally kicked off earlier this year.
The existing Caltrans Park and Ride lot, located at 19th Avenue and Fashion Island Boulevard, is part of the redesign concept. A plan is now being developed to show how transportation options can be expanded along this stretch, including increased access to safe, high-quality transit and improved conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.
| The intersection of 19th Avenue and Fashion Island Boulevard leading to the Caltrans Park and Ride. | |
A first draft of the existing conditions study in the area has already been completed. The next step is the engagement phase to determine what the public would like to see as part of the vision.
This summer, design alternatives will be developed with a draft and final plan expected by the end of the year. The US101/SR92 Mobility Hub and Smart Corridor project is being led by the city of San Mateo, SamTrans, and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. Check the TA's project page for more information to get involved.
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Safe Routes to School Walking Audits | Ponderosa Elementary School Walk Audit Team. | |
The TA Strategic Plan 2020-2024 dedicates 2.5% of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Program towards the County’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.
The San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) administers those funds through a competitive grant process directly with school districts or local schools.
For the fiscal year 2023 & 2024 SRTS program, SMCOE requested to set aside $100,000 of the $439,825 two-year allocation toward conducting school safety walking audits to help identify infrastructure and special projects to apply for the TA funding.
TA staff participated in the first round of walking audits with local schools and city partners at South San Francisco, Daly City, Millbrae and Belmont. The second round of school safety walking audits will occur fall 2023.
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Highway Program Call for Projects | |
Highway U.S. 101 Millbrae overpass. | |
The TA continues to advance the Highway Program Call for Projects (CFP) in 2023.
The TA is also excited to further multimodal, safety, and operational enhancements to highway systems throughout the county.
The focus of the program is to reduce traffic congestion and improve throughput and safety on the most critical commute corridors in San Mateo County.
The 2023 Highway Program CFP will include upwards of $100 million in combined funding from Measures A and W. With the passage of Measure W, the TA is able to fund more multimodal projects on the highway system with the goal of improving conditions for all transportation users.
The TA will release more information regarding the CFP later this year with applications due sometime in early September. We encourage applicants to check out the CFP webpage for updates as deadlines and funding is subject to change.
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Volunteers Needed to Serve on
TA’s Citizens Advisory Committee
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA) is soliciting applications to fill five seats on its Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC).
The CAC is a 15-member volunteer group that serves in an advisory capacity to the TA Board on the administration of the funds collected by Measures A and W, and provides valuable input on the projects and programs in the Expenditure Plan.
Committee members are asked to serve for a three-year term. All applicants must be residents of San Mateo County.
To apply online, please fill out the online application form. To receive an application in Spanish or Chinese, please email the CAC Secretary’s office. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 2, 2023.
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Mahmoud Abunie and Randol White, Co-Editors
650-730-6201 and 650-647-3489
abuniem@samtrans.com, whiter@samtrans.com
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