TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

December 1999 / January 2000

Project Updates

San Mateo Bridge Widening: From Four Lanes to Six

San Mateo Bridge before and after widening

A construction project to add lanes to the low-rise section of the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge got a ceremonial kickoff in December. Scheduled to be completed by the end of 2002, the $189 million widening is one of several major Bay Area bridge projects mandated by Regional Measure 1 (RM1) -- the 1988 ballot measure that raised tolls on the region's seven state-owned toll bridges to a uniform $1. MTC oversees RM1 projects in its role as the Bay Area Toll Authority.

The widening project will result in three lanes in each direction for the entire length of the bridge and its approaches, and it will add two shoulders in each direction along the trestle portion of the bridge and its eastern approach. Caltrans is responsible for design and construction.

A pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing of State Route 92 on the Hayward side of the bridge will improve access to the existing Bay Trail, and other portions of the trail on the eastern side of the bridge will be upgraded. In addition, a bicycle shuttle across the bridge itself is planned.
-- Réka Goode

Tasman Light-Rail Line Rolls Into Operation
Santa Clara County's new Tasman West light-rail extension only covers 7.6 miles, but it could go a long way toward untangling Silicon Valley's traffic snarls. The extension traverses Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Mountain View and links to the VTA's 21-mile Guadalupe Corridor light-rail line, which runs the length of San Jose.

The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) opened the $325 million line in late December, a full year ahead of schedule and on budget.

VTA planners and adjacent cities have worked together to make the 12 new stations serve as magnets for transit-oriented development, and particularly high-density housing. The stations also are notable for their integrated artwork and their connections to other modes of transportation. The Tasman West extension eventually will connect to the Tasman East light-rail line to Milpitas and East San Jose, which will open in phases beginning in the summer of 2001. For more details about the service and a map, visit .
-- Brenda Kahn

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