SamTrans outlines $750M—$1B vision to remake El Camino Real; Palo Alto included in coordinated corridor plan

SamTrans officials told the Planning and Transportation Commission on Oct. 29 that a countywide Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI) would take a corridor-wide approach to redesigning El Camino Real to prioritize safety, transit and active transportation. Cassie Halls, SamTrans manager for major corridors, said the effort would coordinate 15 jurisdictions and multiple agencies — SamTrans, Caltrans, SMCTA, MTC and VTA among them — and produce a single action plan and a shared Project Initiation Document for Caltrans review.

"We estimate $750,000,000 to a billion dollars to complete this effort," Halls said, noting that the action-plan and PID phases are intended to reduce duplicative work for individual cities. Halls said the PID is already funded at about $2.5 million and that the project will be implemented in phases; she said planners expect some spot or "low-hanging fruit" improvements to…