Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
SMCTA details 101 Corridor Connect priorities and launches $4 million mini‑grant program
Summary
Suellen Atkinson of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority updated Atherton’s transportation committee on the adopted 101 Corridor Connect plans, highlighted Marsh Road as Atherton’s priority project, and said SMCTA will open a $4 million mini‑grant to fund early design and outreach for priority projects.
Suellen Atkinson, manager of planning and management at the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, told the Atherton Transportation Committee on May 26 that the agency has adopted three multimodal strategies and an Active 101 plan and is moving to implementation.
"We manager the funding from the voter approved local sales tax measures," Atkinson said. She described the 101 Corridor Connect program as a countywide, collaborative effort with Caltrans, local cities and transit agencies to identify and prioritize congestion‑management projects within a mile of US‑101. Atkinson said the plans produce a set of community‑supported priority projects that can leverage additional state and regional funding.
Why it matters: the corridor work identifies both highway and people‑powered improvements — including crossings, bike and pedestrian links and transit connections — that SMCTA says can improve access and safety for communities along the 101 corridor.
Atkinson highlighted one Atherton‑area priority project: the Marsh Road project, a shared responsibility project spanning city and county jurisdiction. She also described a new mini‑grant program the SMCTA board approved to accelerate early‑stage work on priority projects. "They've approved $4,000,000 to start," Atkinson said. Under the program, Atkinson said, SMCTA can fund up to $750,000 per individual project and up to $1,000,000 for multi‑jurisdictional projects; no local match is required.
The program is aimed at feasibility work, alternatives development and early community engagement so projects can move from lines on the plan to design and construction. Atkinson said the call for projects will be released on June 3, applications are due in July and funding decisions are expected by August. She added that selected projects will be expected to include a stakeholder "sidewalk" review — a site walk with at least one city council member — and that SMCTA is piloting an on‑call community‑based organization bench to support engagement without adding project cost.
Committee members asked whether Marsh Road includes a crossing over US‑101; Atkinson said connections and crossing options will be among the early design alternatives funded by the mini‑grant. Staff and committee members also discussed how regional partners will be encouraged to coordinate aesthetics and continuity across city boundaries while tailoring projects to local needs.
What’s next: SMCTA will accept letters of interest as described and select projects for grant awards following the July deadline. Staff recommended that Atherton staff and city council members identify candidate local priority projects and consider applying for the mini‑grant if early planning or design funds are needed.
(Reporting based on SMCTA presentation to the Atherton Transportation Committee; speaker: Suellen Atkinson.)
