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SMCTA pitches '101 Quarter Connect' mini‑grant with up to $750,000 per project to East Palo Alto
Summary
Marissa Mathias of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority briefed the East Palo Alto council on the 101 Quarter Connect multimodal program and a no‑match mini‑grant stream that can fund planning and concept design up to $750,000 per project (up to $1 million for multi‑jurisdictional efforts); applications are due in July.
Marissa Mathias, senior transportation planner with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), presented the 101 Quarter Connect program to the East Palo Alto City Council on May 19, 2026, highlighting a countywide multimodal planning effort and a related no‑match mini‑grant opportunity.
The 101 Quarter Connect program is a regional initiative led by SMCTA in partnership with Caltrans, local jurisdictions and transit agencies to prioritize projects that reduce congestion and improve safety across a one‑mile corridor on either side of U.S. 101. Mathias said the program compiled local priorities into a multimodal strategy and a shorter geography program called Active 101, using extensive community engagement to identify projects of countywide significance.
For East Palo Alto the SMCTA presentation identified a slate of priority projects that staff said are now eligible for funding under 101 Quarter Connect, including segments of the University Avenue Grand Corridor (phases 1 and 2), Paugas Avenue, Willow Road, Newbridge Street, Saratoga Avenue, East Bayshore Road, Donahue Street and Bayshore Road.
Mathias described a streamlined application for a mini‑grant program: "We have up to $750,000 available for each project and $1,000,000 for multi‑jurisdictional projects. The exciting part is that there is no match requirement," she said. Applications are due in July; SMCTA will release the call for projects in June and make funding decisions in August. Selected projects must designate a city council champion to participate in outreach and demonstrate local commitment.
Councilmembers asked whether grant awards would be restricted to project sites listed for East Palo Alto; Mathias said projects that were prioritized by the board are eligible and encouraged staff to review the full project list in the program materials. Councilmembers discussed using the funds for protected bike lanes and quick‑build pilot installations to test treatments before final design.
Mathias also noted that SMCTA reserved $4 million in interest earnings to jump‑start multi‑year planning work and technical assistance for priority projects; the mini‑grant stream is intended to move candidate projects from conceptual lines on a map into design and project pipelines that are competitive for state and federal funding.
Next steps: SMCTA will post application materials in June; East Palo Alto staff indicated interest in coordinating on local priorities and potential applications.
