Robert Weil Public Works Director/City Engineer 600 Elm Street San Carlos, CA 94070 Phone: (650) 802-4202 Fax: (650) 595-6702
Holly Street at Highway 101 - Access Alternatives Study
What did the study conclude?
The study found that the Holly Street does not need to be widened between Industrial Road and Old County Road in order to handle future traffic volumes. The intersection of Industrial Road and Holly Street can be modified to handle future traffic volumes if an additional lane is carried over US 101 for northbound traffic. The baseline alternative selected for further study includes this lane as well as a second lane for the northbound loop on-ramp from Holly Street to US 101. To eliminate conflicts between pedestrian and bicyclists and vehicles at this ramp, a new, grade-separated multipurpose path would be constructed. The baseline alternative also includes an additional lane northbound on Industrial Road at Holly Street, which will require roadway widening. A second, more costly alternative will also be evaluated, which would modify all of the ramps to US 101 and provide bike lanes in both directions.
Why was this study done?
The City of San Carlos has $4.5 million for improving traffic flow into and out of the city on Holly Street. The City wants to make sure that the funding is used to best effect. The current plan calls for widening a portion of Holly Street and modifying the interchange of US 101 with Holly Street. We have developed sketches of other alternatives that may have less impact on the neighborhood, better meet the needs of pedestrians and bicycles, and/or cost less money. The study selected two alternatives for further consideration.
Where is the money coming from for this project since the City of San Carlos is currently not able to fund vital services?
The budget for the street improvements is not from the City's General Fund. The General Fund is used for police, fire, parks and recreation, street maintenance, and other general services. The budget from this project is from the City's Redevelopment Agency, which cannot be used to balance the General Fund. The Redevelopment Agency will be reimbursed by traffic impact fees, which are charged to all new development that generates traffic. It may also be possible to obtain grant funds if the cost of an alternative exceeds the City's budget.
Who is working on the project?
The Director of Public Works, Robert Weil, managed the project. Brad Leveen, the San Carlos branch manager for Mark Thomas and Company is the civil engineer for the project and leads the consulting team. Hexagon Transportation Consultants is the traffic engineer. Alta Planning is providing expertise on bicycle and pedestrian issues. Circlepoint is assisting with community input.
How were alternatives compared?
All of the alternatives were compared using a set of screening criteria which includes traffic benefits, bicycle/pedestrian benefits, community impacts, cost, grant eligibility, and whether the alternatives would receive Caltrans approval.
The Transportation and Circulation Commission received public input on the alternatives and select the top alternatives to be studied further. The recommendations of the Transportation and Circulation Commission were considered by the City Council, who selected two alternatives to be further evaluated in a Project Study Report.
When was the selection of alternatives decision be made?
The City Council selected the top alternatives on January 25, 2010.
Improvements would not start construction for at least 2013. That much time is needed because of the complexity of the design and the need to obtain Caltrans approval of changes to the Holly Street/101 interchange. Because the traffic flow on Holly Street is closely related to the design of the interchange, improvements to Holly Street would follow the same schedule. .
Why doesn't the City put in a full interchange at Brittan Avenue?
There are a number of reasons why a full interchange at Brittan Avenue is not possible. These include cost, environmental impact, and the fact that the interchange would be too close to the Holly Street/US 101 interchange. Also, Brittan Avenue is not designed to handle the additional traffic that would come with a full interchange.
Will any people lose their homes or businesses due to street widening?
No. The City Council, in a resolution approving the alternatives analysis, decided that the study would exclude any relocation of residential or commercial property owners.
Community Outreach Summary - How the City of San Carlos obtained input from the community on how to improve access to and from US 101 via Holly Street.
Workshops -
View Information from workshops and discussions that were conducted for this project.
