‘This was a big idea’

San Mateo city, county and state dignitaries, along with transit officials, gathered to pick up the ceremonial shovel as construction is about to ramp up on the $180 million 25th Avenue Grade Separation Project.

“Transportation projects, transit, these projects take a long time. They take vision, they take leadership, they take courage and they take persistence. They take stubbornness to get from an idea to groundbreaking,” said Jeff Gee, a Redwood City councilman and chair of the Caltrain Board of Directors.

The effort involves separating the train tracks at 25th Avenue — a popular business district that currently leads to the San Mateo County Event Center — and creating three new crossings, including those at 28th and 31st avenues. The project also includes the relocation of the Hillsdale Caltrain Station to a new elevated one further north.

Grade separations are increasingly sought by cities along the popular Peninsula corridor, particularly with Caltrain slated to run electrified trains and the possibility of high-speed rail sharing the tracks.

Tangible benefits for traffic flow

Mayor David Lim noted the project has tangible benefits for San Mateo residents whose daily trips are affected by waiting at the tracks.

“It’s going to make our lives so much easier in terms of getting dinner on the table, it’s about getting kids where they need to get to, it’s about getting seniors to services, just making the quality of life better for the residents of San Mateo. That’s what this is about,” Lim said.

Councilwoman Maureen Freschet agreed the timing of San Mateo’s project is poignant.

“As a native and lifelong resident of San Mateo, I can well remember the days when you could get anywhere in town in just a few minutes. And now, like everyone else on the Peninsula, I have to plan my day around traffic. There is no quick fix for regional traffic congestion, but the grade separation at 25th Avenue is certainly a good place to start,” Freschet said. “I know that our residents will appreciate and benefit from the elimination of train-vehicle conflicts as well as enjoy safer pedestrian options.”

City Manager Larry Patterson, who was serving as head of the Public Works Department when San Mateo began planning this grade separation almost two decades ago, noted the dedication involved in making the project viable.

“This was a big idea,” Patterson said. “Big ideas require a long time to implement, lots of participating agencies and lots of money that came from a variety of different sources.”

The project is funded by a combination of local, regional and state sources. It includes $74 million from Measure A, the countywide sales tax dollars dedicated to transportation; $12 million from the city; $10 million from the California Public Utilities Commission; and $84 million in voter-approved bonds from the High-Speed Rail Authority. 

Communities along the Peninsula continue to raise concerns about the blended system — the prospect of up to 10 trains running every peak hour as the controversial state train aims to share Caltrain’s corridor from San Jose to San Francisco.

State Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, noted the need for continued financial support from the state as cities look to mitigate potential effects of high-speed rail.

“We need more grade separations, this is the first down payment. We hope, expect, to partner more with the High-Speed Rail Authority as time moves on and as that train gets closer to our area of San Mateo and San Francisco,” Hill said.

Transformed area

San Mateo’s project, which involved cobbling together millions of dollars and a city contribution, has often been cited by high-speed rail officials as a model for funding in-demand grade separations.

“We are dedicated to these grade separations and we’re looking for partners like yourself,” said Tom Fellenz, the authority’s interim CEO, told the San Mateo crowd.

But while the future of high-speed rail remains unknown, those at Tuesday’s groundbreaking were reminded of the influence Caltrain has had on redevelopment in the region.

The ceremony was held within Bay Meadows, the massive transformation of the former horse race track into 180 acres of housing, office and retail space, a private high school, medical offices, new San Mateo police station and parks.

“What we’re seeing in third dimension around us is a transit-oriented development that was really initiated in part because of the planned grade separation of the railway,” Patterson said.

Freschet agreed, noting the grade separation project is critical to the buildout of the Bay Meadows community that provides commerce and desperately-needed housing.

“While we can’t stop progress, we can mitigate it with the right planning and infrastructure investments like the one we celebrate here today,” Freschet said.

The project will provide new street connections at 28th and 31st avenues, which currently dead-end at the Caltrain line and serve as a barrier between Bay Meadows and the west side of San Mateo.

The Hillsdale Caltrain station, currently near the shopping center, will be moved as part of the grade separation project. The new station will be relocated north near 28th Avenue, elevated between the new tracks and include updated amenities, according to Caltrain.

Construction is expected to last 2.5 years with it being completed in early 2020. Impacts will include closing the Hillsdale station for five months starting in December 2018, while providing additional service at the Belmont Caltrain Station and enhanced bus service.

Starting around summer 2019, East 25th Avenue will also be closed to traffic for two months, however, the various business on the block will remain open, according to Caltrain.

Visit caltrain.com/25thGS for more information.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106

Twitter: @samantha_weigel

Note to readers: This article has been amended to show a portion of 25th Avenue will be closed for about two months in summer 2019.