Officials want to open express lane segment one year early

If the accelerated timeline is approved, then there would be a 12-13 mile stretch of express lanes between Whipple Avenue and the Highway 101/State Route 85 interchange in Mountain View by late 2021. The segment of express lanes between Whipple Avenue and Interstate 380 still wouldn’t open until late 2022 as that segment entails adding a lane onto the highway.

The decision for an early opening of the southern segment of the facility is up to the Express Lanes Joint Powers Authority, a body that was created last year and is comprised of members of both C/CAG and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority. The board members are currently Redwood City Councilwoman Alicia Aguirre, Supervisor Don Horsley, San Mateo Councilwoman Diane Papan, Burlingame Mayor Emily Beach, Portola Valley Vice Mayor Maryann Derwin and San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina.

The JPA will make its decision later this month or in April, but board members in February already said they’re leaning toward the early opening, arguing it would give them extra time to address whatever issues arise before the entire facility opens.

“I would opt for the early opening mostly because I think proof of concept and it’s worth ironing out all the errors before we do the whole corridor,” Horsley said at a meeting Feb. 21.

Papan agreed before staff recommended waiting until the next meeting to make the decision since a vote was not agendized that meeting.

Opening the segment between Whipple Avenue and the Santa Clara County line early could also pay off. Transportation officials are estimating that segment in the first year could generate as much as $7.6 million in net revenue, but it could also lead to a loss of $4.8 million, though the latter outcome is unlikely, according to a consultant.

“The likelihood of 7.6 is greater than the downside of 4.8,” said Leo Scott, president of Gray-Bowen-Scott, adding that additional benefits, including the above one sited by Horsley, make an early opening preferable “even at the risk of a loss.”

But Scott also said opening the above segment of express lanes may not show results in terms of reducing traffic congestion during that first year, largely because the widening of the northern segment of Highway 101 will not yet be complete.

“There is a possibility that the congestion reduction that will be felt won’t be noticeable to the general public in any real great degree and the reason for that is we’re not adding any width. There’s no new lane there. So all the cars that are there today will still be there when we open,” he said. “When we open the full 16 miles, the longer corridor — that will provide tangible travel time benefit more obvious to everybody.”

During the meeting, Scott also announced updated revenue projections for the entire express lane facility. Annual net revenue between $9.6 million and $20.4 million was initially projected, but the latest estimates are that revenue will actually be between $14.1 million and $33.3 million.

State law requires express lane revenue be reinvested into the corridor, though exactly how it’s spent is up to the JPA.

Express lanes aim to improve congestion by charging solo drivers a toll while buses and carpools of three people or more travel free. The toll will fluctuate based on traffic volumes, and preliminary estimates are that it will cost between 50 cents and $1 per mile in San Mateo County with a cap at $3 per mile. The JPA in the past has expressed interest in discounts for low-income motorists and clean air vehicles, but a toll policy has yet to be adopted.

zachary@smdailyjournal.com

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