Plans to extend Highway 101 express lanes

After higher-than-expected revenue was reported from the new Highway 101 express lanes, critics are concerned the news will embolden regional agencies to expand the effort north of Interstate 380 in the near future.

A San Mateo County Transportation Authority meeting earlier this month involved discussions on the financial state of the current express lane effort that began last March and runs about 22 miles from the Santa Clara County line to Interstate 380. About $20 million in revenue was projected for the entire fiscal year, although based on current estimates, the figure could be about 40% higher. But Mike Swire, member of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Citizen Advisory Committee, said it’s important the board focuses not just on whether the effort is a financial success, but whether it reduces traffic congestion.

The concern has become particularly relevant, as the county explores the possibility of adding an express lane north of Interstate 380. An environmental review process is currently underway, evaluating several options and their potential impacts. The first alternative would construct a brand-new lane to the seven-mile corridor up to San Francisco, and the second option would convert an existing lane into an HOV or express lane. The third alternative would be to leave that portion of the freeway as is.

“There is no preferred alternative yet. It has to go through a lot of traffic studies and environmental studies, and that is all that is happening right now,” TA Project Manager Vamsi Tabjulu said.

But Swire said widening the highway by constructing an additional lane should not even be considered, stating it only incentivizes driving, not to mention negates initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“Highway widening doesn’t reduce congestion. It simply encourages more people to drive instead of taking Caltrain or BART. Traffic delays on 101 seem to have returned to pre-pandemic levels even though so many people are working from home. Meanwhile, Caltrain and BART are struggling to compete for commuters, who are instead opting to drive,” he said.

Jessica Manzi, director of project delivery for the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, said the agency is taking into account data from the current express lane’s traffic patterns during the environmental review process, but it’s hard to know whether the project has in fact reduced congestion or has contributed to increased pollution.

“The challenge is that there’s no apples to apples comparison of before and after with the express lanes project in part because of the pandemic and how there have been these fundamental shifts in travel patterns,” Manzi said, also noting that air quality before and after express lane implementation is hard to measure, as it’s influenced by many factors, such as local weather patterns.

Commuter survey data on the percentage of workers who drive, carpool or take transit since the opening of the express lanes is not clear. Data from prior years show decreases in all modes of transportation since the pandemic — largely due to an increase in remote work — but a 6% increase in solo drivers from 2021 to 2022, compared to a 1% increase for both carpool and public transit users.

Since its inception, constructing new managed lanes along Highway 101 has faced pushback not just from transportation and environmental advocates, but also from some local officials, including South San Francisco Councilmember Mark Nagales and Mayor James Coleman, who have claimed it not only results in worse traffic but poorer air quality — thus affecting many low-income communities living along the freeway — and walks back progress on climate change initiatives.

Tabjulu confirmed no decisions have been made on the future of Highway 101 lanes north of Interstate 380, but once an analysis is finalized, the public comment period and regional feedback will commence, likely in the fall.

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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Correction: The San Mateo County Transportation Authority recently discussed the financial state of the current express lane project during a February Board of Directors meeting, not the City/County Association of Governments.