Residents raise concerns over proposed 101 ramp: San Mateo, Burlingame neighbors attend meeting on Peninsula Avenue interchange

Currently, there are no southbound ramps at Peninsula Avenue; instead drivers must travel down Amphlett Boulevard to enter at Poplar Avenue. Two design options for Peninsula Avenue, both of which require purchasing numerous commercial and residential properties along Amphlett Boulevard to make room for the new ramps, range from $56 million to $71 million.

The idea of creating a full-access interchange at Peninsula Avenue was disregarded in 2007 after the city realized the high cost of purchasing right-of-way for properties that would need to be demolished to account for the new road. For a more immediate solution to the intersection at Highway 101 and Poplar Avenue, which has an abnormally high number of injury accidents, the city is installing traffic calming measures and a median that runs to Idaho Street on Poplar Avenue. Those improvements are slated to begin later this year while the Peninsula Avenue project is still in the early planning stages, said Tracy Scramaglia, a senior engineer with San Mateo and the project manager.

The former Peninsula Avenue efforts were also marked by outcry from neighboring Burlingame residents who feared an increase in traffic on their streets.

At Thursday’s public meeting, there was only time for a handful of citizens to make public comments, yet there appeared to be a mix of both proponents who sought a better interchange than Poplar Avenue and opponents who remained concerned by the impact the project would have to traffic while forcing several residential and commercial properties to relocate.

San Mateo resident Diana Pettit said she’d like to see a more regional traffic study that includes State Route 92 at Highway 101 and doesn’t believe Caltrans will be willing to cough up enough money to help fund the project.

“The Peninsula Avenue interchange and Poplar [project] affects a lot of people who live here. Since 2012, our traffic is awful, it’s gotten worse. We are now the interchange to Silicon Valley,” Pettit said. “I would like to see a traffic study including the whole area, 92, 101, Peninsula, Poplar. Unfortunately, we are the people who live in this area and are sandwiched. We’re paying a very high cost to live here and we’re sandwiched in our neighborhoods.”

Residents from neighboring Burlingame also showed up at the meeting to provide input about the project.

“I’d like you to help reassure the Burlingame residents in the community,” said Burlingame Councilman Michael Brownrigg. “While really it’s San Mateo’s land and a San Mateo project, it also has a significant impact to Burlingame. So how do you persuade people that you’ll be a good steward for everyone’s interests and not just San Mateo?”

Marilou Lee, a resident on the San Mateo side of Peninsula Avenue, also expressed worry the project would create more traffic and therefore safety issues; but noted concerns from Burlingame residents shouldn’t inherently stop the project.

Scramaglia said officials would continue to work with all stakeholders including Burlingame, Caltrans and the public. The city is seeking $2.5 million to conduct a thorough environmental review and traffic study of the two proposed designs as well as a no-build alternative. Ultimately, there’s no guarantee the project will move forward, Scramaglia said.

Others wondered what the point of the proposal was, particularly since the last go around was halted due to the high cost of purchasing dozens of properties or right-of-way space to account for the new ramps.

Geno Caccia, co-owner of Caccia Plumbing on Amphlett Boulevard, could face his property being taken through eminent domain should the Peninsula Avenue plans roll through.

Caccia said he was concerned the meeting didn’t provide enough time for the public to make comments, particularly as another Peninsula Avenue resident suggested the city consider taking commercial properties instead of residential ones.

“They’re going to maybe give me a value they come up with, but you can’t put a number on the presence in the community we have and by being by the freeway. They don’t compensate you for those things. We’re very connected to the neighborhood, we spend more time there than we do in our homes,” Caccia said. “It’s more than just giving me money for my building, it’s still like our home. People think when it’s commercial it seems colder, like a colder relationship. So when you’re taking away residences there’s a huge uproar, but when it’s businesses like ours, well we’re just as connected to the community.”

Visit www.cityofsanmateo.org/peninsula for more information on the Peninsula Interchange Project.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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