South City moves ahead on grade separation

“Some of the key benefits include safety, such as eliminating the collisions between trains, vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, traffic improvements include reducing congestion and queuing, minimizing noise reduction, including from the train horns and gate bells,” said senior engineer Angel Torres. “This is necessary as train, vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian traffic is expected to double in the next 20 years, leading to significant congestion noise and safety concerns.”

Grade separation projects have become top of mind for several cities, including Burlingame which has the Broadway crossing. The Burlingame crossing has been labeled as one of the state’s most dangerous, as two closely situated traffic signals on either side of the tracks on Broadway are in many cases insufficiently timed, causing traffic congestion to build in between the lights, including on a portion of the train track. The intersection has seen about seven train and automobile collisions since August 2021 and has been deemed the worst in the state.

The transit agency has committed to the construction of a grade separation, which would raise the tracks above the road in a design resembling an overpass. But securing funds for the project has proved difficult. It’s likely that completion is closer to 2028, if not longer. The project’s total costs are expected to be more than $300 million.

The two crossings in South City and San Bruno have not seen as many incidents as Broadway but they have still been identified as important crossings to improve.

“We are in the currently in the preliminary engineering phase which will define the project’s scope and limits, which is necessary to move on to the subsequent tasks,” Torres said.

The Linden Avenue crossing will separate the corridor from all vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists. The Scott Street crossing will separate pedestrians and cyclists and will eliminate vehicle access.

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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