By Khalida Sarwari and Matt Wilson
A major toll lane project that could bring congestion relief to Highway 85 is at a standstill at least until January after the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority board of directors moved to temporarily suspend the project.
That decision was made at a meeting on Nov. 6 following a presentation by VTA’s John Ristow, a public hearing, and a lengthy–and at times impassioned–discussion by board members. Despite Ristow’s recommendation of a single-lane conversion, the board approved a motion by San Jose District 10 director Johnny Khamis to postpone the project and direct staff to prepare a side-by-side comparison of the one lane versus two lanes plan and conduct additional community outreach.
“I want to make sure that the city of San Jose’s constituents and my constituents and the voices of the many people who are sick and tired of congestion on this road are heard,” Khamis said. “I don’t necessarily agree with the staff recommendation to go with changing the one lane to an HOV lane. I think if you’re going to invest in the technology, if you’re going to invest in the road, invest in the road and have the additional lanes added. That’s what one million people in San Jose want.”
The project initially was pitched as adding a second lane on each side and doing away with the center median, but that proposal was not popular with residents and elected officials in the West Valley cities, so Ristow had asked the board to support a plan that would convert carpool lanes on each side of the approximately 24-mile route into toll lanes open to other motorists. When asked if his change in recommendation was based upon feedback from the public or on his expert opinion, Ristow said it was both, as it takes into consideration public input and would still result in an effective project.
“From the comments we’ve received from the cities and the public, we think this is probably the right way to go for this project at this time,” Ristow said. “Operationally, we still think this is going to work for some areas that are going to be very congested.”
Roughly 10 people, the majority of them Saratoga residents, addressed the board, with only one speaking in favor of the original plan. Saratoga resident John Chen asked the board to consider approving the revised plan and to push not only for the study of noise mitigation but to implement resurfacing with quiet asphalt and not just regrinding of the road surface. Like many of his fellow residents, he also pressed the board to consider light rail alternatives.
“It seems unsatisfactory to me to hear that light rail should not be studied because there is neither ridership, density or money to support building it,” said Chen. “First, that conclusion is not possible without actually studying it. If VTA can spend small amounts to study noise mitigation, it certainly can spend small amounts to study light rail feasibility on 85.”
Mary Robertson, another Saratoga resident who has actively spoken against the original project, called on the board to consider postponing a decision until the environmental review is completed, likely by the beginning of the new year.
“Tonight VTA is asking this board who represent the voters of this valley to blindly approve the SR85, without the full knowledge of the environmental document still being reviewed, without the full knowledge of the residents’ concerns which should now be part of the EIR, without real alternatives other than more roadway at a later point, without knowing if fixing the choke points might assist in major relief of the traffic, without knowing if the toll lanes will increase surface street traffic as they have in Milpitas and without the board being able to review comments from the cities,” Robertson said.
Discussion of a plan to reduce noise along the 85 corridor was also on the agenda, but the VTA board didn’t spend much time on that component. The noise reduction efforts would be done in three phases. Phase one would see a noise reduction study; phase two, a pilot project, and phase three, actual projects using toll lane funds pending the approval of the VTA toll lane project.
The pilot portion of the project includes VTA testing noise abatement techniques in certain areas. Ristow told the Cupertino City Council in late October that not every portion of the freeway has the same noise abatement tools and features, with some areas having better landscaping, soundwalls and different types of concrete.
The project proposes to convert the existing high-occupancy vehicle lanes on state Route 85 from U.S. 101 in South San Jose to U.S. 101 in Mountain View to allow single-occupancy vehicles to pay a fee during rush hour to join carpool, clean-air vehicles, motorcyclists and transit buses in the relatively faster lane. Today, 85 has six lanes, including a carpool lane in each direction.
If the project is approved and implemented, single-occupant vehicles would be able to begin using FasTrak, electronic technology that Bay Area motorists are already using on local toll bridges. Motorists would find overhead signs alerting drivers to the upcoming express lanes. Signs will also be erected telling drivers the price to enter the approaching lane.
The express lanes’ exit will be situated to give drivers adequate distance to change lanes prior to reaching the interchange. A double white line would be painted alongside the express lane to prevent drivers from moving in and out of the lane and to prevent weaving issues.
The full cost of the project if it were to include the second-lane component is approximately $170 million, VTA stated in the spring.
A public comment period closed on Feb. 28. VTA has finished going through approximately 800 comments that have been forwarded onto Caltrans, which Ristow said is the lead agency for both the project’s environmental reviews.
In spring 2015, Caltrans will approve the final environmental document. Soon after, the project will go into final design phases. VTA staff is recommending the project be done in increments, beginning in the Mountain View area of 85 and south San Jose, to take advantage of both direct connectors in the Highway 85 corridor, Ristow told the council.
The Nov. 6 meeting was streamed live on the VTA website. It can be viewed by visitingvta.org/get-involved/board-of-directors. For more information about the Highway 85 express lane project and similar projects, visit vta.org/projects-and-programs/highway/silicon-valley-express-lanes.
Link: Toll lane project on Hwy. 85 through Saratoga, Cupertino hits standstill, at least until January
