July 15, 2004

Balancing our transportation system

By Vice Mayor Pat Dando
Special to the Times

As a member of the Valley Transportation Authority board of directors, I have been working hard to make sure that we have a balanced transportation system that helps our residents get about their daily business of work, school and play.

Last year, new lanes opened on Highway 101 between Cochrane Road and Highway 85, breaking a serious bottleneck at one of San Jose’s largest gateways. Also, last summer, the interchange at Highways 85 and 87 was completed. These projects shorten our commute, get us to our destinations quicker and divert thousands of cars off of neighborhood streets each day.

Work continues on projects to make our commutes less hectic, ease congestion on Highway 87, improve traffic flow on Almaden Expressway and enhance pedestrian safety.

Almaden Expressway signal synchronization
As the morning and afternoon commute peaks, it becomes difficult to travel along Almaden Expressway. During rush hour, traffic crawls along at speeds far below the limit, as drivers grow increasingly frustrated that it is taking too long to get to their destination.

It’s easier to travel on the Expressway when we can move through the intersections without being delayed by red lights. That is the benefit of traffic signal synchronization—a coordinated set of timing plans for a group of signals to create a smooth traffic flow.

For the past few months, VTA has been working to synchronize signals along Almaden Expressway. This yearlong project involves studying driving patterns and adjusting the timing on the signals to provide a smoother flow of traffic. This involves installing cameras to monitor approaching traffic. The cameras allow traffic engineers to view traffic patterns live and adjust signals to help cars move more efficiently through the expressway.

When signals are synchronized properly, cars should be able to move along the expressway with fewer stops at intersections. Additionally, traffic on the side streets should only experience minimal delays. When this project is complete, not only will motorists get to where they are going quicker, but our environment will also benefit, as cars won’t be stuck idling at red lights.

New gateway into Almaden and Blossom valleys
Now that the 85-87 Interchange is complete, work has begun to beautify this gateway into our community. A variety of trees, bushes and plants, along with irrigation will be planted in the area around Santa Teresa Boulevard and Highways 85 and 87. Non-fruit bearing flowering plum and cherry trees and colorful plants reminiscent of the historical orchards of the Blossom Valley area are being planted.

Aside from improving the bare median islands in front of the Ohlone/Chynoweth Light Rail Station, I have worked with the community and VTA to provide ground cover plants along the south embankment under Route 87’s overpasses. That work includes adding trees at the two locations where the Highway 87 bike path trail converges with Chynoweth Avenue and Santa Teresa Boulevard.

Improving Highway 87
Anyone who drives Highway 87 during rush hour knows all too well that they end up sitting in their car stuck in gridlock. Simply put, this freeway, like others in Santa Clara County, was not designed to accommodate the volume of traffic we see today and certainly cannot handle the traffic that is expected in years to come. To address this need on Highway 87, a third lane will be added in each direction of the freeway.

Over the next year, work will begin to construct a high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in each direction from Branham Lane in the south to Julian Street in the north. The actual lanes will be placed in the existing median and shoulder areas of Route 87. Adding the new lanes will greatly enhance the capacity of this already crowded freeway. Carpoolers are not the only ones to benefit from the addition of HOV lanes. In fact, everyone benefits from these lanes—HOV lane users benefit by enjoying a less congested lane and other travelers benefit from reduced traffic in the regular lanes.

Aside from adding the new lanes to the freeway, additional work will be done to enhance the appearance and safety of the highway. Sunken pavement, which has been caused by settlement in this segment of freeway, will be repaired. Fixing these sections of freeway will reduce damage done to cars and the potential for accidents. In addition, the crumbling sound walls will be repaired and new landscaping along the entire Route 87 corridor will be installed. New walls and landscaping will not only buffer the community from the dust and noise of the highway, but will create a more pleasant area in which to drive.

These improvements to Route 87 and Almaden Expressway will continue the progress we are making to ease congestion on our roadways, get people to their destinations quicker and ensure that our city continues to be a great place to live and do business.