San Mateo County transportation boards support Props 1A & 1B

The San Mateo County Transit District, Caltrain, and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority boards of directors have unanimously come out in support of California state propositions 1A and 1B.

Prop 1A will protect Prop. 42 transportation funding, and Prop. 1B could benefit public transit and transportation projects within San Mateo County by hundreds of millions of dollars, if passed by voters on Nov. 7.

SamTrans and Caltrain are estimated to receive $47 million and $40 million, respectively, from the $4 billion earmarked in Prop 1B for public transit projects, if the bond measures pass. These funds would be used for capital projects to modernize the infrastructure of bus and rail systems.

Among other projects for which Prop. 1B funding will be sought from the state’s allocation process, if the bond measure is successful are:

• Improvement of the Highway 101/Woodside Road interchange
• Integration of the Dumbarton rail corridor with the current Caltrain line
• Funding for electrification of the Caltrain corridor
• Acquisition of new rail cars for Caltrain
• Rebuilding aging rail bridges
• Traffic light synchronization on El Camino Real

10/26/06 - jbw