Opposition Grows to San Mateo Highway Widening
Almost a year ago, Transform signed on to a letter opposing a project to build new highway lanes connecting State Route 92 from the San Mateo Bridge to Highway 101. The project — first proposed in 2016 by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA), City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG), and Caltrans — recently gained powerful new opponents: the San Mateo City Council.
Building a movement against new lanes, one project at a time
The 101/92 connector project is particularly fraught because it would require taking more than 30 properties by eminent domain, including public parks. Bus service across the San Mateo Bridge was discontinued during the pandemic and hasn’t been restored; making more space for cars instead of resuming suspended transit service is the wrong approach.
Advocates have been building a movement against this project, and it paid off at a recent City Council meeting, where Streetsblog SF reported that there was overwhelming public comment in opposition to the new connector, with no one speaking in favor.
Members of the San Mateo City Council criticized the project for prioritizing car travel over other forms of transportation and contributing to the pollution burden in the affected communities. The highway expansion would come at the expense of homes, including senior housing, and public parks that provide recreational space for children.
Transform is working with our allies to encourage planners, engineers, agency staff, and elected leaders to look beyond highways for solutions to local and regional transportation issues. Building new highway miles in a time of accelerating climate crisis is effectively pouring gasoline on a burning building. Change is hard, but we believe there are transportation and housing options that will work better for everyone while mitigating climate change.
Our budget should reflect our values
The enormous expenditure required for even a few miles of new highway could be more productively spent. For example, civic leaders could use the expected $300 million price tag for this highway expansion to restart the transbay public transit service or build workforce housing on the Peninsula, so workers aren’t forced into long commutes by high housing prices.
The San Mateo City Council will write a letter requesting that the involved agencies redirect the funds to projects that will truly benefit the community. In the face of such strong opposition from both residents, advocates, and elected officials, we hope SMCTA, C/CAG, and Caltrans will scrap this project.
Read the letter:
