Caltrans is relinquishing Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road

By Kara Chalmers

It looks as if by this summer Caltrans will relinquish control of Saratoga's portion of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road to the city. While Saratoga and Caltrans, the state transportation agency that now controls all of state-owned Highway 9, are still hammering out their agreement, Caltrans is planning to turn over the stretch from Big Basin Way to Prospect Road by the end of this June, according to Lauren Wonder, spokesperson for Caltrans.

When Saratoga controls the road, property owners can deal directly with the city and won't have to go through Caltrans, she said. In addition, Caltrans will benefit by no longer being responsible for this portion of the state highway system. "If cities take over, they'll be able to take care of things right away and be able to deal with issues whether it's drainage, whether it's trees, or whether it's widening the road," Wonder said.

The city of Saratoga and Caltrans have been working on a draft cooperative agreement, the terms of which entail Caltrans turning over the road segment with a $2 million check for repairs and improvements. In return, Saratoga will take care of any renovation work that the road needs, according to City Manager Larry Perlin.

The city has been negotiating this agreement with Caltrans for about three to four years but the nature of the discussions changed--in terms of what Caltrans would be asked to do--in the last four months, Perlin said.

When the city determined that it would be responsible for making improvements to the road, it asked for a little over $2 million to pay for them. Caltrans sent the draft agreement back to the city with no changes to the amount of money, Perlin said. "In general, they appear to have accepted the amount the city has come up with if we have to be responsible for making repairs." The city is now going over the agreement and will send it back to Caltrans within the next few months, Perlin said.

Specific improvements include drainage improvements, road resurfacing and landscaping, according to Perlin. There are plans to improve bike lanes and pedestrian paths, as well.

"The Gateway will be specifically targeted for certain improvements," Perlin said. The Gateway area is the north entrance to the city and encompasses the portion of Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road from the railroad tracks to Prospect Road. Perlin said the city wants to beautify the area and create an identity for it. Tentative plans include replacing the railroad crossing, setting up median islands with landscaping, installing new lighting and replacing sidewalks.

In addition to the money from Caltrans, the city has $880,000 in federal grants earmarked for Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road improvements. The city will receive those funds after July 1, Perlin said.

"We've been advised we stand a good chance of receiving a $400,000 federal grant aimed at traffic signal systems," added Perlin.

Photos: Great Race and Highway 9 closure

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