But according to city officials at an Aug. 13 public hearing, the Mathilda Avenue bridge improvement plan is absolutely necessary.

Mathilda Avenue is a primary arterial street that spans two sets of Caltrain tracks, passing through downtown Sunnyvale and linking the industrial north and the residential south. According to Caltrans, the current bridge at Evelyn Avenue has several functional and structural deficiencies. The design does not meet standards for bridge pier clearance, lane design, shoulder width and bridge railings, thereby creating potential hazards to the public and a potential liability issue for the city, Caltrans said.

The overpass structure, which was built in 1965 at Evelyn Avenue, underwent seismic retrofits in 1981 and 1993 but was declared "functionally obsolete" by a Caltrans inspection report in April 2000.

The city's share of the cost estimates to rehabilitate the bridge and elevate the structure to the minimum required performance level are at $14.4 million at this point, according to traffic and transportation manager Jack Witthaus.

After funding proposals and field review meetings with Caltrans, the city has obtained funding for preliminary engineering through the federally funded Highway Bridge Rehabilitation and Reconstruction program. Other sources and matching programs could provide additional future funding, according to Witthaus.

To enhance the benefits of the redesigned bridge, the city is also considering reconfiguring the off ramp to Evelyn Avenue at Charles Street. This would allow residents full access to Evelyn Avenue from southbound Mathilda Avenue.

Improving pedestrian and bike conditions on Mathilda Avenue and on the bridge are being considered for the project, Witthaus said. Members of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) suggested having a pedestrian underpass at the bridge. Cost estimates for the underpass range from $8.5 million to $10 million, whereas reconfiguring the existing overpass would be approximately $700,000.

"The bridge should be ADA-compliant and on the Mathilda corridor," said Thom Mayer, a resident of Lakewood Village and a BPAC member.

Public notification of the hearing became a major issue of contention during the meeting. Despite the magnitude of the project, the hearing was sparsely attended by city residents.

Fred Wiesinger, a former member of BPAC and a resident of the downtown area, said he did not receive any notification about the public hearing on Aug. 13. Residents within a few hundred feet of a major project like the Mathilda Bridge plan should receive special notification besides the regular outreach by the city, he said.

Vice Mayor Julia Miller agreed with Wiesinger and suggested city staff hold another public hearing in the near future after notifying residents in the downtown neighborhood.

According to city staff, a neighborhood meeting was held on June 26 with the Charles Street Neighborhood Association, during which more than 25 residents gave their suggestions and ideas on what should be done about the off ramp.

After a lengthy debate, council members directed staff to conduct a more extensive outreach program before holding the next public hearing at the end of the environmental review process within the next eight months.

"There should be public input before the design of the bridge is finalized," said Councilman John Howe. "Residents within 500 feet of the bridge should be notified two weeks prior to the public hearing."