"Without a source of funds for improvements to the city transportation system, traffic congestion could negatively affect the city's economy, neighborhoods, environmental health and other areas," said Jack Witthaus, the city's traffic and transportation manager. "The city's future funding needs are estimated to be approximately $100 million."

Several existing deficiencies and issues need to be addressed, Witthaus said at a public-outreach meeting at the Sunnyvale Community Center on Nov. 5. It was the city's third such public-outreach meeting, and was as sparsely attended as the others.

The Moffett Park development's "intense" growth will result in an increased number of traffic trips, which will worsen the already "complex" and "problematic" Mathilda Avenue/State Route 237/Highway 101 intersection, he said.

Although one solution is to extend Mary Avenue and build a flyover over both 237 and 101, Witthaus said there's still interest in the existing plan, which would improve the intersection itself, eliminating the need to build another roadway.

Another issue of concern is the line of consecutive traffic lights on Lawrence Expressway between 101 and 237, which causes traffic delays and congestion, he said.

There are other intersections within the city that are congested now and could likely become worse in the next few years, he said. The traffic streams moving between the industrial north and the residential south of the city result in traffic congestion in many other intersections throughout the city, he said.

Witthaus said city staff would consider different options over the next two months to develop the most viable plan to ease traffic congestion. There are different funding sources available for consideration, he said.

A onetime impact fee adopted by the Sunnyvale City Council could be charged to any new developer.

An assessment district could be identified that would group residents together and charge them a fee that would match the benefit they would receive from the mitigation plan. In that case, the bigger the development or business, the larger their share of the payment would be.

An excise tax—adopted citywide and rarely used—would have no connection between the payment and the benefit but could still be a source of funding.

"If automobiles are causing this problem, shouldn't funding be derived from automobile usage?" Thom Mayer said at the meeting.

Mayer is a resident of Lakewood Village and a member of the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.

Mayer and the other three residents who attended the meeting urged the city to place more emphasis on more public transportation and transit buses in the city—especially during peak hours.

"The real problem is moving people around the city, not cars," said Mayer.

Mayer, who lives near the intersection of Lawrence Expressway and Highway 101, said he is all too familiar with traffic problems in that area.

"Maybe we should have more express buses along Lawrence, with specific express lanes," Mayer said.

Margaret Okuzumi, another resident, agreed with Mayer. Okuzumi said at the meeting that she frequently rides the bus and bikes within the city.

"The city needs more express buses, between the north and south, at appropriate times," she said. "You should press the VTA to increase public transport."

The current public outreach effort is intended to educate the public about future funding needs and discuss public and private funding sources, Witthaus said.

Although input received to date has been predominantly from the business community, the remainder of the outreach effort, scheduled to go through January 2003, will target a broader cross section of the community, he said.

"Input will determine what kinds of revenue generation are most acceptable to the community," he said.