The Sunnyvale Sun

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Upgrade plan approved in Sunnyvale is good, but not perfect

By Jason Goldman-Hall

It may disturb local drivers to hear that one of the most heavily trafficked overcrossings in Sunnyvale--the stretch of Mathilda Avenue above the Caltrain tracks and Evelyn Avenue--has been declared "functionally obsolete" by Caltrans.

But with two unanimous votes on Nov. 28, the Sunnyvale City Council approved a project to upgrade the structure that could be completed without significant costs to the city.

Because the bridge received a sufficiency rating of 79.7--just below the 80 point cutoff for adequate structures--by Caltrain, Sunnyvale qualifies for funding from several sources that could pay for the majority of the $17.5 million, 18-month project.

"We've been monitoring this one for a long time, and in 2001, it finally dropped below the line," said Director of Public Works Marvin Rose.

One source of funds is the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, commonly called "Safety-Lu," signed by the president in 2005 to provide more than $244 billion for highway, safety and transportation projects.

And although the plan has many critics, the available funding and existing compromises were the basis for the approval.

"I'm not sure this is the right plan, but I'm not sure we're going to find a better plan," said Councilwoman Melinda Hamilton, who said she reluctantly supported each vote.

The project would make significant changes to the overcrossing itself and to its feeder roads. In place of the current unprotected walkways on top, the west-side walkway will be removed, and the east side will be widened and given a barrier to prevent people from stepping or falling into oncoming traffic.

Charles Street--at the southwest base of the structure--will be turned into a cul-de-sac without access onto Evelyn Avenue, a change that Charles Street 100 Association president Monica Draganowski-Davis says her neighborhood has been wanting for years.

To accommodate bikers and car troubles, 5-foot shoulders will be built along the roadways.

Although the rehabilitation of the bridge would deal with some resident concerns--mainly the treacherous pedestrian paths on either side of the roads--many residents in attendance were unhappy with the proposed project.

The pedestrian path across the tracks will put travelers high enough to be able to look down into nearby homes, which several residents said made them worry about their privacy and safety. In response, transportation and traffic manager Jack Witthaus said because that is already a concern of residents, since the current overcrossing is high enough to do the same, part of the project can include screens or other visual barriers.

Many residents called for a separate pedestrian undercrossing, below Evelyn to allow bicyclists and walkers to cross without being near the Mathilda traffic, but Witthaus said that option could cost as much as $5 million more, although outside funding could have been found for such a project.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee member Kevin Jackson, who is often vocal at city council meetings, said while an undercrossing sounds better for cyclists, it is actually less convenient for "utility cyclists" who ride to jobs north of the downtown area.

"We want the same things motorists want: routes that are direct and continuous," he said.