East Side Connect Project

Old County Road and the adjacent elevated Caltrain rail corridor had become real and perceived barriers to residents on the east side of the community wanting to access the Caltrain Station and the downtown core. The corridor had been focused more on vehicular circulation rather than pedestrians and bicyclists. Narrow and incomplete sidewalks, numerous utility pole obstructions, difficult crossings, and limited lighting were just a few challenges faced by residents navigating the street. In an effort to promote connectivity within the City and to enhance accessibility to residents, the East Side Connect Project was developed. Comprising the entire length of Old County Road within City limits, as well as East San Carlos Avenue, the City utilized an extensive community and stakeholder outreach process in order to develop a complete street balancing the needs of a diverse user group. The following is a summary of the project components; Roadway Geometry: Lanes along Old County road were narrowed to promote traffic calming and to allow for wider, more accessible, sidewalks and bicycle facilities including bike lanes (were right of way allowed) as well as sharrows. At Holly Street a right turn lane was removed to widen drastically narrow sidewalks and to provide a dedicated bike lane at the intersection. Along East San Carlos Avenue, travel lanes were narrowed and striping and signage were added creating an East/West bike boulevard promoting safe bicycle access to and from the Caltrain station. Sidewalks: Sidewalks, that had once been as narrow as four feet, have been enlarged creating much more generous and inviting walking surfaces. The project also included utility undergrounding which eliminated sidewalk obstructions and allowed for the planting of large evergreen street trees promoting walking, traffic calming and overall aesthetics. Gaps in the sidewalk along both Old County Road and East San Carlos Avenue we closed with new sidewalks. Street Crossings: Pedestrian crossings were improved through bulb-outs (reducing crossing distances), curb ramps, speed tables, and high visibility cross walks. Lighting: Within the residential area and undergrounding zones new thematic pedestrian and vehicular lighting was installed. The use of LED fixtures reduces overall energy consumption and house side shields reduces potential glare. Stormwater Treatment: Rain Gardens and flow through planters were installed at bulb-outs providing stormwater treatment and greening of the corridor. The improvements described above promote multi-modal circulation by dramatically improving pedestrian and bicycle circulation. The improvements create more direct, safe, and inviting access to the local Caltrain Station, downtown, and businesses for residents and workers. This means more people walking and biking as well improving access to mass transit.