CITY OF SAN MATEO
CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 13 Section Name: OLD BUSINESS Account Number: 10-4661 File ID: 26-11071 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: May 04, 2026
SUBJECT:
U.S. 101/SR 92 Direct Connector Status — Update
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive a status update and informational presentation about the US-101/SR-92 Direct Connector project.
BACKGROUND:
The City Council will receive updates on the progress of the environmental phase for the US 101/SR 92 Direct Connector Project (“Direct Connector”). The project is co-sponsored by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) and City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG). If approved, the project would add a new connection between the US 101 Express Lanes and State Route 92 to reduce congestion and to relieve cut-through traffic on local streets in San Mateo and Foster City.
The Direct Connector is currently in the Project Approval and Environmental Document (PA/ED) phase. The project team is working with Caltrans to finalize the environmental document, and multiple alternatives are being evaluated, including a “No Build” option. The environmental document will help inform future discussions on the appropriate next steps for the project, including whether to fund future project phases.
SMCTA previously updated the City Council in April 2025, describing the PA/ED process and proposed public participation approach. City Council issued a letter of concern to SMCTA and C/CAG on May 6, 2025 (Attachment 1). SMCTA provided a response letter on May 29, 2025 (Attachment 2). Updates on progress with SMCTA’s responses are summarized below, and additional information will be provided via a PowerPoint presentation.
Environmental Analysis Updates
The current Right-of-Way (R/W) analysis confirms that the project will not require the displacement of any houses or parks. While the No Build and Build Alternative 3 options require no additional land, Alternatives 1 and 2 would primarily use existing utility easements and approximately 320 square feet along the edges of two residential yards near the Kehoe interchange. The project team is currently refining the design to optimize utility reconfiguration and exploring a partnership with the City’s Public Works Department to align with drainage upgrades identified in the City’s draft Storm Drain Master Plan. Additionally, the potential for modifications to the freeway soundwalls is currently being evaluated and remains subject to the results of a pending noise impact analysis. Final R/W requirements remain subject to Caltrans’ approval of design features, including acceptance of design exceptions that minimize ROW needs. That approval is contingent on safety analysis demonstrating that the proposed nonstandard features would not degrade safety.
Preliminary safety assessments indicate that the proposed nonstandard features are not expected to increase crash risk.
Concurrently, the 101 Express Lanes Initial Performance Evaluation Study was recently completed, to support future deliberations on express lane projects such as the Direct Connector and whether the lanes are achieving their intended
CITY OF SAN MATEO
goals of reducing congestion, improving travel time reliability, and increasing person throughput. The Study reports improved trip reliability and travel-time savings for both express- and general-purpose-lane users despite post-pandemic traffic increases in peak periods. The Study is available online at:
https://101expresslanes.org/media/546/download?inline.
The project team continues with ongoing public participation efforts, focusing on transparency and direct community access. The team conducted Neighborhood Meet and Greets in Summer 2025 and continue hosting monthly office hours at Apple Fritter. Project updates are shared via a quarterly project e-Newsletter, which currently reaches over 500 subscribers, as well as social media updates. In February, an episode of the Wheel Talk podcast was broadcast to untangle the Direct Connector, Area Improvements, and the 19th Avenue/Fashion Island Boulevard projects, which are currently active in the interchange. Project staff have also conducted briefings with the San Mateo City Council members and Public Works staff to ensure that local elected officials and leaders remain informed about the project status.
In response to community feedback regarding congestion at the U.S. 101/Hillsdale Interchange, design modifications are proposed for further evaluation as part of the Direct Connector. These modifications would eliminate merging conflicts by reconfiguring the northbound 101 on-ramps. This improvement requires no R/W acquisition and will be evaluated for its effects on local traffic circulation, 101 traffic flow, and multimodal safety. Robust community engagement remains a priority, with targeted outreach for the proposed Hillsdale interchange modifications anticipated for late 2026.
Once the technical and environmental studies are complete, the findings and any potential impacts of each alternative will be evaluated in the Draft Environmental Document, which will be circulated for public review and comment around Spring 2027.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budget impact associated with this informational update.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This informational item is not a project subject to CEQA, because it consists of feasibility or planning studies for possible future actions. (CEQA Guidelines Section 15262.)
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – May 6, 2025, Letter of Concern to SMCTA and C/CAG Att 2 – SMCTA Response Letter
STAFF CONTACT
Jay Yu, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7323