The San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) board will vote Thursday, Oct. 1, on $2,591,929 in highway funding for three projects under its Special Circumstance Authority.

The vote is one of several items on a full agenda that also includes a countywide transportation plan update and a closed session on a potential property transfer to the City of San Mateo, according to the revised agenda packet.

The agenda specifies which three projects would receive the highway money: Redwood City's El Camino Real Bus Boarding Islands project ($2,331,929), East Palo Alto's U.S. 101/University Avenue Interchange and Pedestrian Overcrossing Project ($125,000), and the Town of Colma's El Camino Real project ($135,000), according to the staff report and resolution.

Countywide transportation plan gets first look

Board members will review an updated Countywide Transportation Plan (CTP), a joint effort with the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG). The previous plan was developed in 2015–2017. Thursday's presentation is informational and requires no board vote.

Data compiled for the CTP found that 70.2% of county workers drive alone to work, with an average commute of 27.3 minutes over 20 miles. About two-thirds of employees commute in from another county, and roughly two-thirds of residents leave the county for work.

A final version is now expected in spring 2027, with a draft version open for public review this winter, according to the presentation prepared for Thursday's meeting — a later timeline than the fall 2026 target in an earlier January 2026 presentation.

$3M for SR 84 interchange already approved

Separately, the Oct. 1 consent calendar includes draft minutes from the Sept. 3 board meeting confirming a $3 million allocation for the SR 84/US 101 Interchange Reimagined Project's design phase. That vote already passed as Resolution No. 2026-23 on Sept. 3, with directors Noelia Corzo, Rico E. Medina, Carlos Romero and board Chair Julia Mates voting in favor. Directors Anders Fung, Ray Mueller and Vice Chair Mark Nagales were absent.

The interchange project, led by Caltrans and the City of Redwood City, carries a total estimated cost of $385 million, according to the Sept. 3 staff presentation. The project has secured a $105 million federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant for construction. Built in 1959, the interchange area recorded 195 collisions between 2018 and 2022. The redesign will eliminate the five-legged intersection at Woodside Road and Broadway, add flyover ramps on Veterans Boulevard and build 4.2 miles of new bike and pedestrian paths.

Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and wrap up by 2030, according to a Redwood City press release. An SMCTA quarterly report from the April-to-June period flagged the project's schedule as high risk, meaning more than six months behind baseline, though its budget remains on track.

Shuttle ridership still lagging

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the board discussed the Peninsula Shuttle Program, though the topic is not on Thursday's agenda. At the Sept. 3 meeting, Sue-Ellen Atkinson, SMCTA's manager of planning and funding management, presented 23 shuttle route nominations and proposed requiring a 10% local match from sponsors.

The board discussed the potential impact of roughly 40,000 fewer quarterly rides if shuttle service is reduced. John Ford, executive director of Commute.org, addressed the complexity of the shuttle program, the risk of losing routes and ridership, and the importance of first- and last-mile connections, according to the Sept. 3 meeting minutes.

SMCTA has awarded $13.7 million in Measure A funds to 22 shuttle routes for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. Commute.org shuttle ridership remained below 50% of 2019 levels as of 2024, according to data compiled for the transportation plan.

Property transfer, express lanes round out agenda

A closed session will address the potential transfer of SMCTA's former property at 2777 S. El Camino Real in San Mateo to the City of San Mateo. The item was continued from the Sept. 3 meeting.

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the board also reviewed US 101 Express Lanes performance, though the topic is not on Thursday's agenda. The lanes have logged 15.6 million trips and more than 61,000 average daily trips. The Go Card Program has distributed 5,100 cards totaling about $1 million in benefits.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. at 166 North Rollins Road, Millbrae. A secondary location is San Bruno City Hall, Room 138, 567 El Camino Real. The public can also attend via Zoom (Webinar ID: 858 4305 5309, Passcode: 673287). The next regular board meeting is Thursday, Nov. 5.