Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the U.S. 101 North of I-380 Managed Lanes Project?
The project proposes to provide a managed lane in each direction of U.S. 101 between the U.S. 101/I-380 Interchange in South San Francisco and the San Mateo/San Francisco County Line. Managed lanes are specialized roadways designed to enhance traffic flow and reduce congestion by regulating vehicle access based on specific criteria. Examples of managed lanes include High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes (i.e. carpool lanes) and High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes (i.e. express lanes). The project limits would extend approximately half a mile north of the San Mateo/San Francisco County Line and half a mile south of the U.S. 101/I-380 interchange to allow for pavement, signage and lighting installations. Depending on the alternative chosen, the project may include modifying existing bridges and possibly installing new infrastructure to support the operation of the managed lanes.
Why is this project needed?
This project is needed to encourage carpooling and transit use on U.S. 101 and maximize person throughput on the freeway. Currently all users traveling along the U.S. 101 corridor, during the morning and afternoon peak commute periods, experience delay in both directions, spread evenly among single occupant vehicles, High-Occupancy Vehicles (HOV), transit, and commercial vehicles.This congestion also impacts SamTrans bus services such as the FCX, EPX, 292, and 398 lines that travel along this portion of U.S. 101. Therefore, there is no travel time savings for carpools and transit and no incentive to shift modes to either a carpool or bus.Additionally, congestion patterns in this corridor are expected to continue to worsen with increases in jobs, housing, and population growth in the Bay Area.
What is the current status of the project?
The project is in the Project Approval & Environmental Documentation (PA&ED) phase of the Caltrans project development process. Environmental studies and traffic operations analysis are currently in progress for all alternatives and are going through the Caltrans review and approval process.
Will there be public outreach for the project?
The Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA) is anticipated to be released for public review and comment in late 2024. A public meeting will be held within the comment period. The availability of the Draft EIR/EA and the public meeting date will be advertised in local news, social media, and the project website. During this meeting the public will be provided with the opportunity to share comments on the Project.
Will the proposed project be an express lane like the existing segment from the Santa Clara County Line to I-380?
The proposed project would be a managed lane, either with High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes or High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes (i.e. express lanes). All these options are currently being evaluated by the project team.
What alternatives/options are being considered for this project?
Project partners are considering three alternatives that include No-Build (make no changes to the freeway), the addition of a new managed lane (Lane Add), or the conversion of an existing lane into a managed lane (Lane Convert) with the addition of auxiliary lanes in some portions of the corridor. A managed lane has rules on who can use the lane and at what times of the day. Examples of managed lanes include High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes (i.e. carpool lanes) and High-Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes (i.e. express lanes).
Can a mixed-use lane be converted to an HOV lane?
Both state and federal law allow the conversion of a mixed-use lane to High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
Can a mixed-use lane be converted to an express lane or an HOV lane?
Both state and federal law allow the conversion of a mixed-use lane to a HOV lane and the conversion of a HOV lane to a HOT lane. Conversion of a mixed-use lane directly to a HOT lane is one of the three alternatives being studied by the project team. If the conversion of the mixed-use lane to an express lane is selected as the preferred alternative, legislation will be required prior to its implementation.
How will the preferred alternative be selected?
After the public comment review period of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (EIR/EA), the project development team will consider the project’s purpose and need, technical analyses and public comments, and will make a recommendation of the preferred alternative. Information on selecting a preferred alternative can be found in Chapter 12, Section 2 of the Caltrans Project Development Procedure Manual available at the URL: https://dot.ca.gov/programs/design/manual-project-development-procedures-manual-pdpm.
How is the decision made on whether to convert an existing lane vs. adding a lane?
The decision is made after all comments on the Draft EIR/EA are received during the public comment period, and all comments are considered and addressed. The comments and responses will be included in the Final EIR/EA. The preferred alternative will be presented in the Final EIR/EA after it is identified by Caltrans in consultation with the project development team comprised of Caltrans, SMCTA, and C/CAG.
Do you have any analysis comparing the alternatives?
Analysis comparing the three alternatives is ongoing and will be detailed in the Draft EIR/EA.The three alternatives include adding a managed lane, converting a lane to a managed lane with the addition of auxiliary lanes in some portions of the corridor, or making no changes to the freeway (No-Build Alternative). The two build alternatives (Lane Add or Lane Convert) will be either an HOV or express lanes. Factors being evaluated include engineering feasibility, traffic conditions (both now and in the future), air quality, noise, greenhouse gas emissions, equity, growth, biological resources, and visual/aesthetics, among others.
How will the project be paid for?
The project studies are currently being funded by the Highway Program funds from SMCTA’s Measure A and W. The funds allocated for the highway program cannot be used for transit or other uses. After a preferred alternative is selected a funding plan will be developed to fund the project through final design and construction. SMCTA and C/CAG as project sponsors have the authority on whether to fund the next phases of the Project.
Is the project being proposed now because the express lanes from the Santa Clara County Line to I-380 showed higher-than-expected revenue projections?
No. This project has been underway for several years. For many years, Plan Bay Area, the regional transportation plan has envisioned a network of managed lanes throughout the Bay Area that would play a prominent role in improving regional transit service; promoting ridesharing; and curtailing rising demand for solo driving. Caltrans preliminary investigation of this project was completed in 2019 with environmental scoping occurring in 2021. Work has continued throughout this time to adequately study all proposed alternatives.
Are the existing express lanes reducing congestion?
The goal of express lanes is to maximize person throughput in the express lanes while keeping traffic moving to encourage carpooling and transit ridership. Express lanes help travelers in the express lanes avoid congestion by ensuring a more reliable trip time and by using pricing to encourage people to carpool and ride transit instead of driving alone. On average, express lanes users were able to travel 11-12 mph faster than those in the mixed-use lanes. Approximately 42% of express lane trips were made by High-Occupancy Vehicles on average per month.