2023-04-26 03:47:17
The Story Road-Keyes Street area of East San Jose is about to be transformed from a hot spot to a safe corridor with a new influx of cash.
The San José City Council is ready to secure final funding for safety infrastructure on the entire 2.3-mile highway project. The dollars will transform one of San Jose’s most dangerous corridors into a haven for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users and drivers alike. Councilmembers will vote today on whether to match a $3.6 million grant from a regional transit agency with city dollars during the next budget cycle.
The total projected cost of the project is $45 million. Most of the funding comes from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, a government agency responsible for planning and financing regional transportation in the Bay Area. In January, MTC awarded the Story-Keyes project two separate grants totaling $36.4 million. The city is required to match a certain percentage of each grant, totaling $8.7 million over the next few years.
The Story-Keyes project runs from Third Street to King Road and sits between State Route 87 and the Capital Expressway, connecting several East San Jose neighborhoods with a variety of business districts that predominantly serve the Vietnamese and Latino communities. John Ristow, the city’s transportation director, said it’s also one of the 17 most dangerous corridors in San Jose.
The city wants to add separate bike lanes, protected intersections, traffic boarding islands and better lighting, among other safety improvements. Dedicated bus lanes are also planned for wider portions of Story Road, which would significantly improve traffic for one of Santa Clara County’s busiest bus routes, Ristow said.
Several council members said the city should work with nearby businesses and residents to ensure the plan is carried out. Councilmembers Omar Torres, Sergio Jiménez, Peter Ortiz and Bien Doan have said in the past that some transportation projects did not receive enough input from residents. They want to make sure that the community is involved in the design and construction process.
“By taking this step, we are earning the trust of the community, but we are also building community by bringing everyone to the table to collaboratively plan our streets,” the council members wrote in a memo.
The streets of San Jose have only gotten more dangerous in recent years. The city saw a record 65 traffic-related deaths in 2022. San Jose has recorded nine traffic-related deaths so far this year.
The city adopted the Vision Zero Initiative in 2015 to analyze traffic data and develop safety programs after 60 people were killed in accidents that year. In 2018, the city identified 17 of its most dangerous corridors: most of which run through East San Jose—Story Road included.
San Jose has funded temporary solutions to make other streets safer. At Camino Senter, the city spent nearly $1 million to paint the intersections and put up green balls and plastic barriers to force drivers to slow down. These efforts reduced traffic fatalities and serious injuries along Senter Road from 15 in 2020 to five in 2021, according to city data.
This year, some of the city’s most dangerous streets—Branham Lane, Saratoga Avenue, and McKee and White roads—are slated for infrastructure safety measures similar to the Camino Senter. McKee and Tully Roads are receiving major upgrades including more street lights, bike lanes, and other protective measures.
This story will be updated.
Contact Jana Kadah at [correo electrónico protegido] o @Jana_Kadah on Twitter.
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