Broadway Interchange - Part 1

I'm sure the story of how and when the upgrades to the Broadway interchange will happen will be a multi-part, multi-year story--it already is.  The Mercury Times has an article on the basics today that notes

The current mazelike setup, which includes 19 approaches and connections to the freeway, will be made simpler, and all the onramps and offramps will be replaced.

And mentions the community outreach program that will have more of the details

The plans are available at dot.ca.gov/dist4/envdocs.htm, and comments can be sent to [email protected]. The agency will hold an open house from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sept. 15 in the Lane Community Room at the Burlingame Public Library.

The Peninsula Ave. interchange is a simple project compared to B'way--and how do you do anything before we know what will happen with the High Cost Rail idiocy planned to run right through there as well?  Let's not mess up the bike overpass either.

Comments

[David desJardins]

I see that the plans measure "level of service" for each intersection, but there doesn't seem to be an estimate of how much longer it is going to take cars to get from point A to point B, when you have to wait for two extra left turn signals to get from Broadway onto 101 North. It seems like an extra minute of travel time for everyone going through there. I can't believe there's not a better design for the majority of vehicles that simply want a direct path from Broadway to 101 North.

[Ron Fulderon]

There are now four signal lights to get from Peninsula on to the northbound entrance of 101. There used to be one.

[holyroller]

At the last budget /finace I attended in the Lane Room this year, the Broadway Overpass Project was presented as "The Looming Fiscal Disaster."
The City of Burlingame has to come up with such a large amount of money;it will effect every single service provided.

[pat giorni]

Funny, Holyroller, I attended that very same meeting and did not take away your impressions about the Broadway interchange being a "looming fiscal disaster".

[holyroller]

Oh Really...

[fred]

Holyroller, I believe that the state through Caltrans will pay for the Broadway overpass. I think the plans are fine, looks like they even added a little park or cul de sac next to the pedestrian bridge.

[BeenAround]

Dear Nike Shox Turbo,

What pot club do you belong to? Good stuff, huh?

[Anne]

Nike Shox Turbo still makes more sense than the ever-cranky HolyRoller

[holyroller]

Please send an email to your "nearest City Elder," asking what is the City of Burlingame required to pay for the project to go forward.
Or better yet ask Jesus at City Hall.
The first figures are @ 14 million dollars.
Check it out.
Ask Jesus.

[holyroller]

Has anyone been able to contact Jesus yet?
He has the answers to all our questions.

[fred]

Jesus knows the meaning of life? I'm dialing now!

[Mom]

Why can't Holy Roller just call the finance director himself?

[holyroller]

I do not need to contact Jesus.
I have been enlightened(at the public meetings) because I ask questions, follow up on the answers, and care about the result.
Regarding the HIGH SPEED RAIL...
Has any single homeowner whose property will be given up for the HSR contributed to this web site yet?

[Hillsider]

Could you stay on topic, please? Do you have ADD and have you been treated for it? If not, why not?

[holyroller]

Thank you for your comment.
No, I have not been treated for ADD.
Dear Hillsider, if you could "recommend something," I may look into it.

[jennifer]

I attended the open house last week for the Broadway Interchange project. My takeaway was that this project could begin as early as 2014, and will cost close to $75 million (with the city of Burlingame expected to kick in $8 million, earmarked for this). It is a very wide overpass that will include two 5 ft. bike lanes on either side, and a 10 ft. sidewalk on one side. It sounded as if the old overpass would remain in use throughout construction, since the new structure is several feet north of the old. The two year old, $9 million dollar pedestrian overpass will remain, which is good news, since I think it cost around 9 million and for quite awhile was considered temporary.

[Mark H.]

Why don't we have a cloverleaf design that goes over or under the railroad tracks towards Broadway? With on and off ramps for Rollins Rd. Less intersections would make the traffic flow much smoother and quicker.

[Bruce Dickinson]

Folks, this is a community of 30,000 people, not downtown Los Angeles. A "cloverleaf" over-underpass such as the concrete ribbons connecting the 110 and 101 freeways in LA, otherwise (dis)affectionately known as "The Stack" in SoCal speak has no place in this quaint community. Trust me, having lived there for over 40 years, you do not want a concrete jungle. This is why Bruce Dickinson digs Burlingame so much. Seriously, where do you guys come up with this stuff?

[Mark H.]

Bruce, Have you seen the proposed plan? This thing has 5 intersections all with traffic lights & 7 lanes. You think that's quaint? Good luck getting home on time with this plan. More importantly it doesn't address the railroad tracks we all have to cross over. With 33,000 cars a day going through that maze, Burlingame is not the quaint community anymore. I've lived here for over 50 years and would love more than anything for Burlingame to go back to the way it once was. If only Rollins Rd was on the other side of the freeway. Rollins Rd needs it's own on & off ramps between Broadway & Millbrae Ave. Burlingame needs to come up with a better plan that doesn't make matters worse.

[Becca]

Seems to me that there was a massive design fault on the new bridge work on Rollins Rd. I was coming off the bridge onto Rollins Rd and waiting at the lights at the Porsche dealer. I met a car
on the wrong side of the road, they had exited the gas station on Rollins Road and wanted to go over the bridge but now with the cement divider they could not get across and were on the wrong side of the road. Yikes how could this have been overlooked??? Please be careful, especially at night.

[resident]

It wasn't overlooked. This motorized moron needs to be ticketed.

[BMW]

The Caltrans project actually boxed in that 76 gas station. Before the centre divider was built, drivers were able to turn left from Rollins into the station and also turn left out of the station into Rollins. Both are no longer possible & it would be easy for someone to get disoriented. They're probably just trying to get back on the freeway after getting gas. The GPS or Googlemap app still hasn't picked up that there's a median there now so another possible source of confusion. Cautionary tale to not always follow GPS.

At the very least, Caltrans should install one-way signs on the new median so drivers coming out of the gas station know that all traffic must turn right. They should probably also paint right turn arrows on the driveways to help out the gas station since they put them in that position.

[resident]

It's not unlike the changes at Poplar. Reduced choices = faster safer movement through the intersections. I like BMW's signage ideas too. Caltrans, you listening? Public Works can clue them in.

[Burlingirl]

Caltrans has done an excellent job on the project.