Volume III - City of Sunnyvale - State of California

Traffic & Transportation
A well planned and maintained transportation
infrastructure is a critical component for ensuring
livable local communities, balancing housing and jobs,
and supporting economic development. Sunnyvale has
developed an excellent transportation infrastructure,
but regional and local growth and the passage of time
put continual strain on capacity and maintenance
needs. The City has proactively conducted long range
planning for traffic and transportation needs for a
number of years and is actively involved in countywide
planning efforts. Several long range plans guide the
development of the projects budget for the short and
long term. These are: Valley Transportation Plan (VTP)
2035, Transportation Strategic Program, Downtown
Specific Plan (2003), Bicycle Capital Improvement
Program, 2007 Pedestrian Safety and Opportunities
Study, Tasman/Fair Oaks Bicycle and Pedestrian
Circulation Plan, and Moffett Park Specific Plan. Each
of these plans identifies traffic and transportation
projects that are important for a particular area, the
City, and/or the region. These plans and a listing of
their Sunnyvale transportation projects are detailed
later in this section. These plans allow the City to
undertake a coordinated traffic and transportation
capital projects program and to position itself to
compete strongly for outside specialized discretionary
funding as it becomes available.
Major Projects
Traffic Signal Hardware and Wiring. This project
provides for the replacement of traffic signal
underground conduits and signal pole structures.
Underground cables and conduits have a life
expectancy of 20-40 years, with an average of 35 years.
This project funds one location per year over the 20
year financial plan for a total of $8.9 million.
Mathilda Avenue Railroad Overpass Improvements.
The State of California Department of Transportation
(CalTrans) has rated the existing bridge, located at
Mathilda Avenue and the Caltrain railroad tracks,
below standard. The design phase of this project is
complete; construction began in late FY 2009/10 and
is expected to be complete in FY 2012/13.
The total project cost is budgeted at $36 million;
however, construction bids came in significantly lower
than that amount. The project is primarily funded by a
Federal Highway Bridge Program grant, which will pay
for 88% of the construction costs. The City’s share is
funded by Measure A funds, Gas Tax funds and Traffic
Mitigation Fees.